Huntsville City Council District 3 representative Dr. Jennie Robinson says she is seeking another term to ensure major projects underway in South Huntsville are completed and deliver on promises made to residents.
With the Aug. 25 municipal election approaching, Robinson said the next four years will be focused on turning years of planning and construction into lasting community assets while continuing to address traffic and growth.
“We have made a lot of promises to the city as a whole, but particularly District 3 residents, about some big projects that we have going on,” Robinson said during an interview with 256 Today. “I want to keep those promises.”
Among the projects Robinson highlighted are the expanding Sandra Moon Complex, Hays Farm, Ditto Landing, the South Parkway corridor and Huntsville’s growing greenway system.
She said the Sandra Moon Complex, which now includes a 600-seat proscenium theater, new gymnasiums, ball fields and library improvements, is nearing completion, shifting the focus from construction to programming and community use.
“We’re so close to the finish line on the Sandra Moon Complex,” Robinson said. “We’ve finished the building. Now let’s really use it to revitalize that area.”
Robinson also pointed to the recently completed 17-mile South Huntsville Greenway Loop, which city officials say will eventually expand to approximately 22 miles.
While she believes residents are excited about new amenities, Robinson said traffic remains the issue she hears about most often from constituents.
“They are worried about traffic,” she said. “That’s one of their main concerns.”
She cited concerns surrounding access to Redstone Arsenal’s Gate 3, particularly for employees at the nearby FBI campus and defense contractors, as well as congestion at the Interstate 565 and Memorial Parkway interchange.
Robinson said the city has already invested $1.5 million in engineering and design work for what she described as a needed overhaul of the interchange, though she acknowledged construction will require significant federal funding.
“The fix on that is going to be $300 million,” she said.
Robinson argued Huntsville has consistently planned ahead for growth through major infrastructure projects, including overpasses along South Memorial Parkway, the widening of Cecil Ashburn Drive and Research Park Boulevard, and construction of the Northern Bypass.
“What if we had not put in those three overpasses on the South Parkway?” Robinson said. “We’ve got to continue to get ahead of growth and try to manage what we’re doing.”
She also credited collaboration among city leaders, neighboring communities and regional partners for Huntsville’s continued economic success.
“We work together,” Robinson said. “Instead of fighting together, we work together. We get these big wins, and everybody benefits because when they come here, it’s more jobs and more tax dollars going into the local economy.”
Asked what she wants newer residents to know about her leadership, Robinson pointed to her 12 years on the City Council.
“I have spent the last 12 years on the City Council building those collaborative relationships,” she said. “I work with people. I also do my homework. I study, I prepare, and I’m ready to ask the hard questions when they need to be asked.”
She added that her goal remains making Huntsville “not just the biggest city, but the best city in Alabama.”
The Huntsville municipal election is scheduled for Aug. 25. Robinson formally announced her re-election campaign in June.
Voters will also elect representatives for City Council Districts 2 and 4 and Huntsville City Schools Board of Education Districts 2, 3 and 4.
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