Inside 440 - Berry Hill, Midtown, Vanderbilt, 12S, WeHo, Fairgrounds, etc.

[BnaBreaker]

26 minutes ago, Neigeville2 said:

There is such a thing as subtlety. 

Of course.  I just think it'd be nice if some of the most beautiful buildings in town were more prominent in the streetscape, that's all.  But oh well, at least we have them!  

Edited May 30, 2019 by BnaBreaker

[smeagolsfree]

On ‎5‎/‎28‎/‎2019 at 10:21 AM, markhollin said:

As more and more people grumble online about Nashville changing too fast (Music Row in particular), I have composed this response which I have posted several places.
 

When people decry the changes the Music Row area is going through with new real estate development, they often fail to recognize that much of it is somewhat self-inflicted. The reason that much of the literal cottage industry that made up the music scene in Nashville is rapidly changing is due to the digital age, which has caused so much of the biz to downsize over the past two decades.  

At one juncture, when country music and Contemporary Christian Music --the two primary bellwethers of Nashville’s music scene—were at their peak in the mid-late 90s—my guess is there were in the neighborhood of 15-20,000 people who were making a full-time living from just those two streams in Music City.  This was not just the artists, their bands, and the labels, but also songwriters, managers, agents, publishers, sound/lighting companies, performance rights services, radio promoters, merchandisers, publicists, journalists, broadcasters, t-shirt suppliers, roadies, drivers, rehearsal spaces, cartage companies, instrument suppliers/manufacturers, shipping services, repair shops, truck leasing, bus companies, etc. etc. etc. 

 

But due to online music services, as well as the relative ease of recording full albums on laptops in one’s guest room, the cracks in the system started to form. As free-flowing cash began to constrict, the corporate entertainment conglomerates got even more aggressive in cannibalizing each other, and the successive rounds of downsizing had further ripple effects with fewer and fewer artists being signed, because distribution deals were drying up, and brick and mortar stores began to go the way of the dinosaur.  I reckon that currently, the full-time industry folks in this town are now down to 4,000 or less. 

 

Hence, the need for all of these smaller (as well as some larger) music businesses around town, particularly in the Music Row area, has diminished greatly.  I believe at one point there were something like 250 recording studios in town.  Now I hear that there are less than two dozen legitimate tracking houses.  

 

So, a lot of what is happening is due to the fact that folks who at one time had a thriving music-related business are now stuck with structures that are sitting empty, and are faced with what to do regarding property taxes on a white elephant. Additionally, many folks who have been selling off their properties were in their hay day 25 to 50 years ago, but are all now in their retirement years, and they are cashing-in while the cashing is good.  And I don’t blame them one bit. 

 

While it is noble to want to preserve elements of Music Row for history’s sake, as well as trying to nurture the neighborhood feel of collaboration that happened rather organically from the late 50s through the end of the last century, it will be quite difficult to save 30 blocks of “The Row” when there simply isn’t the demand or need for that type of infrastructure any more.  

 

Many who complain about what is transpiring with new residential and office complexes being built on the sites of former bungalows and studios are just wanting to lash out at the evolution that is change, especially in a growing metropolis.  But there is not one monolithic voice representing all of The Row, and I doubt the independent spirit that fostered its growth in the first place would want a singular voice speaking on everyone’s behalf.  Therefore, you see lots of individuals (whether family businesses or larger commercial enterprises) acting in their own self-interest to deal with their properties as THEY see fit, and not actually giving a wit for posterity, nostalgia, or a larger sense of community pride.  In principle they may give these things lip service…but in reality, they just don’t want to lose their shirt, and, if possible, they even want to make a tidy profit on the property they held for decades. 

 

I’d also like to point out that Music Row didn’t just magically appear with everyone singing kumbaya while watching rainbows form and eating warm chocolate pudding while stroking puppies.  People seem to forget that all of the homes along 16th and 17th Avenues were once inhabited by actual families. One by one by one—starting in the late 50s and progressing steadily into the 70s--these folks were forced out as this Country Music Thang started to grow year by year. And at least half a dozen apartment buildings were gradually overtaken and turned into music office spaces as well. 

 

In the 60s you saw the first Country Music Hall of Fame be built (on land that was once homes) and then Demonbreun Hill get converted from homes and small businesses into the Hillbilly Heaven of souvenir shops. Shoney’s Inn (now Comfort Inn) was built, along with an adjoining restaurant on previously residential land. Studio A displaced a row of homes, as did Buddy Lee Attractions, Columbia Studio A, Best Western Hotel, Quonset Hut, Americana Apartments, and more.

