Jamie Hall

Is it standard to build MLS stadiums with the goal of other uses -- i.e., concerts or other stadium-type events? Is that the plan here?

Thankfully most of Diane Black's GOP opponents came out against her mega-interstate plan last night at a debate, so maybe there's hope yet.

I love seeing that area of the Gulch keep growing, but on a related note, I really hope something high-profile takes the place of the Yahoo Brewery and ReStore sites -- the "back" area of the Gulch never seems to get the foot traffic as the newer Urban Outfitters-Thompson Hotel-Bar Louie side seems to draw. Not sure what the solution is to fix that. Maybe better signage/maps/branding around the neighborhood to make the area feel cohesive?

I tend to avoid Lower Broadway unless I'm playing the role of tour guide for out-of-town friends, but I do know of several LGBT people (myself included) who feel completely comfortable going into the honky-tonks downtown. I've seen plenty of bar patrons who are of other ethnicities and other races. From what I've seen (so far), the vibe tends to be to-each-his-own in those bars. I've never heard a political fight, or a racial or gay slur, and I doubt the bar owners and staff would tolerate that if they saw it happen. The last thing those bars want is negative press. Of course others might have had worse experiences, and maybe I've been fortunate. Having lived in Nashville for 11 years, I'm usually much more concerned about getting mugged by a stranger outside a dark parking garage or a poorly lit side street rather than being harassed with gay slurs. But I do understand the points you're making. It would be great to have pockets of downtown that cater to more diverse types of crowds and music, and I'd love to see that happen someday. Until then, the bachelorette parties will keep going to Play over on Church Street to find their dance party.

Gosh, I'd forgotten there was a Logan's Roadhouse on Elliston. Maybe that was part of its problem.

On a related note, is there some sort of nationwide paint shortage? TDOT is woefully behind on striping and arrow repainting on several of the interstates and interchanges around Nashville. TDOT staff should spend a day or two driving the roads with the mindset of a tourist rather than a full-time resident.

Diane Black is dreaming if she thinks an I-840 northern loop will make even a minor dent in Nashville traffic. As proof, I offer the I-840 southern loop.

Wrestlemania is usually held in March, so I can't imagine WWE being keen on booking an outdoor venue in Nashville that time of year. A covered stadium would definitely open up that door, though.

If the new tenants are local businesses, at least maybe they'll fit the vibe of the neighborhood. On the other hand, if those buildings get filled by a Starbucks and a Qdoba, not cool.

If the company has decided that smaller stores and online sales are the future, seems like some of their existing locations might face a much less certain outlook, too.

I'm underwhelmed by the far-away view of the JW Marriott compared to the renderings, but in its defense, this building will look great from the street with the stark curves at ground-level.

Very disappointing. The Antioch area is prime for redevelopment, and IKEA should've/would've been a big part of that. Interesting that the developers of that area still (allegedly) plan to go forward without IKEA. By this point, surely they've been in talks with other retail/restaurants that might have located around that area to feed off the IKEA draw. I'll be curious to see who stays on and who doesn't.

You mean in terms of population or retail/commercial? My speculation on both counts is that there hasn't been much room to build because there's seemingly very little open land in Madison. Although I've noticed an uptick in development in Madison the past couple of years, and there are a few big projects that should be starting soon, so it's just a matter of time.

According to the NBJ today, Tom Morales and his company TomKats Hospitality Inc. will no longer operate the restaurant planned for that corner spot in the Fifth & Broadway development, so they might be shopping for a restaurant to take that prime spot -- thus keeping alive my dream of it eventually becoming the world's largest Chipotle.

It was overshadowed by the Deepwater Horizon explosion in the Gulf that happened on April 20. They spent several days trying to cap the well and stop the spill from totally destroying the Gulf beaches, so it became must-see TV for a while. Any other year, the Nashville flood would've been top news for several days.