Huntsville Hospital's Madison Street Tower expansion is still the most expensive project initiated in northern Alabama during the first three quarters of 2025.
Overall, more than $1.6 billion in construction is under way this year in Madison, Limestone and Morgan counties, according to permits pulled by the publication Report Construction.
Other top projects started since Jan. 1 include construction on the Clearview Cancer Institute facility in Decatur, and the Ditto Landing event center and buildings at the Redstone Gateway and Cummings Research Park, both located in Huntsville.
Looking ahead to the last quarter of the year, Al.com reported Sept. 30, 2025, that additional construction is ahead on an $82 million research and manufacturing facility for eyecare tech firm Glaukos at Cummings Research Park, and a $44.6 million expansion of Huntsville's Ice Sports Center.
Bids also are expected to be let soon for the expansion of Big Spring Park East in the Rocket City.
Through Sept. 30:
• Huntsville issued 1,797 permits totaling $773.8 million;
• Madison County issued 1,458 permits totaling $381.7 million;
• Decatur issued 366 permits totaling $175 million;
• Madison issued 443 permits totaling $162.5 million;
• Athens issued 374 permits totaling $148.3 million; and
• Priceville issued 12 permits totaling $905,000.
13 major construction companies are working in the region in 2025 to build commercial and residential projects, Al.com noted.
Robins & Morton Group
Birmingham's Robins & Morton is the top builder so far with seven permits totaling $157 million. The firm also is building the most expensive project: a $112 million portion of Huntsville Hospital's $150 million Madison Street Tower expansion.
The hospital's expansion includes adding 154,000 sq. ft. of new clinical space. The Alabama Certificate of Need Review Board unanimously approved the five-story addition in late 2024 and Robins & Morton obtained the permit in February.
Most of the work is taking place at the hospital's northeast corner facing Madison Street and St. Clair Avenue. The project includes:
• a new Cardiothoracic Intensive Care Unit made possible by a $10 million philanthropic donation — the largest private gift the hospital has ever received;
• a Neuro Intensive Care Unit for neurosurgical and stroke patients;
• three floors of acute medical space;
• 120 private patient rooms; and
• a new and improved Emergency Department vehicle entrance.
When the construction is finished, HH Health System's flagship facility will have a total of 931 patient beds — up from the current 881. 70 existing patient rooms are being converted from double occupancy to single occupancy.
Robins & Morton originally built the Madison Street Tower in 2006. Chapman Sisson Architects designed the tower and the expansion.
The hospital expansion is not the only project started by the contractor this year.
It also is the builder of the $37 million Clearview Cancer Institute going up at 1626 6th Ave in southeast Decatur. According to a development agreement with the city, the institute is building a two-story, 50,000-sq.-ft. facility. Chapman Sisson Architects is also involved with that project.
Nearby, Robins & Morton is constructing a $3.7 million, 28,000-sq.-ft. buildout at 9700 Advanced Gateway. That facility will include office and high-bay space, company spokesperson Chris Yazbec told AL.com.
Lennar Homes
Lennar Homes of Alabama is the top homebuilder in the area so far this year, according to the online news source, as it has been issued 496 permits totaling $100.2 million. The company is a homebuilder for the Clift Farm development bordering north Madison off U.S. Highway 72.
It also has constructed other homes in Madison and Athens as well as the Retreat subdivision in Meridianville. Most homes listed on the Lennar website range from $280,000-$400,000 in price.
Davidson Homes
As of the end of September, Davidson Homes was issued 324 permits totaling $70.8 million to build homes in Huntsville, Madison, north Madison County, Decatur, Athens, Toney, Hartselle and Harvest.
The Huntsville-based builder advertises homes starting in the $250,000 to $500,000 range.
Alston Construction
Alston Construction has been issued three permits totaling $50 million. It is building the Huntsville Logistics Center at 29424 Withers Spring Dr. in the northwest part of the city.