 

In the 70s you had the building that is now Cumulus Media displacing other businesses, just as the Tracking Room, 50 Music Square West, Studio B, Ray Stevens Music, Spence Manor Hotel (with its guitar shaped pool), and the structures that now house Curb Studio, McGhee Entertainment, and more were built on sites previously held by non-music entities, or ones that needed upgrading.

 

In the 80s things started getting even bigger, with massive structures like BMI, ASCAP, SESAC, Sony, Warner, Bullet Studios (now RFD TV), the Palmer Building, Lowe’s Vanderbilt, University Square Condos, the Belmont Church addition, various bank buildings, and more displacing previous smaller entities.

 

And that continued into the 90s with MCA, Star Struck Entertainment, Word/Capitol, several 3-story lawyer buildings with multi-deck garages, Embassy Suites, etc. And don’t forget when BMG/RCA took over the former Catholic orphanage site.

 

Then in the first decade of the 2000s, we saw Roundabout Plaza office building, 1010 Apartments on the Row, Bristol on Broadway, Hilton Garden Inn, Rhythm Music Row, and Hillbilly Heaven on Demonbreun be replaced with music clubs/bars.  

 

So, as you can see, there has been constant change in and around Music Row for the past 7 decades.  But it must clearly be remembered that it was a quiet residential community from the early 1900s before it was ever an entertainment district—and many folks were not happy with the way it evolved from what THEY held dear. And, of course, before that it was farm land, and prior to that, it was wooded hunting grounds of various tribes of the Cherokee Nation for several millennia. So, honestly, if ANYONE has a legitimate gripe about what has become of the area, it’s the latter. 

 

One final thought: none of this change is unique to Nashville.  New York City no longer has Cafe au Go Go, The Bitter End, Gaslight Cafe, Bottom Line, Cafe Wha, CBGB’s, Fillmore East, or the Palladium.  Hell, the Brill Building, which is now condos, doesn’t even have placard notating that it was once the breeding ground for many of the biggest pop songs of all time. 

 

And LA no longer has Whiskey A Go-Go, The Starwood, Long Beach Municipal Aud., Madam Wong’s, The Palomino Club, and the synergy of singer-songwriters dominating Laurel Canyon is long gone.  And don’t get me started on on how much of Hollywood's cottage industries have been razed and replaced with modern structures. San Fran no longer has Winterland Ballroom, Fillmore West, and Haight Ashbury is a yuppy haven.  Many of my favorite music-oriented haunts from my days in Chicago are gone like the Electric Factory, International Amphitheater, Trader Vic’s, Ivanhoe Theater, and the Biograph. The jingle industry that used to be clustered along Michigan Avenue is a wisp of what it once was.  

 

I could go on and on.  But the point is this: constant change is here to stay.  It is the nature of things, especially as cities grow and mutate. Here’s hoping we are able to preserve elements of Music Row’s lore, and perhaps even continue to foster some of that community spirit that made it unique…but also embrace the fact that we are in continual transformation.  That is the nature of creativity and growth, whether in art, or in geography. 

 

The DEVILS Advocate here!

I agree somewhat, but at what cost. If we continue to take down historic buildings in Nashville there will be no history left. Can you imagine if the folks had gotten their way when the Ryman was in disrepair and they took it down for the sake of progress. Lets just take down Municipal Auditorium and War Memorial while we are at it because there are more suitable buildings that can go on that valuable land.

You know as well as anyone Mark that being from Pittsburg they have saved many of their buildings there along with many masonry structures in Chicago, NYC, Philadelphia, etc. We dont have that much history here to start with and we keep tearing down or bastardizing what little we have left with all the gaudy rooftop bars on lower Broad and 2nd Ave.

Denver started saving many of their historic structures in the early 70's while we were in the midst of tearing ours down. Our Historic Commission is always reactionary instead of being proactive and always sound the alarm after its too late. 

When do you draw the line? When is enough , enough? 

Unfortunately we are a throw away society. If its old, we throw it away, if its old we tear it down and damn the history as it means nothing. Fifty years from now, some folks will say what were these fools thinking tearing down such beautiful structures, or the history that we wanted to see not just the photos. The same thing we are thinking when we see the photos of the Nashville of the past.

