Save The Cordell Hull and The Ben West

[CenterHill]

On 6/22/2016 at 4:08 PM, markhollin said:

From today's Nashville Post:

The Nashville office of Skanska announced today it has signed a $45 million contract with the state of Tennessee to renovate and expand the Cordell Hull State Office building and adjacent facilities. The construction project includes exterior renovations to Cordell Hull, located in downtown Nashville and built in the early 1950s. The construction team oversaw the demolition of the central services building that connected Hull and the John Sevier State Office Building. Skanska is also overseeing the construction of an underground state capitol building connector. Work on that project is expected to complete in late 2017.

 

I was by here yesterday and noticed they have opened up a large underground tunnel from the back wall of the former Central Services Building leading westward toward the Capitol.   I didn't have my phone or I would have snapped a photo.   The tunnel appears large enough to drive a vehicle through and it begins where you can see the orange markings in Mark's photo above (between the stop sign and the danger sign).   I'm assuming this is the "underground state capitol building connector" mentioned in the Post article.    Does anyone have any details about the purpose or function of this tunnel and what will become of the excavated site of the former Central Services Building?  

[rookzie]

18 hours ago, CenterHill said:

 

I was by here yesterday and noticed they have opened up a large underground tunnel from the back wall of the former Central Services Building leading westward toward the Capitol.   I didn't have my phone or I would have snapped a photo.   The tunnel appears large enough to drive a vehicle through and it begins where you can see the orange markings in Mark's photo above (between the stop sign and the danger sign).   I'm assuming this is the "underground state capitol building connector" mentioned in the Post article.    Does anyone have any details about the purpose or function of this tunnel and what will become of the excavated site of the former Central Services Building?  

Actually, the contractors just began to bore that tunnel a few weeks ago (maybe 4-6).  I walk past it every morning, after I get dumped off the bus nearby, and I can envision by recall, the stages of progress evident, as the wet-boring operation inches along, and the equipment sound reverberates deeper and deeper.  It will eventually become the extension of the existing Motlow Tunnel, which connects Legislative Plaza to the State House (Capitol).  It was neat enough previously to have walked through the original (short) tunnel from the underground cafeteria, offices, and corridor, where they used to give us flu shots, and then take an elevator to the Capitol levels.

Notice those two white "boxes" above that retaining wall, in the center of the photo.  Those are the diesel-electric ventilating apparatus that forces a steady blast of fresh air into the temporary new tunnel portal within the extreme bottom right corner of that wall, next to Cordell Hull proper.  As you stated, this current huge void had been the Central Services Building, built to somewhat "match" the Cordell Hull and to transition with the adjoining John Sevier Office Building, the former State Supreme Court building.

This appears to be a "dated" photo, because what I have observed for quite some time during the process of boring, is the mounting of a large spiral-wound metal duct fabricated and attached to a large metal plenum and elbows, with its discharge at the mouth (portal) of the excavation, where that machinery is shown placed in position.  Within the bore is mounted an air discharge provision, which is re-positioned according to the amount of progress made in advancing the excavation in the tunnel bore.  That left-most white box structure is a particulate-separator-filter connected to a large diameter yellow flex-hose, which diverts underground, through a partial chase, through part of the original tunnel, and through what had been the Charlotte Ave grand entrance to the base of the Capitol.  This is plywooded up and the hose passes through and continues westward, suspended along the stone wall a short distance, to the point of final discharge into the atmosphere.  As the bore becomes horizontally deeper, I can detect a change in the resonant sound of the air being injected into the opening, even though the machinery no longer remains visible from the street (5th Ave).

This tunnel will provide your statesmen with the luxury of not having to climb outside a renovated Cordell Hull building, to get from their cars in the parking garage, which will become of Legislative Plaza (or at least much of it).

[Nashville Cliff]

10 hours ago, rookzie said:

This tunnel will provide your statesmen with the luxury of not having to climb outside a renovated Cordell Hull building, to get from their cars in the parking garage, which will become of Legislative Plaza (or at least much of it.

As well as access from their new office space in Cordell Hull to the chambers in the Capitol.  Excellent description of the site, by the way.

[MLBrumby]

Rookzie, thanks for the info. I was not aware that the Lex Plaza will become a parking garage... the whole thing?  Will that be for use by the general public?  Seems like a slam-dunk for patrons of the TPAC shows and other businesses surrounding the plaza. 

[kc8501]

It is indeed a tunnel to connect Cordell Hull to the Capitol. In the future Cordell will be home to many members of the Legislature as well as the entirety of the Comptrollers office. They are blasting regularly for the tunnel (sounds like thunder) and last rumor running around was that they're having some trouble with some of the rock they're going through.  Estimated move in is end of year 2017, but experienced minds are figuring early 2018.

[CenterHill]

Thanks for the update, Rookzie.   You're right, the image in my post was Mark's photo above from July 7.    

I've also noticed for several weeks the yellow flex tubing extruding from the Charlotte Ave level entrance to the Capitol, but I hadn't connected the dots that it had to do with the Cordell Hull tunnel boring operation.  Here's a snap from moments ago looking out my window.    You can see the yellow ventilation tubing at left.    At the far right, you can see the giant diesel ventilation machinery Rookzie describes sitting atop the Central Services excavation.       

 

[rookzie]

Motlow Tunnel portal activity at the Cordell Hull S.O.B. (State Office Building), 07:30 hours, 2016-Sep-09

[Nathan_in_DC]

It's where they're hiding our reptilian overlords! Aha! 

[rookzie]

Actually it does remind me to some cigar-chomping "uncertainties" lurking within the bowels of Capitol Hill.

 

Semantic Translation

[markhollin]

Looking down into the plaza that faces 5th Avenue North:

 

Looking north along 6th Ave. North:

 

Looking east from 6th Ave. North:

 

Looking east along north side of the building:

[markhollin]

Part of the major overhaul of Cordell Hull will be a  3 level parking garage and park/plaza on top that will be built on the south end of the structure.

More details and schematics here:

https://partners.skanska.com/usa/offices/tn/Shared Documents/Cordell Hull/Garage SD/PCKG 2 SCHEMATIC DESIGN DRAWINGS 2016-04-08.pdf

 

[CenterHill]

I hope the 5th Ave garage facade is done tastefully in materials worthy of the State Capitol grounds.   Please no zebra stripes.   

[donNdonelson2]

Tiger stripes, perhaps? 

[BnaBreaker]

I like it!  Bring on the tiger stripes.  Nashville could use more pizazz.  haha

[markhollin]

The parking garage with plaza on top is shaping up. It connects Cordell Hull and Sevier Buildings.

Looking west from 5th Ave. North at Music City Central Terminal:

 

 

Looking east from State Capitol steps above 6th Ave. North:

 

Looking NE from 5th Ave. North next to Sevier Building:

 

So glad that this handsome structure was saved and refurbished. Exterior clean-up to Cordell Hull finished.  Looking east from Capitol Hill:

Looking SE from Capitol Hill:

[Nashville Cliff]

I was in the Cordell Hull a few weeks ago to check out the meeting spaces. They were still wrapping up finishing touches, but it is a very handsome building on the inside as well.  They did a good job on converting it to use for the legislature.