New construction in the Huntsville area topped $509.7 million in the first quarter of 2025, according to building permits issued in Madison, Limestone and Morgan counties.

Three projects totaling more than $10 million were issued permits, according to Southern Exposure Information. Topping the list is Huntsville Hospital’s Madison Street Tower expansion. Buildings at the Redstone Gateway and Cummings Research Park are the other projects.

• Huntsville issued 381 permits totaling $281.8 million.
• Madison County issued 508 permits totaling $121.9 million.
• Madison issued 101 permits totaling $83.9 million.
• Athens issued 97 permits totaling $41.4 million.
• Decatur issued 85 permits totaling $30.3 million.
• Priceville issued five permits totaling $213,000.

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 builder for the most expensive project of the year so far. 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 during the first quarter. It was issued 106 permits totaling $25.8 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 range and upward to more than $500,000.

Brasfield & Gorrie

Brasfield & Gorrie is working on a $25 million, 125,000-square foot building at 8500 Redstone Gateway. The building is managed by COPT Defense Properties.

The firm is also working on the Stadium Commons development near Joe Davis Stadium that was started last year.

Brasfield & Gorrie’s work in the Huntsville area has spanned projects in the commercial, aerospace, government, healthcare and industrial sectors. Notable projects include NASA test stands, the HudsonAlpha Institute for Biotechnology, Bryant Bank, Alabama School of Cyber Technology, Dynetics, U.S. Courthouse, Davidson’s Technologies’ headquarters and Redstone Gateway buildings 1000, 1200 and 7000 in addition to 8500.

Lennar Homes

Lennar Homes has been issued 97 permits totaling $22 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.

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.

Edward Rose Associates

The Michigan firm was issued eight permits totaling $14 million for continued work on Signature Pointe Apartments on French Farms Boulevard in Athens.

Woodland Homes

Woodland Homes was issued 28 permits totaling $13.5 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.

Fite Construction

Fite Construction of Decatur was issued three permits totaling $8.1 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.

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.