Why post all of the old photos of Nashville and then everyone laments the loss of all the beautiful buildings and history. There has to be a balance guys and this is not it.

A link to a Tennessean article from this morning.

https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2019/05/30/music-row-nashville-endangered-historic-landmark/1277751001/?utm_source=tennessean-News Alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news_alerts&utm_term=news_alert

[markhollin]

MBA is granted a $22.5 million permit for its Wellness Center at 4001 Harding Pike.

More behind the Nashville Post paywall here:

https://www.nashvillepost.com/business/development/article/21070817/mba-lands-22m-permit-for-wellness-center
 

[markhollin]

Boudleaux and Felice Bryant Fountains of Musica will be the name of the water feature surrounding the Musica statues at the Music Square Roundabout. The Bryants, the soon-to-be namesakes of the fountain, wrote a number of hit songs in the 1950s and '60s, including singles recorded by the Everly Brothers, Roy Orbison and Bob Dylan. They also wrote “Rocky Top,” which has been adopted as the unofficial fight song for the University of Tennessee.

Besides the fountains that will encircle the statues, the project will also include a separate children’s fountain at Owen Bradley Park and a water cascade feature in the median near the intersection of Division Street and 17th Avenue.

Foundation President Andree LeQuire said the organization hopes to raise $2 million by December to get construction started. The foundation hopes to have the fountain operational by November 2020, she said. She declined to give a projected total cost, saying the foundation would have a better idea in the fall. When the project plans were unveiled in 2016, the total cost was projected to be $10 million.

More at NBJ here:

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2019/05/30/fundraising-campaign-aims-to-make-a-splash-for.html?iana=hpmvp_nsh_news_headline

And The Tennessean here:

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/2019/05/30/music-row-roundabout-fountains-new-name-update-plans-unveiled-buddy-killen-circle-musica-sculptures/1284500001/

Here is the video form 2016:

 

[titanhog]

^^Very strange.  They've been raising money for years now...and here they're saying they need to raise $2 Million by December?  Something doesn't smell right.  Someone needs to come forward and say, "The project will cost $X...we've already raised $x...and we need to raise $x more before getting started."

[Neigeville2]

Will we be able to see the statues?  It doesn't look like you can approach them.  I don't like it.

[titanhog]

10 minutes ago, Neigeville2 said:

Will we be able to see the statues?  It doesn't look like you can approach them.  I don't like it.

I actually have always loved the design.  It's just weird that they've been fundraising for 3 years...and there have been no updates along the way to let us know where they stand on that front.  

[BnaBreaker]

2 hours ago, Neigeville2 said:

Will we be able to see the statues?  It doesn't look like you can approach them.  I don't like it.

Yeah, it's unfortunate this is in the middle of a roundabout that appears to have next to nothing in the way of pedestrian crossings... so this is a fountain/statue you can only enjoy from your car, I guess?

[markhollin]

After reading the Tennessean article about Music Row now being declared “one of America’s most endangered historic landmarks,” I decided to do a little actual research into their claims.  Utilizing Smeagolfree’s very accurate development map (which includes years when projects were completed), and then overlaying the Music Row historical zone map that is generally agreed-upon to contain the 40 blocks that make up Music Row, I did some counting. This is purely a numbers exercise, and not analyzing whether something is historically significant or not.

Since the article claims there have been "50 demolitions in the last 6 or 7 years," I determined that starting in 2013, there were 365 structures within the zone. Since that time, I can see 38 buildings that have been razed, which works out to 10.4%. Broken down into year-by-year, it’s an average of 1.5% being razed every 12 months during that span. Pretty reasonable in terms of change within a dynamic area of any city. 

 

Another interesting tidbit: 18 parking lots have been redeveloped into portions of these new developments.  That is a much better use of that land than just barren asphalt or gravel.

 

There have been 17 new structures built on the land from those buildings and surface lots combined since 2013. There are 5 more in the proposal stage right now, that would entail 10 more buildings being razed, and 5 more parking lots being done away with.

https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2019/05/30/music-row-nashville-endangered-historic-landmark/1277751001/?utm_source=tennessean-News Alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news_alerts&utm_term=news_alert

 

[smeagolsfree]

 

30 minutes ago, markhollin said:

After reading the Tennessean article about Music Row now being declared “one of America’s most endangered historic landmarks,” I decided to do a little actual research into their claims.  Utilizing Smeagolfree’s very accurate development map (which includes years when projects were completed), and then overlaying the Music Row historical zone map that is generally agreed-upon to contain the 40 blocks that make up Music Row, I did some counting. This is purely a numbers exercise, and not analyzing whether something is historically significant or not.

