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

[FatherLand]

10 minutes ago, TnNative said:

Please don't be Air BnB...bye bye neighborhood. 

My guess is a regional office for Uber or Lyft 

[volsfanwill]

Lyft already has an office on 2nd ave

[markhollin]

The Tennessean's take on PSC Metals losing ruling against Nashville scrapyard owners:

http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/real-estate/2017/02/14/psc-metals-loses-ruling-against-east-nashville-scrapyard-landowners/97895974/

 

[WebberThomas4]

Is this the final word on the lawsuit, or can Ichan continue to drag it out with appeals, etc.? 

[CandyAisles]

$98,000 to $1.74 million.  The percentage increase of that is on par (1700-1800%) with what Homer expected out of the Van Houten's.

[bhibbs]

I really hope this is a step in the right direction to getting them out of that location, I had given up hope that it would happen in my lifetime.

[Will]

This was a pretrial ruling, so there are miles to go. Also, this suit seems to be a dispute about rent for the existing use for the property, not about kicking PSC out. Sure, PSC could decide to walk if they lose, but that's unlikely.

Edited February 15, 2017 by Will
Clarification.

[Flatrock]

1 hour ago, Will said:

Sure, PSC could decide to walk if they lose, but that's unlikely.

I believe I disagree with that. Here's why: my understanding from 2015 numbers is that PSC Metals was losing money. Scrap prices have been depressed for some time. Throw  $1.6mm/year extra on your overhead with a marginal business and it becomes a no-brainer. My understanding of their numbers is sketchy, at best (2nd and 3rd hand info), BUT other people I know in scrap have had  some struggles of late. China dumping cheap steel world-wide and commodities being depressed overall, etc...

Edited February 15, 2017 by Flatrock

[gannman]

This dispute only involves 19.5 of the 50+ total acres occupied by PSC.

[AronG]

1 hour ago, Flatrock said:

I believe I disagree with that. Here's why: my understanding from 2015 numbers is that PSC Metals was losing money. Scrap prices have been depressed for some time. Throw  $1.6mm/year extra on your overhead with a marginal business and it becomes a no-brainer. My understanding of their numbers is sketchy, at best (2nd and 3rd hand info), BUT other people I know in scrap have had  some struggles of late. China dumping cheap steel world-wide and commodities being depressed overall, etc...

Man I dearly hope you're right. If those River North people were pitching that plan here across from downtown instead of above Jefferson/Spring St, they'd have about 1,000 % better chance of achieving the level of density that they mocked up. One day somebody like that is going to announce a contract on the PSC metals site and release a fancy render of their proposed mixed-use, urban layout. And on that day I'm going to haul myself out of my nursing home, pull out my iPhone 34 to hail a flying car to the nearest public house, where I will instruct the robot bartender to pour me a celebratory drink.

[titanhog]

I wish all of the industrial businesses along the riverbank within the loop would sell.  That entire area could be so much more.

[Flatrock]

22 minutes ago, AronG said:

Man I dearly hope you're right.

Yes, I hope I'm right, too. I think there are 2 main parcels that compose the PSC site - 1 owned by PSC and the other by some folks in Memphis. So here's what I'm also hoping: that Icahn's desire to maximize profits will trigger them to sell their parcel to developers..and realize capital gains = to about 30 years of a successful, profitable PSC scrap operation.  And obviously, the Memphis owners of the contested site would likely sell their parcel. My biggest question is the horrific cost of environmental clean up and mitigation for the entire site. Cannot begin to imagine how many cubic yards of dirt have to be removed, disposed of and replaced with good fill. Mega millions of $$s worth methinks.

[PruneTracy]

55 minutes ago, Flatrock said:

My biggest question is the horrific cost of environmental clean up and mitigation for the entire site. Cannot begin to imagine how many cubic yards of dirt have to be removed, disposed of and replaced with good fill. Mega millions of $$s worth methinks.

I would say a bigger question is where those mega-millions come from as this may end up as a Superfund site (Nashville's first, I think! We grow up so fast). PSC and/or the site owners may get slapped with a section 106 order for this one; that and the associated costs will factor into their decision to move.

