The future of Madison Square Mall on University Drive will be up for vote tonight at the city council meeting in downtown Huntsville.

City of Huntsville Director of Urban Development Shane Davis said the council will vote on a resolution authorizing the mayor to enter into an urban renewal and redevelopment agreement between the city and Mid-City Owner, LLC, to revitalize the Madison Square site. Huntsville-based RCP Companies is the master developer for Mid-City Owner, which is owned by the company and other equity partners.

If the plan is approved, Davis said Mid-City Owner will redevelop the remaining portion of the property the city does not need for public infrastructure upgrades as stated within the Cummings Research Park East urban renewal plan adopted early this year.

"Within the next 60 days, they will bring us more a detailed (plan of) how they intend to develop the unneeded public lands and the city must agree and approve that concept of how they wish to redevelop the property that the city doesn't need as far as the urban renewal plan," he said.

In mid-February, the council approved an urban renewal agreement that Davis said will transform Research Park East into an economically viable, attractive and functional part of the community. CRP East, the original and oldest section of the park, has struggled in recent years as vacancies rise and companies move out due to deteriorating conditions.

The plan, which will be implemented in multiple phases based on funding, identifies four priority zones, the first of which is the Madison Square Mall site. The area at University Drive and Old Monrovia Road has been in decline as businesses desert the mall, property values drop and crime goes up.

The city is working to acquire land for new roads, regional stormwater upgrades and retention infrastructure, and public open space in and surrounding the site. Davis said the Madison Square property will look entirely different in the future if the council decides to approve tonight's resolution.

"One of the things we have identified is Madison County as a whole is approaching what they call retail saturation, meaning there is not a way for us to put a million square feet of retailers back in Madison Square Mall - we know that," he said.

As anchor stores leave and mall occupancy hits an all-time low, Davis said the best option for the property would be a mixed-use development with retail, office space and multi-family housing to serve the University Drive corridor and employees in CRP East.

The city plans to reveal more details tonight at the council meeting. Check AL.com later for information as this story unfolds.