Huntsville Hospital’s Madison Street Tower expansion leads the way in construction projects started so far in 2025 in the Huntsville area.

Overall, more than $1 billion in construction has started this year in Madison, Limestone and Morgan counties, according to permits pulled by Southern Exposure Information. Other top projects started since Jan.1 include construction on the Ditto Landing event center and buildings at the Redstone Gateway and Cummings Research Park.

And looking ahead toward the latter half of the year will be construction for a $44.6 million expansion of the Ice Sports Center and bids expected to be let soon for the expansion of Big Spring Park East.

Permits issued through June 30:

• Huntsville issued 1,123 permits totaling $464.2 million.
• Madison County issued 1,202 permits totaling $324.2 million.
• Decatur issued 234 permits totaling $96.2 million
• Madison issued 242 permits totaling $86.5 million.
• Athens issued 213 permits totaling $69.8 million.
• Priceville issued 12 permits totaling $950,000.

Here is a list of the top builders so far in 2025 and what they’re working on.

Robins & Morton Group

Robins & Morton is the top builder so far with four permits totaling $119 million. It is working on the most expensive project. A permit was issued in February for a $112 million project that is part of Huntsville Hospital’s $150 million Madison Street Tower expansion.

The Huntsville Hospital expansion includes adding 154,000 square feet of new clinical space. The Alabama Certificate of Need Review Board unanimously approved the five-story addition late last year.

Most of the work will take place at the northeast corner of the hospital facing Madison Street and St. Clair Avenue. Construction is expected to take about two years. The $150 million 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 new Neuro Intensive Care Unit for neurosurgical and stroke patients.
• Three floors of new acute medical space.
• 120 new private patient rooms.
• A new and improved Emergency Department vehicle entrance.

When construction is finished, HH Health System’s flagship facility will have a total of 931 patient beds – up from 881 currently. Seventy existing patient rooms are being converted from double occupancy to single occupancy.

Robins & Morton 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 Robins & Morton this year. The firm is working on a $3.7 million, 28,000-square-foot buildout at 9700 Advanced Gateway. The facility will include office space and high bay space, Robins & Morton spokesman Chris Yazbec told AL.com.

Other top area builders for the quarter were:

Davidson Homes

Davidson Homes was the top homebuilder for the first six months of the year. It was issued 288 permits totaling $63.3 million. Davidson Homes is building homes in Huntsville, Madison, north Madison County, Decatur, Athens, Toney, Hartselle and Harvest.

It advertises homes starting in the $250,000 to $500,000 range.

Lennar Homes

Lennar Homes has been issued 264 permits totaling $58 million. Lennar Homes is the main homebuilder for the Clift Farm development bordering north Madison off U.S. 72.

It has also constructed other homes in Madison and Athens, and the Retreat subdivision in Meridianville. Most of the homes listed on the Lennar website are in the $280,000-$400,000 price range.

Brasfield & Gorrie

Brasfield & Gorrie has been issued three permits totaling $29 million. It is working on a $25 million, 125,000-square foot building at 8500 Redstone Gateway. The building is managed by COPT Defense Properties.

Brasfield & Gorrie is also working retail and office components for the Stadium Commons development near Joe Davis Stadium that was started last year.

Woodland Homes

Woodland Homes was issued 57 permits totaling $28.4 million. Woodland Homes’ website advertises 15 new home communities, including in Madison, Athens, Meridianville, New Market and Owens Cross Roads. Most of the homes on the website advertise for more than $400,000.

Olympia Construction

The Albertville based firm concentrates on multifamily developments but also does work on commercial projects. It has been issued two permits totaling $26.5 million.

DR Horton

Homebuilder DR Horton has been issued 173 permits totaling $21.7 million. It is the builder for Greenbrier Preserve not far from Interstate 565 and major Huntsville employers in the Limestone County portion of Huntsville. It is also constructing homes in north Huntsville, north Madison County, Athens, Madison and the Owens Cross Roads area. It advertises homes in the $200,000-$350,000 price range.

Fite Construction

Fite Construction of Decatur was issued five permits totaling $18.4 million.

Two of the permits were issued 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

Fite is the builder of the recreation center at John Hunt Park, a preschool in Town Madison and several downtown Decatur projects. It is also the builder for the $32.7 million hangar project at Pryor Field that is just now getting underway.

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 was issued the permit for the work.

The firm has worked on several high-profile projects in the Huntsville area, including Huntsville’s new City Hall, which opened last year.

Lee Builders

Lee Builders has been issued two permits totaling $14.6 million. Included in that is the $13 million Ditto Landing event center project. Lee Builders was the company that renovated Joe Davis Stadium that reopened in 2023 as a multipurpose stadium.

Not included in the totals are projects that are ongoing that were started before the beginning of the year. That includes the $375 million Front Row mixed-use development going up at the corner of Clinton Avenue and Monroe Street across from the Von Braun Center. ARCO/Murray National Construction, the top builder in the Huntsville area the last two years, is the contractor for that project.

ARCO/Murray was awarded the contract by the city last month to work on the Ice Sports Center on Leeman Ferry Road.