Since the article claims there have been "50 demolitions in the last 6 or 7 years," I determined that starting in 2013, there were 365 structures within the zone. Since that time, I can see 38 buildings that have been razed, which works out to 10.4%. Broken down into year-by-year, it’s an average of 1.5% being razed every 12 months during that span. Pretty reasonable in terms of change within a dynamic area of any city. 

 

Another interesting tidbit: 18 parking lots have been redeveloped into portions of these new developments.  That is a much better use of that land than just barren asphalt or gravel.

 

There have been 17 new structures built on the land from those buildings and surface lots combined since 2013. There are 5 more in the proposal stage right now, that would entail 10 more buildings being razed, and 5 more parking lots being done away with.

https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2019/05/30/music-row-nashville-endangered-historic-landmark/1277751001/?utm_source=tennessean-News Alert&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=news_alerts&utm_term=news_alert

 

Its hard to determine what makes a building historic. Its not just age, but the history that occurred within the structure. I dont have a problem with vacant under utilized lots being built on.

Would you have been in favor of taking down studio A or even Studio B? Where do you draw the line when it comes to redevelopment? Soon there will be nothing left but a bunch of historic markers on Music Row. Besides once you pass Grand there are many American Four Squares that are historic in nature. Those are one of things that made this area special as those were the backbone of the music industry long before you and I moved here. Imagine if all of the sudden they wanted to take 2 dozen homes in your neighborhood down and build a 10 story post modern structure that was not in character with your neighborhood and ruins the charm of the neighborhood you live in. Pretty much the same difference.

Now the madness is going south of Grand with the Hall Emory building and the Timber structure where Bobby's Idle Hour was. It happened with Note 16 which I thought was a mistake where it is, but its too late there.

Again this is short sightedness by Nashville Planning, Historic, and Metro Council. They have no clue how to deal with the growth that is happening in the city right now and we have no leadership in the mayors office that seems to understand or really care. The only thing we here from that office is the sound of crickets chirping when it comes to historic preservation.

We cant continue to screw up the charm that was once a very cool area. Now its just a generic group of buildings you can find in "Anytown USA". We need to stay unique and keep some of what makes Nashville special as we have lost that on LoBro which is now a Myrtle Beach without the Beach, Las Vegas without gambling, Disney World without the rides. 

I think we can agree to disagree on this topic. I will say I use to think like you but after visiting so many other cities and doing a lot of reading, I will say we are losing our soul in Nashville.

[markhollin]

18 minutes ago, smeagolsfree said:

 

Its hard to determine what makes a building historic. Its not just age, but the history that occurred within the structure. I dont have a problem with vacant under utilized lots being built on.

Would you have been in favor of taking down studio A or even Studio B? Where do you draw the line when it comes to redevelopment? Soon there will be nothing left but a bunch of historic markers on Music Row. Besides once you pass Grand there are many American Four Squares that are historic in nature. Those are one of things that made this area special as those were the backbone of the music industry long before you and I moved here. Imagine if all of the sudden they wanted to take 2 dozen homes in your neighborhood down and build a 10 story post modern structure that was not in character with your neighborhood and ruins the charm of the neighborhood you live in. Pretty much the same difference.

Now the madness is going south of Grand with the Hall Emory building and the Timber structure where Bobby's Idle Hour was. It happened with Note 16 which I thought was a mistake where it is, but its too late there.

Again this is short sightedness by Nashville Planning, Historic, and Metro Council. They have no clue how to deal with the growth that is happening in the city right now and we have no leadership in the mayors office that seems to understand or really care. The only thing we here from that office is the sound of crickets chirping when it comes to historic preservation.

We cant continue to screw up the charm that was once a very cool area. Now its just a generic group of buildings you can find in "Anytown USA". We need to stay unique and keep some of what makes Nashville special as we have lost that on LoBro which is now a Myrtle Beach without the Beach, Las Vegas without gambling, Disney World without the rides. 

I think we can agree to disagree on this topic. I will say I use to think like you but after visiting so many other cities and doing a lot of reading, I will say we are losing our soul in Nashville.

