Will we ever see "Brownstones" or "Townhomes" in Nashville?

[nashvillwill 1228]

So, we have quite a bit of building going on in Nashville, but we may eventually end up with a land problem. We have our urban core and mid-town where many mid/high rise developments are going, and have plenty of room to spare for the time being. However, this area rather drastically drops from high/mid density, to single track-detached housing. This seems to be true in almost any direction.

While we do have some faux-townhouse style development going on in Germantown and Hope Gardens, it's really just a small project scattered here-and-there among other detached housing. To add to that, these projects are developed in such a way that it would be difficult to build a similar project next to it with zero-lot-line (driveways and such).

I would really like to see a large development (at least 4-8 sq blocks) of Townhomes with commercial zoning mixed in on corner lots.

Will we ever see development like this in Nashville? If so, where? Can it be built, or will it just naturally happen in time? Or is this type of construction a way of the past and impossible in a post-automobile city such as Nashville?

[bwithers1 865]

Some of the stuff that is going in South Nashville in Chestnut Hill is close to the townhome format. And the zoning on Chestnut street does call for street-level retail with residential above. In some cases (especially on Second Ave South) there are houses exactly like the original ones in Germantown and then there are quite modernist townhomes beside them. I think that that area is probably the best bet for townhouse development in Nashville because land prices are still reasonable enough to do it and some of the existing buildings are in poor enough shape (and not historical) so that they could be bought, bulldozed, and rebuilt as townhouses.

[MLBrumby 3467]

If townhomes proliferate, they will most likely go in the north, south and east sections of "near" downtown. Reason... any desirable properties on the west side are already demanding high density to justify the cost of development. And of course, they would have to go where there are vacant lots. So that would rule out much of the east side. As to that point, it's why you've seen a little bit built on the near north.

[bwithers1 865]

True, a lot of the North Capitol/Germantown/Salemtown stuff is at least close to the townhouse format. Some of it exactly (single ocuppancy up 3 or 4 floors) townhouse style, some of it with 3-4 story buildings with residences going horizontal on each floor. It seems likely that more of those style developments will go on in the north area and the south area. For the most part, those areas do not seem likely targets for high- or mid-rise developments, and the community plans call for low-rise developments as well if I am not sure.

The only thing about it is that most of these sites (north or south of downtown) is that they are still infill. I don't know of any four-to-eight block contiguous areas that are developable other than maybe what is going on in the North Gulch area.

[Hey_Hey 1385]

I think you've hit on the problem. In the core of the city I doubt anyone could acquire enough land to make an area feel like a true neighborhood of brownstones or row houses like you get in Brooklyn or Fells Point in Baltimore. To get something like that you almost have to start from scratch, which is what happened with those places.

One of the ways for something like this to go forward that I can see is if a large industrial area with warehouses? rail yards, etc is sold, cleared, and then redeveloped. Another possibility would be if there were another redevelopment similar to the HOPE VI program that cleared a large tract of public housing and then redeveloped it for market rate occupancy. Of course that's a political minefield.

[nashvillwill 1228]

There is always the fairgrounds. It doesn't HAVE to be a big corporate office park. It would certainly spark massive redevelopment in that area.

Just an idea.

[bwithers1 865]

There is always the fairgrounds. It doesn't HAVE to be a big corporate office park. It would certainly spark massive redevelopment in that area.

Just an idea.

Speaking of political minefields

[maury_county 0]

There is always the fairgrounds. It doesn't HAVE to be a big corporate office park. It would certainly spark massive redevelopment in that area.

Just an idea.

Wouldn't mind seeing some new proposals for where the State Fair would go -- Though it's not practical, imagine having events on the east bank of the Riverfront and turning that whole area into the State Fair!

[bwithers1 865]

Wouldn't mind seeing some new proposals for where the State Fair would go -- Though it's not practical, imagine having events on the east bank of the Riverfront and turning that whole area into the State Fair!

I'm an advocate of moving the TN State Fair to an actual rural/agricultural part of the county. There really are plenty of those out there, particularly in North Nashville/Joelton/Scottsboro. White's Creek? Or maybe Bell's Bend? The old Startwood site?

[Nathan_in_DC 995]

I'm an advocate of moving the TN State Fair to an actual rural/agricultural part of the county. There really are plenty of those out there, particularly in North Nashville/Joelton/Scottsboro. White's Creek? Or maybe Bell's Bend? The old Startwood site?

Yeah, getting it out of the middle of town, at least to the outskirts with better highway access, would be good. That area is just aching for redevelopment.

[smeagolsfree 6532]

Welcome to the Forum maury_ county. I know there are also a lot of newer members out there as well ajnd I do not get to see all of them after the first few post. A welcome to all of them as well.

Encourage folks to sign up an post. Everyones opinion is important.

[ariesjow 460]

I'm an advocate of moving the TN State Fair to an actual rural/agricultural part of the county. There really are plenty of those out there, particularly in North Nashville/Joelton/Scottsboro. White's Creek? Or maybe Bell's Bend? The old Startwood site?

I agree. All of those sound like great options to me. Off of Briley Parkway in northwest Nashville would be a solid option as well as the old Starwood site.

I also think if the fair is moved, then there needs to be some sort of effort and investment to make it the premier fair in Tennessee. I think it's kind of sad that some of the county fairs are a bigger event than the state fair. Other states have state fairs with big name acts headlining stage shows. It gives people another reason to come to enjoy the state fair. Why not revamp the TN State Fair in a fresh location, sign on a few handful of eclectic big names, and make it another marquee event for Music City? It seems like a no-brainer to me.

Edited October 12, 2012 by ariesjow