[Gracie]

On 2/14/2017 at 3:36 PM, AronG said:

Wow, that is a depressing facebook thread. Most of it is just unexplained NIMBYism ("There goes our neighborhood"), but it's somehow even more unsatisfying when they try to get specific. How do people convince themselves that traffic on Riverside is suddenly a huge problem? Like, traffic as in too many cars? I don't think I've ever seen more than three cars waiting at that light. The problems with Riverside are 100% based on the fact that cars blast through at 100 miles an hour, swerving back and forth into the "bike lane." And it's made even worse by the fact that sidewalks are so scarce. Adding more sidewalks (and people to walk on them) would do nothing but improve the neighborhood.

Yes. Yes. Yes. Riverside's problem is speed - not volume. I'd love a roundabout at Riverside/McGavock -- but more realistically at least paint the bike lanes, maybe put in some of those zebra bumps as a divider, and reduce the speed to 25 mph. Also, based on the site plans, there entrance will be onto McGavock.

NIMBYs suck.

[WebberThomas4]

http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2017/02/15/high-profile-investors-weigh-bajo-sexto-brooklyn.html

Behind a paywall, but Bajo Sexto Taco and Emmy Loves Pizza (from Brooklyn) being eyed for Riverside Village. Right now, the developer is seeing if the current buildings could even support two restaurants. No word on the status of Fond Object or the other tenants. 

Also, the proposed 61 condo unit development has been reduced to 8 town homes and 19 workforce priced micro-units. 

[AronG]

21 minutes ago, WebberThomas4 said:

Also, the proposed 61 condo unit development has been reduced to 8 town homes and 19 workforce priced micro-units. 

Of course, the beautiful cosmic irony here is that 34 residents/families that could have been located a block away and strolled down the sidewalk any time they wanted to go to Mitchells, the corner market, etc. will now be located somewhere further out and will get in their car and drive, INCREASING TRAFFIC.

[TnNative]

5 hours ago, WebberThomas4 said:

http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2017/02/15/high-profile-investors-weigh-bajo-sexto-brooklyn.html

Behind a paywall, but Bajo Sexto Taco and Emmy Loves Pizza (from Brooklyn) being eyed for Riverside Village. Right now, the developer is seeing if the current buildings could even support two restaurants. No word on the status of Fond Object or the other tenants. 

Also, the proposed 61 condo unit development has been reduced to 8 town homes and 19 workforce priced micro-units. 

Besides the Fond Object building, pretty sure the rest of the buildings aren't much more than some cinder blocks cemented to each other. There was rumour earlier that Fond Object was moving into the old Bailey & Cato house but I am not sure how reliable that was. I had heard it from some restaurant employees nearby. 

[Nashville Cliff]

6 hours ago, AronG said:

Of course, the beautiful cosmic irony here is that 34 residents/families that could have been located a block away and strolled down the sidewalk any time they wanted to go to Mitchells, the corner market, etc. will now be located somewhere further out and will get in their car and drive, INCREASING TRAFFIC.

At this time in East Nashville, I'll gladly take 19 workforce priced micro apartments, even at the expense of 61 (sure to not be workforce priced) condos. 

[grilled_cheese]

You gotta admit though, 64 units is quite a culture shock to that area.

Contrast that to Lockeland Springs who loses their mind if someone wants to open a shop somewhere in their neighborhood that has OFF STREET AND ON STREET PARKING.

Poor Castrillo's.  If the Brooklyn sit down pizza joint does come to fruition they are done.  Can't believe they didn't take over the Watanabe space while it was empty.  Think about them having a full bar and seating to slang pizzas in.

[MLBrumby]

Castrillo's?!  [crossing legs]

[markhollin]

Internal demo underway within Hobson Chapel structures (built in 1924) that will be redeveloped as part of the Eastwood Village project that will cover 3 acres.  Will eventually feature office space, retail, restaurant, town homes, and park.

Looking north along Chapel Avenue near intersection with Roberts Ave:

[AronG]

17 hours ago, Nashville Cliff said:

At this time in East Nashville, I'll gladly take 19 workforce priced micro apartments, even at the expense of 61 (sure to not be workforce priced) condos. 

If you care about affordable housing at all, this is completely backwards, as demonstrated by every single large city in the country. Squeezing out a small number of artificially lower-priced units will never benefit more than a tiny percentage of our residents. Meanwhile, artificially restricting the market forces that drive the natural increase in density that comes with our growing population will absolutely price the middle class out of the non-subsidized units. This is already well along its way in several of our neighborhoods, where the subsidized units sit down the block from million dollar single-family houses. The residents and families that would have lived happily in the higher density developments instead buy homes further out. So instead of allowing these developments to pleasantly increase the density and walkability of our neighborhoods while maintaining some semblance of a full range of incomes and lifestyles, we get neighborhoods that are stratifying into very rich and the very poor, while middle class people have to drive into town, cramming the roads in vehicle traffic.

