If you’ve lived in the Huntsville area, you already know the effect of Redstone Arsenal on the community. The Arsenal, established in 1941, was originally constructed in an effort to support the American War Machine during the months leading up to the U.S involvement in the second world war. Since then, the Arsenal has seen its military presence decrease while seeing its civilian presence increase massively. Now Redstone is the workplace of a primary civilian workforce, and in the coming months, it will see an increase in developments around the base catering directly to the civilian population/workforce. This means potential restaurant and retail jobs for Bob Jones students.

We, the staff here at Patriot Pages attempted to get a statement from a Redstone official on multiple occasions but received none. Here’s what WHNT found out about these new businesses: “Fiero Mexican Grill, Dipwich Original, American Sandwiches, Rocket City Tavern, which is where history and people meet for great food and drink, and Redstone Gateway Conference and Dining Center.”

Some of these businesses are open now, but others will continue to open throughout October.

Many of us don’t realize the Arsenal’s effect on the Huntsville community. Redstone relies on Huntsville and Huntsville equally relies on Redstone. Without the numerous government agencies that operate from the arsenal, Huntsville, as a city, wouldn’t see the growth that it is so lucky to have experienced. We also are quick to forget the Arsenal’s greater effect on the entire state of Alabama; the Arsenal alone is responsible for 6% of the state’s GDP. With Redstone being such a force not just on the local level but the state level, it’s absolutely imperative that as the Arsenal ages and more and more civilian jobs are being funneled into it. To accomplish this, Redstone in turn must have appropriate accommodations for the primarily civilian workforce. Redstone knows that to ensure its longevity, it must appeal to potential employees. This is the driving force behind the forthcoming renovations and additions to the seventy-five-year-old instillation. In a combined effort with the greater Huntsville community, Redstone will soon experience sweeping changes.

These changes coinciding with the announcement that a combination of over 1,000 acres of Redstone & the Space and Rocket Center will be turned over to the greater Huntsville area for independent use. All these changes are culminating into building a greater relationship between the Arsenal and the greater Huntsville community.