I think you misunderstand me, Ron.  I am not condoning all of the changes, I am simply stating that it is part and parcel to the evolution of neighborhoods in every city in the history of the planet. Things cannot remain static for long, especially when a city is growing. Also, when a particular industry (in this case the music biz) is substantially downsized from its glory days, it is hard to make sense of what used to be "their" stomping grounds.  Just like the steel industry in Pittsburgh or Birmingham, or the coal industry in Charleston/Johnson City,  the days of musoids dominating the 40 blocks of "The Row" are gone.  Those jobs are not coming back in the numbers that were enjoyed during the 80s/90s.  At best, it's going to be about 1/4 what it once was. 

In regards to protecting historical structures having to do with the music industry, this can be tricky.  If it is decided to not allow anything to happen to every home or structure where a famous song was written or recorded, then we are talking about hundreds (perhaps thousands?) of structures around town.  Who's to decide which songs and artists are more famous and/or more worthy than others?  And then there's the practicality: what can actually be done with these buildings once they are protected?  Should they revert back into being homes or other businesses, and if so, then will the public be allowed to just wander in and see where the song was written or cut, or will it be private property with no such access?  If the latter is the case, then what's the point?  Wouldn't a historic marker be just as reasonable in most cases?  It wouldn't be reasonable to the owners to have hundreds of structures left as historical landmarks if they served no other purpose and would not allow them to manage their properties as they see fit.  There would only be so many that could be converted into profitable museums. 

I have suggested before that perhaps there could be a "Studio Museum" that would feature mixing consoles, furniture, microphones, isolation booths, equipment, tracking sheets, photos, etc. from various smaller and/or defunct studios around town to honor where/how specific famous songs, albums, etc. were recorded.  The same could be done for songwriting, and another for performing venues that have gone by he wayside, etc.  Obviously, these would need to be somewhere on Music Row, and could take up several of the already existing structures that need protecting.

No matter how these things would be done, however, it would take a concerted effort by Music Row historians and entrepreneurs to heavily promote these enterprises, and then hope that tourists would pay to see them in large enough numbers to make them profitable.  Of course, we could also hope that the city and/or state tourism departments might underwrite some of them as well.  But we all know that with most of the citizenry not being in favor of "wasteful  government spending," these might never really get the support they would need to get off the ground, let alone be successful over the long term if government-run.

As you state, the local and state governments need to more thoroughly regulate and help these things happen.  But, as I stated in the original post, the music industry needs to step up big-time as well. The problem with that, however, is that it has become so constricted over the past couple decades that I don't see many who are in the place to be able to underwrite a lot of these history saving measures.  It will probably take some deep-pocketed individuals like Reba or Garth or Dolly to make it happen.  Or perhaps some outside corporations with a heart could help fund these things.  
 

Whatever the case, it's going to take people actually rolling up their sleeves and opening their wallets to proactively make the necessary changes to keep more of the Music Row nostalgia alive.  Belly-aching is not going to accomplish a damn thing.

 

[CenterHill]

9 hours ago, BnaBreaker said:

Yeah, it's unfortunate this is in the middle of a roundabout that appears to have next to nothing in the way of pedestrian crossings... so this is a fountain/statue you can only enjoy from your car, I guess?

?    There are well marked pedestrian crossings encircling the roundabout, plus there is a public park directly across the street.      There is actually quite a bit of pedestrian and bicycle traffic in the area.    

[PruneTracy]

10 hours ago, BnaBreaker said:

Yeah, it's unfortunate this is in the middle of a roundabout that appears to have next to nothing in the way of pedestrian crossings... so this is a fountain/statue you can only enjoy from your car, I guess?

34 minutes ago, CenterHill said:

?    There are well marked pedestrian crossings encircling the roundabout, plus there is a public park directly across the street.      There is actually quite a bit of pedestrian and bicycle traffic in the area.    

I think @BnaBreaker means there are no pedestrian crossings to the central island of the roundabout. (Which are typically not included in modern roundabouts as it's a good way to get people splattered)

Still the statue (which is deceptively large) is easily visible from outside the roundabout, and if the fountain's scale is similar to that shown in the video then it should be enjoyed without issue from 60-120 feet away.

[smeagolsfree]

I probably misunderstood some of the post and I apologize for that as you know its hard to convey exactly what we are trying to say. 

These are some of my random thought on Nashville as a whole based on my travels from other cities and reading I have done.

Please keep in mind I am no professional by any means.