[Gracie]

4 hours ago, AronG said:

If you care about affordable housing at all, this is completely backwards, as demonstrated by every single large city in the country. Squeezing out a small number of artificially lower-priced units will never benefit more than a tiny percentage of our residents. Meanwhile, artificially restricting the market forces that drive the natural increase in density that comes with our growing population will absolutely price the middle class out of the non-subsidized units. This is already well along its way in several of our neighborhoods, where the subsidized units sit down the block from million dollar single-family houses. The residents and families that would have lived happily in the higher density developments instead buy homes further out. So instead of allowing these developments to pleasantly increase the density and walkability of our neighborhoods while maintaining some semblance of a full range of incomes and lifestyles, we get neighborhoods that are stratifying into very rich and the very poor, while middle class people have to drive into town, cramming the roads in vehicle traffic.

Agree and I'm not at all sold on micro-units as a solution to much of anything.

As you said..."The residents and families that would have lived happily in the higher density developments instead buy homes further out." Or rent further out -- but regardless -- they are likely being pushed to places with no or poor transit access. This location has decent bus service. 

[bwithers1]

On ‎2‎/‎9‎/‎2017 at 5:17 PM, WebberThomas4 said:

http://www.nashville.gov/Portals/0/SiteContent/MHZC/docs/2017 Meetings/2-15/SR 1401 Holly Street.pdf

For those interested, here are the plans that have been submitted to the Historic Zoning Commision for the Holly Street Daycare expansion. 

Thanks for posting this information about the Holly Street Daycare campus plans.  I have been in communication with this design team on this project for several months as they worked on developing these plans.  Comments about the plans were mostly positive at the community meeting that I held prior to the MHZC hearing. 

There is a utility easement running diagonally through the center of the property.  That is why there has always been the open space between the historic houses there.  The existing structures do encroach on that easement somewhat, and hence there is limited ability to expand the current buildings closer to the Holly frontage but there is more room to build along the alley frontage.  This utility easement helps to ensure that that middle space along Holly will remain open for a more park-like setting in the center of the property, which is a nice feature both for the Daycare and for the Lockeland Springs neighborhood. 

I personally like the U-shaped "courtyard" layout that this plan creates.  The architects did a nice job of maintaining the new rear building's height to be very close to that of both the neighbor's DADU and the 14th-facing "barn" structure, which is not a contributing structure to the LS-EE Neighborhood Conservation Overlay District but nevertheless has become iconic to the neighborhood in its own right. 

Aside from questions about storm water drainage strategies, the main design question that I recall at the community meeting pertained to the requirement for the elevator tower along the alley frontage.  I believe that the architect has done a nice job of camouflaging the elevator tower with complementary design detailing.

This plan does require an SP to accommodate the unusual site layout as well as to overcome FAR requirements in the existing base zoning on portions of this assemblage.  Therefore, Wednesday's MHZC hearing was the first of four public hearings that will be held on this project.

I believe this to be an appropriate use of an SP to unify the zoning on the entire campus and to provide for a more sensitive site plan than bulk zoning and setback requirements would otherwise permit.  The SP will also trigger Metro Storm Water departmental reviews for infrastructure upgrades, and Public Works will require sidewalk improvements to current standards.

It is unfortunate that unusually shallow setbacks of existing buildings along the east side of South 14th Street preclude the addition of sidewalks along most of the rest of that corridor.  In this case, at least the improved sidewalks with planting strips will make the Holly Street Daycare site a safer resting spot for the families who walk to and from the site as well as for other pedestrians in the vicinity.

If the 1400 Fatherland project moves forward, that corner will similarly have sidewalk installation requirements to bring that corner up to current standards. 

Edited February 17, 2017 by bwithers1

[bwithers1]

On ‎2‎/‎7‎/‎2017 at 7:06 PM, grilled_cheese said:

Speaking of restaurants, and I'll go on another rant, how has no one opened a 24hr or late night diner?  Think Cafe Coco mixed with Hermitage Cafe and someone would make a killing.

I could not agree more.  I have been trying hard to recruit a true, all-night diner for Five Points.  We're good on gourmet hamburgers.  Brunch?  Check.  I keep pointing out the lines at Nashville Biscuit House and asking why no one sees the money to be made in honest-to-goodness breakfast, served at all hours.