HUNTSVILLE – It has been one of the most conspicuously barren plots of land in downtown Huntsville for years.

But the rubble remains of the old Coca-Cola bottling plant on Clinton Avenue are about to be transformed into a $325 million mixed-use development.

Huntsville’s Front Row is said to deliver an incomparable mix of residential, retail, and office spaces, entertainment, and community to Huntsville’s downtown core.

The project is a joint venture among New York City real estate investment and development company, Rocket Development Partners; Essex Capital; and Ascend Property Group, a boutique real estate development and private equity firm.

Unanimously approved by the Huntsville City Council last June, Front Row is expected to be one of the most transformative projects in the city’s evolving downtown core.  and is believed by the City Council to fit perfectly into the 2016 Downtown Huntsville Master Plan to drive economic growth, promote walkability and connectivity, while contributing to downtown’s vibrancy.

Front Row sits on a sprawling 11-acre lot converging across from Mars Music Hall and the Von Braun Center North Hall, stretching for three sizable city blocks.

The first phase of the project will include 40,000 square feet of retail space and chef-inspired restaurants, 500 top-line multifamily residences with full amenities, and up to 50,000 square-feet of Class-A dynamic office space. It will surround a large greenspace with an urban plaza for community events at downtown’s social epicenter.

The developers are also planning an expansive Class-A, 200,000 square-foot office tower that could include an upscale boutique hotel.