Woodland Homes
Woodland Homes was issued 89 permits totaling $44.3 million. Its website advertises 15 new home communities, including developments in Madison, Athens, Meridianville, New Market and Owens Cross Roads with most going for more than $400,000.
DR Horton
Homebuilder DR Horton has been issued 296 permits totaling $39.5 million. It is the contractor for the Greenbrier Preserve development near Interstate 565 and several employers in the Limestone County part of Huntsville. It also is building homes in north Huntsville, north Madison County, Athens, Madison and the Owens Cross Roads area. Its homes cost between $200,000 to $350,000.
Fite Construction
This Decatur, Ala.-based contractor has so far been issued 11 permits totaling $39 million.
Two of the permits were for alterations to the Nucor Towers and Structures facility at 913 Maero St. NW in Decatur. The permits were issued to the City of Decatur's Industrial Development Board.
Among the building company's other projects are:
• a $7.5 million Vermeer Sales and Service Center at 25164 One Aviation Way SW in Huntsville;
• a $7.1 million alteration to a building at 719 Hughes Road in Madison;
• construction of the new Cadence Bank at 102 Heart of Huntsville Dr. SW, the contract is worth $3.6 million; and
• a $3.1 million alteration to the First Presbyterian Church building at 307 Gates Ave. SE in Huntsville.
In addition, Fite is the builder of the recreation center at Huntsville's John Hunt Park, a preschool in Madison and several downtown Decatur projects. Its project to construct a $32.7 million hangar project at Pryor Field Regional Airport in Tanner is currently getting under way.
Vericon Construction
Vericon Construction Co. LLC. in Mountain Side, N.J., has been issued two permits totaling $32.5 million. It is constructing a $29.6 million building in Decatur at 2288 Winchester Rd. and a $2.9 million structure down the street at 2104 Winchester.
The firm specializes in a variety of construction projects — from multifamily units to heath care facilities to retail. The Decatur sites are near Winchester Plaza, a Walmart Supercenter and an ALDI supermarket.
Brasfield & Gorrie
Brasfield & Gorrie in Birmingham has been issued four permits totaling $29.3 million. The largest construction project is a $25 million, 125,000-sq.-ft. building at 8500 Redstone Gateway in Huntsville that will be managed by COPT Defense Properties.
The nationally known contractor is also working retail and office components for the city's Stadium Commons development near Joe Davis Stadium, a project that first got under way in 2024.
Olympia Construction
This Albertville, Ala.-based affordable housing developer and builder has been issued two permits totaling $26.5 million. It is building the Cedar Crossing senior housing development and an adjacent 56-unit multifamily project on 5.6 acres in southwest Decatur. Five two-story buildings are planned at the latter site.
Breland Homes
The recipient of 106 permits totaling $26 million, Breland Homes in Huntsville is developing and building homes in Clift Farm ($500,000 and up) and Town Madison (starting at $300,000).
The company also is constructing homes in Limestone County and Decatur, according to Al.com.
Turner Construction
Turner Construction is the contractor for a $16.5 million building at 905 Mark C. Smith Drive in Cummings Research Park. The Huntsville-Madison Chamber of Commerce was issued the permit for the work. The firm has worked on several high-profile projects in the area, including Huntsville's new City Hall, which opened last year.
Lee Builders
Lee Builders has been issued five permits totaling $15.3 million, the majority of which is for the $13 million Ditto Landing event center project. The Huntsville contracting firm also renovated Joe Davis Stadium, which reopened in 2023 as a multipurpose venue.
Beyond the projects listed above are those that are ongoing and were started before the beginning of this year. They include the $375 million Front Row mixed-use development being built at the corner of Clinton Avenue and Monroe Street across from the Von Braun Center in Huntsville.
ARCO/Murray National Construction, the top builder in the Huntsville area the last two years, is the contractor for that project. In August, the company was also awarded the contract by the city to work on the Ice Sports Center on Leeman Ferry Road.
