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Davidson East: East Nashville, Inglewood, Madison, Donelson, Hermitage, Old Hickory


smeagolsfree

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  • 2 weeks later...

Has anyone ever proposed a "River Walk", similar to San Antonio, on the east bank before?

If we could eventually buy the old junk metal plant, then we could basically build a canal that runs along the bank of the river from the PSC area and back into the river past Titans Stadium somewhere.  The canal would be a few hundred yards from the actual river bank...with restaurants, shops, etc on both sides...all along the "River Walk."  Of course, there would be gondola or paddle boat rides...and at night, it would be lit up like San Antonio has there's lit up.  You would have flood gates at both ends of the canal to prevent flooding and also regulate the level to keep it the same year round.

This would be a perfect way to brand the east bank and start building up some traffic on that side of the river and help bridge the gap even more between downtown and E. Nashville.

riverwalk-san-antonio.jpg

Edited by titanhog
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To do something of that scale in Nashville along the Cumberland would be a massive VERY,VERY Expensive project, not to mention the rivers are very different in nature. I actually was in San Antonio last week and saw the Riverwalk.

I would love to have something like that here, and admire your thinking out of the box, but it is just not realistic A few reason, but not all listed below.

 

Number one, the San Antonio river is not even close to the size of the Cumberland. If you look at the photo above, you can jump across on the boats if so inclined in about ten or less long steps. Having a narrow intimate walk like that is what makes it unique and charming.

Number two, the only boats on the river are small people carriers giving tours and ours are barges and riverboats.

Number three, the terrain is flat.

Number Four, there are flood abatement systems in place, however that does not keep the river from flooding from time to time. I think the last time was about three years ago. I am not sure how the fared this week with all the rain. We have all seen how the Cumberland can rage over the banks.

 

I am sure there would be ownership issues along the river as well.

 

There were plans at one time to make an island, but I dont think it will come to pass.

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Has anyone ever proposed a "River Walk", similar to San Antonio, on the east bank before?

If we could eventually buy the old junk metal plant, then we could basically build a canal that runs along the bank of the river from the PSC area and back into the river past Titans Stadium somewhere.  The canal would be a few hundred yards from the actual river bank...with restaurants, shops, etc on both sides...all along the "River Walk."  Of course, there would be gondola or paddle boat rides...and at night, it would be lit up like San Antonio has there's lit up.  You would have flood gates at both ends of the canal to prevent flooding and also regulate the level to keep it the same year round.

This would be a perfect way to brand the east bank and start building up some traffic on that side of the river and help bridge the gap even more between downtown and E. Nashville.

 

Agree with Smeagols about the impracticalities on many fronts, although that didn't prevent the idea of an East bank canal being proposed in the Plan of Nashville a few years back (see below).   It sounds nice, but the engineering challenges alone would make it fiscally unachievable - the project would be a small scale Panama given the layers of limestone you would have to blast and remove.   

    

nashville2.jpg

 

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Best quote ever. 

(Just kidding, of course.)

In principle, I agree. I'd love to see a nice promenade lined with buildings.

The river itself is what I meant. We can still use our river as something nice to walk along without it being just like Saint Anthony's. Obviously Nashville will never be Paris, it should only ever be Nashville. I just like the idea of innovatively stealing from other cities and making it our own.

Edited by Philip
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Pretty sure a lot of people said that after the tornado in 1998. We all know how that turned out. Oh yeah, forgot to mention, Southern Grist pulled a permit for their craft brewery on Greenwood and Porter.  

 

Pretty sure my statement was a joke and it was about something man-made (arson).  Not a natural disaster.  But okay.

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Agree with Smeagols about the impracticalities on many fronts, although that didn't prevent the idea of an East bank canal being proposed in the Plan of Nashville a few years back (see below).   It sounds nice, but the engineering challenges alone would make it fiscally unachievable - the project would be a small scale Panama given the layers of limestone you would have to blast and remove.   

    

 

Hard for me to believe a shallow canal deep enough to float paddle boats would involve  more blasting that some of the area Interstate projects.  We're not talking about oil tankers going through here.

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Hard for me to believe a shallow canal deep enough to float paddle boats would involve  more blasting that some of the area Interstate projects.  We're not talking about oil tankers going through here.

That's what I'm saying.  And...the canal wouldn't have to be really long.  Then...allow businesses to build up restaurants, hotels, shops, etc.  It would make the east bank a magnet for overflow from DT.

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Yep, and we will have some of those Seine-like elements, in time.   The Riverfront Master Plan actually envisions the creation of a waterfront promenade and extended pedestrian walkways on both the east and west banks.   Cumberland Park on the east and the Ascend park on the west are the first two phases of the long range plan.   

 

WRFMP3.jpeg

Master plan for the west bank of the Cumberland river

 

I really love this look and it would be a huge improvement...when is this supposed to happen? 

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That's what I'm saying.  And...the canal wouldn't have to be really long.  Then...allow businesses to build up restaurants, hotels, shops, etc.  It would make the east bank a magnet for overflow from DT.

hmm.   The plane of the Cumberland east bank downtown rises what, 30 ft. above the water level at normal river stage?    Look at the new grassy slope park below Nissan Stadium or look at Cumberland play park's elevation above the water.   Just guessing 25' - 30'.    That's the depth, plus about an additional 10 - 15 ft., that you would have to excavate down to for a shallow canal to hold water and not run dry during low river stages.    Now that you've blasted a 35' - 45' channel through the east bank, you can't have a vertical walled cliff rising straight up from your new canal.    Those pedestrian walks, landscaping, restaurants, hotels and shops are going to need to be down in the canal channel at water level, right?     So now we're talking about blasting out another 50-75' on either side of the canal, installing utilities, etc.    

If you see my point.   The Chinese government might undertake such a project, but I don't see it ever happening here.      

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I really hope we end up with the final stage of those East Bank proposals. Imagine if we were able to attract the river cruise industry with a little marketing effort and the construction of a serviceable passenger wharf, since Viking is slated to start Mississippi River cruises in 2017. Fly in to Memphis, depart for Cairo/Paducha/Metropolis, stop in LBL/Dover, Clarksville, and Nashville, and leave from Nashville.

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I really hope we end up with the final stage of those East Bank proposals. Imagine if we were able to attract the river cruise industry with a little marketing effort and the construction of a serviceable passenger wharf, since Viking is slated to start Mississippi River cruises in 2017. Fly in to Memphis, depart for Cairo/Paducha/Metropolis, stop in LBL/Dover, Clarksville, and Nashville, and leave from Nashville.

Would Nashville to Memphis to New Orleans be feasible?  That would be cool.

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