A few years down the road, Huntsville residents will be able to walk or ride a bike from Alabama A&M to an event at the Von Braun Center or an entertainment venue like Stovehouse along Governors Drive using “Skybridge” to cross Memorial Parkway.

City officials unveiled part of that vision during an open house at City Hall on Thursday night.

“It can’t come soon enough,” Huntsville resident Ben Payment told AL.com.

He would be among the residents most likely to use the greenway discussed at the open house. He rode his bicycle to see what the city has planned.

Consultants were on hand with maps, renderings, and ideas to share with residents about what is right now being called the North Huntsville Greenway. It would connect the Meek Greenway under design at Alabama A&M to the greenway being created by the $65 million Pinhook Creek project that includes the “Skybridge” pedestrian bridge across Memorial Parkway near the VBC.

“I’ve been a bike advocate for a decade in the community,” Payment said. “It’s not just a recreation outlet. It’s about connecting the community where you don’t have to have a car to get to work downtown or get to school. And having these greenways come together and form networks as alternatives to roads is really important.”

Atlanta firm Lord Aeck Sargent has been working on the plans for about 10 months, according to the company’s director of urban design, landscaping and architecture Matt Cherry. He said they’ve spent several days walking the corridor, “trying to understand the corridor better.”

“We’re trying to figure out where the trail system should go through the city of Huntsville,” he said.

Cherry said his firm is looking at future open spaces with the potential for new parks and community gathering places. They are also looking at potential places for public and private investment.

“We think this is a really transformative project,” added Dennis Madsen, the city’s manager of urban and long-range planning. “We’re excited about what this can do for this part of north Huntsville. We’re excited about what this will do for the quality of life for residents. We’re excited about the investment opportunities. This is a unique tool for areas that struggle to attract investment.”

Eva Harris, who works with Thrive Alabama, said the area covered by the greenway segment has been overlooked for a long time.

“I think the city is working really hard with consultants, people in the neighborhoods, the organizations in the neighborhoods to try and make sure it’s a vibrant neighborhood,” Harris said.

Thrive Alabama is building a 72,000-square-foot, $35 million health center adjacent to the proposed greenway. The greenway will also be near the $400 million Mill Creek Choice Neighborhood Initiative revitalization project. Residents who will live there in a mixture of market value, work force and low-income housing would have access to the greenway through “Skybridge.”

The greenway will also be within walking distance of the $375 million mixed-use Front Row development being constructed on the former Coca Cola plant site across from the VBC at the corner of Monroe Street and Clinton Avenue.

“It enhances everything, especially quality of life,” said Brian Williams, who like Payment describes himself as a cyclist. “People moving here come from cities that have more infrastructure that accommodates walking, biking, skateboarding. We’ve got to catch up. We’ve definitely got to make things more inviting.”

Cherry said the greenway project is being modeled after Atlanta’s Beltline but said there are parts of it that will be unique to Huntsville.

The project is also being compared to Birmingham’s Rotary Trail, Greenville, South Carolina’s Swamp Rabbit Trail and New York City’s High Line.