Spandrel Development Partners Enters Hospitality Sector with AC Hotel in Huntsville, Alabama

154-Key Hotel in Cummings Research Park Targets Surging Federal, Defense and Aerospace Travel Demand in One of the Nation’s Fastest-Growing Metros

NEW YORK CITY, NY, UNITED STATES, June 3, 2026 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Spandrel Development Partners today announced its entry into the hospitality sector with the development of the AC Hotel Research Park, a 154-key AC Hotels by Marriott property in Huntsville, Alabama. The project, located within Bridge Street Town Centre in Cummings Research Park, marks the first hotel development for the New York-based firm and the launch of a Southeast-focused hospitality platform with a second project already in development in Charlotte, N.C.

Construction of the hotel is expected to begin immediately with an opening anticipated in 2028.

“Hospitality is a natural extension of our platform, and we are entering the sector with conviction,” said Emanuel Neuman, Co-Founder of Spandrel Development Partners. “We are focused on delivering high-quality, design-forward hotels in markets where institutional demand is deep and durable. Huntsville’s federal, defense and aerospace employment base creates a demand profile that is distinct from most Sun Belt growth markets, and the AC Hotel Research Park is the first of several hospitality developments we expect to advance in the near term.”

A Market Defined by Federal and Institutional Demand
Huntsville’s population has grown nearly 16 percent since the 2020 Census, reaching an estimated 249,000 residents and placing it among the top 20 fastest-growing U.S. cities with populations above 100,000. At the metro level, the Huntsville area added approximately 14,000 residents in 2025 alone.

The hotel sits at the nexus of two demand anchors that together constitute the largest economic zone in Alabama: Cummings Research Park, the second-largest research park in the United States with more than 300 companies and 26,000 employees, and Redstone Arsenal, a 38,000-acre U.S. Army installation employing approximately 45,000 military, civilian and contract workers. Redstone Arsenal’s annual economic impact on Alabama now exceeds $36 billion and accounts for 58 percent of the gross regional product for the Tennessee Valley, according to a University of Alabama in Huntsville study. Hotel operators within the economic zone report that roughly 60 percent of their business originates from these two facilities, according to HVS.

Several major expansions are compounding that demand. The FBI plans to nearly double its workforce at Redstone Arsenal to approximately 4,000 employees by 2030, with FBI Director Kash Patel approving the relocation of 500 additional full-time employees in 2025 and projecting as many as 1,400 more over the following three years. The Trump administration confirmed in September 2025 that U.S. Space Command headquarters will relocate from Colorado to Redstone Arsenal, a transition expected to bring approximately 1,400 jobs over five years. And in December 2025, Eli Lilly and Company announced a $6 billion advanced pharmaceutical manufacturing campus in Huntsville, the largest initial private investment in Alabama’s history, which will create 450 permanent positions and an estimated 3,000 construction jobs when construction begins in 2026.

Filling a Gap in the Submarket
Bridge Street Town Centre is an 825,000-square-foot lifestyle center managed by Tanger Inc. While recent hotel development in the broader Huntsville market has added more than 1,000 rooms since 2019, predominantly in the extended-stay and select-service categories, the Research Park submarket has seen limited addition of upper-upscale or lifestyle-oriented product purpose-built for the business traveler. The AC Hotel Research Park is positioned to fill that gap.

“Huntsville continues to demonstrate strong demand fundamentals for high-quality, design-forward hospitality offerings,” said Chris DiBenedetto of Marriott International. “We are excited to work with Spandrel to bring the AC Hotels by Marriott experience to this dynamic and growing market.”

The hotel will feature approximately 4,000 square feet of meeting and conference space along with a bar, restaurant and fitness center. Its location within Bridge Street Town Centre provides immediate access to more than 70 shops and restaurants, positioning the property as a central hub for both corporate and leisure guests. Spandrel owns 4.5 acres and plans a build-to-suit office building to be adjacent to the hotel.

“The combination of Huntsville’s job growth, strong institutional demand drivers, and the lack of new, well-located hotel supply within this submarket creates a compelling opportunity,” said Ian Levine of Spandrel Development Partners. “Bridge Street Town Centre sits at the center of that demand, and we believe the AC Hotel Research Park is uniquely positioned to serve both corporate and government-related travel with a high-quality, efficient product.”
Renderings provided by Campo Architecture & Design are linked here.

Financing and Advisory
Peachtree Group is providing construction financing for the development.

“We are pleased to partner with Spandrel on this well-located, thoughtfully conceived AC Hotels by Marriott project,” said Jared Schlosser of Peachtree Group. “By leveraging our broad financing capabilities and ability to structure tailored capital solutions for construction projects, we are uniquely positioned to support this development. Combined with Huntsville’s strong growth and the strength of the AC Hotels by Marriott brand, this project is poised for long-term success.”

Institutional Property Advisors acted as advisor to Spandrel Development Partners in connection with the project.

Southeast Hospitality Platform
The AC Hotel Research Park represents the first in a series of hospitality developments Spandrel is actively pursuing across the Southeast. The firm’s next project is in active development in Charlotte, N.C., with another announcement expected in the near term. The platform will target a mix of select-service and lifestyle hotel opportunities in high-growth markets across the region.

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ABOUT SPANDREL DEVELOPMENT PARTNERS
Spandrel Development Partners, LLC (SDP) is a New York-based real estate development and investment firm. SDP principals bring a combined 30 years and more than $4 billion of real estate and finance experience spanning multifamily, hospitality and mixed-use development across high-growth markets in the Southeast. The firm’s hospitality platform targets design-forward, institutionally located hotel opportunities in markets defined by deep and durable demand fundamentals. www.spandreldevelopment.com

Nikki Wolfe
Yellow Duck Marketing
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