Unfortunately  the cows are out of the barn in a lot of the areas and it may be too late with design overlays, but they can start afresh with new one and end some of the disasters that have happened in the recent past. A great example of this is the Broadstone Germantown apartment building that has about every type of material you can think of and is a hideous monstrosity of a building. A design overlay would have prevented this. Metro needs more design overlays in more areas to prevent the use of substandard building materials and crappy designs. A perfect example of an area with a good overlay is the Arena District in Columbus Ohio.  You can do things in way so they are not quite so generic but it can be done.

I do think that Metro Council, the Mayors office,and Planning need to sit down and do another County wide land usage and design overlay and throw Nashville Next out into the trash as it seems to not be worth the paper it was written on as it has no teeth. Metro employees are overwhelmed, overworked, and underpaid right now. Metro is trying to keep up as they have just added curbs and some sidewalks in Sylvan Park which look great, but is a drop in the bucket as Metro goes.

This is not just Music Row, but that would be a first area to start with.

This is where TIF for not building but renovation and preservation would and could be used, to encourage new business's, restaurant, bars, retail, and office space to go into existing space instead of tearing them down and giving owner incentives for not tearing them down.

In downtown they should lift the height restrictions in every form and fashion and let the market dictate what gets built to encourage more density in that area first. 

Extend the downtown code into areas of midtown all the way to 31st Ave to allow for more density there as well with the exception of the Music Row area that could be excepted south of Grand.

Allow the downtown code to be extended across the river to the interstate to allow for more density along the east bank. This has already been done for River North and should be allowed for every thing west of I-24.

The one thing that is happening that I fully agree with is design standards for the Nolensville road corridor and I think they are doing this for Murfreesboro Rd as well as Dickerson Pike at some point. The Charlotte Pike corridor does not go far enough IMO.

Sorry for the dissertation, as I could go on and on with thoughts about what would and could be best for Nashville as a whole.

[nashvylle]

@markhollin I like your studio museum idea. I always thought it would be nice if Metro allowed for these studios to be converted into Bed & Breakfast hotels if it didnt make financial sense to remain as a studio. I bet a lot of people would want to stay there.

[BnaBreaker]

2 hours ago, PruneTracy said:

I think @BnaBreaker means there are no pedestrian crossings to the central island of the roundabout. (Which are typically not included in modern roundabouts as it's a good way to get people splattered)

Still the statue (which is deceptively large) is easily visible from outside the roundabout, and if the fountain's scale is similar to that shown in the video then it should be enjoyed without issue from 60-120 feet away.

Exactly... I guess when I think of a fountain I think of a place kids can play in, and a place you can go enjoy your lunch next to.  This will still be a beautiful addition to the city of course!

[ruraljuror]

39 minutes ago, BnaBreaker said:

Exactly... I guess when I think of a fountain I think of a place kids can play in, and a place you can go enjoy your lunch next to.  This will still be a beautiful addition to the city of course!

There's a leap frog fountain component planned for the park adjacent to the roundabout.   Given how busy that roundabout is, putting any pedestrian access to the fountain would be a nightmare in my opinion.  It's supposed to be more like the Bellagio fountain, i believe - observed but not interacted with.  

[MidTenn1]

3 hours ago, PruneTracy said:

I think @BnaBreaker means there are no pedestrian crossings to the central island of the roundabout. (Which are typically not included in modern roundabouts as it's a good way to get people splattered)

Still the statue (which is deceptively large) is easily visible from outside the roundabout, and if the fountain's scale is similar to that shown in the video then it should be enjoyed without issue from 60-120 feet away.

Yes deceptively large...from the show "Nashville"....

[BnaBreaker]

1 hour ago, ruraljuror said:

There's a leap frog fountain component planned for the park adjacent to the roundabout.   Given how busy that roundabout is, putting any pedestrian access to the fountain would be a nightmare in my opinion.  It's supposed to be more like the Bellagio fountain, i believe - observed but not interacted with.  

Nice!  Thanks for that clarification... as usual I missed the details haha

[CenterHill]

8 hours ago, PruneTracy said:

I think @BnaBreaker means there are no pedestrian crossings to the central island of the roundabout. (Which are typically not included in modern roundabouts as it's a good way to get people splattered)

Still the statue (which is deceptively large) is easily visible from outside the roundabout, and if the fountain's scale is similar to that shown in the video then it should be enjoyed without issue from 60-120 feet away.

