An area near Huntsville’s downtown core will look remarkably different in less than a decade if city leaders and the Huntsville Housing Authority have their way.

That is how long it will take to transform the distressed neighborhood that includes Butler Terrace and Johnson Towers along Governors and Seminole Drive into a thriving Mill Creek development.

The city and the housing authority will be taking important steps in the next few weeks toward making that dream become a reality. They are finalizing a master plan they hope will lead to the project receiving up to a $50 million Choice Neighborhood Initiative grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

The project as a whole is expected to cost about $400 million, according to city leaders. Private investment will also be needed to see the revitalization take place. Funds from the grant would be used for neighborhood infrastructure, housing, employment opportunities, health and education and private investment.

Megan O’Hara with Urban Design Associates said the grant would require that the development be completed within eight years, with work starting a year from now. UDA is assisting the city and the housing authority with the project.