Agree, yes I guess I misunderstood.     But actually, standing on the sidewalk in the park (Owen Bradley Park), you're really only about 25 ft from what would be the outer ring of the fountain.     If the fountain is the type depicted in the video with synchronized dancing jets, you will feel very close to it standing in the park, or really standing anywhere on the pedestrian walkway that rings the roundabout.    Close enough to get wet on a breezy day.      

I really hope the fountain comes to fruition.    

[markhollin]

Belcourt Village (4 stories, 24,000 sq. ft. retail/office, 28 residential units, underground garage) update. 3rd and 4th floor framing underway.

Looking south across Belcourt Ave. from 2nd floor of Belcourt Theater, 1/4 block west of 21st Ave. South:

Looking SW across Belcourt Ave. from 2nd floor of Belcourt Theater, 1/4 block west of 21st Ave. South:

Looking SE from Belcourt Ave., 1/2 block west of 21st Ave. South:

[Mr_Bond]

On 5/30/2019 at 8:50 PM, Neigeville2 said:

Will we be able to see the statues?  It doesn't look like you can approach them.  I don't like it.

Since they're raising money for the water, the video accentuates the water features and not the statues.  Those statues are large and very prominent; they will be seen.

Lighting is key, especially in the months with shorter days and longer nights.  Does anyone know what the plans are for lighting?

[dragonfly]

On 5/14/2019 at 3:51 PM, East Side Urbanite said:

I wonder if many who post here realize the significance of the looming loss of these four towers.

First, and if you like building height, we will be losing four high-rises in one fell swoop. That hurts. Second, the buildings were designed by a legendary local architecture firm (I forget the name but have read about the project from the 1960s and the firm itself).  So a part of our "design industry history" is being wiped out. Third, there are very few U.S. cities that boast four academic towers looming over a key street like West End Ave. The arrangement is highly unusual and distinctive and helps makes our Midtown noteworthy. Four, can you image had VU overhauled the interiors, improved the street-level activation and then, for example, painted the towers charcoal and given them some silver metal treatments?That would have looked stellar. Then VU builds the new neo-gothic tower on its existing footprint for a  stunning one-two punch. The modern and the neo-gothic. Too late now.

I admit, the towers are, to a degree, ugly and dysfunctional. But my points are clear as to the positives/potential positives. Very few folks who post on this board are lamenting the future loss of these buildings.  To be honest, UP team members, I'm a bit disappointed that you haven't voiced at least a bit of disappointment.

WW

 

Well I lament greatly because I was the first occupant of a room on the 4th floor of tower 3 when it opened in 1970. There are 4 rooms per suite, 2 double and 2 single plus a studio style kitchen which was unique to towers 3 and 4. I was in the larger double with a dividing wall between two sleeping/study spaces. A few years ago after end of semester my sister and I found that room open and what a feeling  45 years later; wish I had taken a photo of the built-in desk where I struggled maddeningly with differential equations. A couple of stories.  There were a couple of older guys with binoculars down on the sidewalk along West End, looking up at Tower 3.  I thought it pretty odd and so I went down to talk to them. So turns out they were the architects that designed the buildings.  Another one: one of the suite guys pulled some really smelly hamburger meat out of the fridge and was not sure what to do with it. So I grabbed it and with pretty good (actually excellent) timing heaved it out the window facing West End; it smacked right onto a car windshield, half on the glass and half on the roof, right over the driver. I could say the diff eq studies paid off but I won't go that far. Thinking back, it could have done some damage, but at that point of impact very unlikely. We thought we were daring and cute back then. BTW I'm pretty sure I heard B.W. Stevenson pre-fame, playing at The Good Woman, the pub in the basement of tower 4 back then.  Have tried to verify this on the "I Grew Up In Nashville" FB page, but it's hard when you're talking about a deceased songwriter that far back and a very small venue. You might know  his song "My Maria", a classic acoustic flavored rocker covered by tons of others including Brooks and Dunn (the original is best in my view).  Aside  - sitting thru a tropical storm here in Houston. My house flooded during Harvey and with Tropical storm Allison in 2001. Keeping fingers crossed.

 

Edited June 5, 2019 by dragonfly

[MidTenn1]

A like for having smelly hamburger and diff eq in the same post!

[CenterHill]

You're probably safe sharing the hamburger story.  I'm sure the warrant for the arrest of the unknown hamburger meat thrower has expired by now.   

It is funny, though.   I could tell a very similar story from 1982 about a flaming pizza cardboard "frisbee" that may or may not have been launched from our Towers window down onto West End traffic.