Federal Courthouse, 6 & 8 stories, 276,000 sq. ft.,

[Paramount747]

Post 9/11 security requirements is 50' of frontage on all sides of the building. I am surprised the Berger Building stays.  UT09 is right, masculine colors work better like charcoal, deep red , UPS brown, etc.

In any case, this is lazy civic design in 2015. If this were 1970, this would be fine. Nashville over compensates and has too much Neo-Classical, Greek Revival, and Southern Gothic.

If we go backwards, I would rather have Art Deco, Mid Century Modern, or Post Modern design, but not the Post Modern of 5/3 or ATT. More like the Snodgrass. However, since this will be sub 125 feet, I would like something in contemporary glass and steel.

Edited December 15, 2015 by Paramount747

[Nashville Cliff]

6 minutes ago, Paramount747 said:

Post 9/11 security requirements is 50' of frontage on all sides of the building.

Post 9/11 or post Oklahoma City?

[Paramount747]

1 hour ago, Nashville Cliff said:

Post 9/11 or post Oklahoma City?

You may be correct. I think it is post Oklahoma City.

[smeagolsfree]

The colors are close to what the Doctors building and the Library are. Not saying I like it but the reason they chose the colors.

[21jump]

I actually don't mind it. I'd prefer the modern looking, glass ones currently going up in San Diego and Los Angeles, but I think this may look okay once it's completed.

[fieldmarshaldj]

19 hours ago, samsonh said:

Parking lot is almost certainly there for security reasons. Also, the gubmint didn't design the building, a private sector architect did, and you know this;)

It's still hideous, total crap and a federal government project. Sauce for the goose.

[bhibbs]

[fieldmarshaldj]

^A billion in taxpayer bucks (which we don't even have, being $20 trillion in debt not including unfunded liabilities) being put towards such appalling architectural mediocrity. Yup, that's the federal gubmint at work.

[markhollin]

Looks like it is finally happening.  Just now from The Tennessean and NBJ:

"Both houses of Congress are expected later this week to pass the fiscal year 2016 Omnibus Appropriations bill that includes the full $181.5 million in funding for the project."

http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/real-estate/2015/12/16/nashville-federal-courthouse-funding-sight/77281274/

http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/blog/2015/12/budget-deal-in-congress-fully-funds-new-nashville.html

Edited December 16, 2015 by markhollin

[MLBrumby]

A billion here... a billion there. Before you know it, you're talking about real money.  Interestingly enough, this is actually one of the constitutional obligations of Congress, as opposed to far too much they embrace and waste.  Yet, look how utterly incompetent they have been in getting this one done.  

[titanhog]

Any chance for one more design change?

[nashvillwill]

Have you guys seen those "build like you live next door" signs? 

 

Let's get about 10,000 of those and stick them all over this property. 

[Paramount747]

Even Thomas Jefferson would not hold office in this hideous building, but at least it's getting rid of a surface parking lot. The real shame of the whole debacle is the fact that such a prominent lot in the CDB is going to have a building that is only utilized 37 1/2 hours a week. 8-4:30 and then it becomes dead space again.

This lot should have a downtown shopping mall with a 30 story apartment building on top fronting Church Street and in the rear section a 30 story office building fronting Commerce Street.

What a waste!

Edited December 16, 2015 by Paramount747

[bnaflyer]

On ‎12‎/‎15‎/‎2015 at 9:12 AM, MLBrumby said:

The more I look at this, the more I despise it.  But might as well go ahead and get used to the idea that this will be there in fifty years or so. 

Yes this is one of those designs that does not improve with age.  At all.   It actually looks worse now than it did when it was first released. 

[rookzie]

On 12/15/2015 at 2:18 PM, Paramount747 said:

Post 9/11 security requirements is 50' of frontage on all sides of the building. I am surprised the Berger Building stays.  UT09 is right, masculine colors work better like charcoal, deep red , UPS brown, etc.

In any case, this is lazy civic design in 2015. If this were 1970, this would be fine. Nashville over compensates and has too much Neo-Classical, Greek Revival, and Southern Gothic.

If we go backwards, I would rather have Art Deco, Mid Century Modern, or Post Modern design, but not the Post Modern of 5/3 or ATT. More like the Snodgrass. However, since this will be sub 125 feet, I would like something in contemporary glass and steel.

.. the very reason for what I posted above.  If it does get changed dramatically, then there's a high probability that glass and steel it would be.
-==-

[FromParkAveToTN]

Where is the lot on Church St? I have no recollection of where this will be built. 

[markhollin]

3 minutes ago, FromParkAveToTN said:

Where is the lot on Church St? I have no recollection of where this will be built. 

It is immediately to the west of the Downtown Library, and catty-corner to the Renaissance Hotel to the southeast. The lot is encircled by Church St. on north, 7th on the east, Commerce on the south, and 8th/Rosa Parks Blvd. on west.

[MLBrumby]

Not bad for a federal project... the oversize cornice is a bit weird, but overall it looks fine. Cleveland's federal courthouse. 

Built after OKC bombing. 

 

[NashRugger]

Another reason for the smaller size is that considering the region's population and not as large, historically, as some other cities with much larger courthouses and also how the govt districts and such, ours is about as big as you'd get. We're not Cleveland or Saint Louis which has be multiple high-level federal courts there and serve bigger populations too.

[fieldmarshaldj]

11 hours ago, Paramount747 said:

Even Thomas Jefferson would not hold office in this hideous building, but at least it's getting rid of a surface parking lot. The real shame of the whole debacle is the fact that such a prominent lot in the CDB is going to have a building that is only utilized 37 1/2 hours a week. 8-4:30 and then it becomes dead space again.

This lot should have a downtown shopping mall with a 30 story apartment building on top fronting Church Street and in the rear section a 30 story office building fronting Commerce Street.

What a waste!

If Jefferson could see what kind of money the federal government was spending, the debt it was leaving and the money it is taking from the citizenry (just for starters), he'd demand a revolution. He'd be right.

And it should be 50 stories, not 30. The Hotel Tulane lot should be a 75 story mixed used hotel/office and apartment tower. Enough shorties !

[Paramount747]

15 hours ago, fieldmarshaldj said:

If Jefferson could see what kind of money the federal government was spending, the debt it was leaving and the money it is taking from the citizenry (just for starters), he'd demand a revolution. He'd be right.

And it should be 50 stories, not 30. The Hotel Tulane lot should be a 75 story mixed used hotel/office and apartment tower. Enough shorties !

30 stories was a conservative number, but FMDJ agreed.

[Paramount747]

Well, two months have passed by again and still nothing! Wow, this saga has gone on as long as West End Summit. Both of them remind me of  the current presidential race. Lot's of hot air from BOTH sides, and no action. Just talk and talk.

May I reiterate that the Feds need to sell this to a PRIVATE  developer so we can move on?

[NashRugger]

Final green light has been given with approval from the House Committee on Transportation & Infrastructure. That was the final hurdle because funding has already been allocated and secured, so I wouldn't be surprised for work to begin in quick order.

[markhollin]

It's official: Courthouse gets final approval.  : )    Will be curious to see if there are any updates to the design since it has been over two decades sine the original plans.  

http://www.nashvillepost.com/politics/article/20490909/finally-nashville-courthouse-gets-final-approval

Edited March 3, 2016 by markhollin

[Paramount747]

Build it as it is. If this is redesigned, that will take another two years, more needed funding, more approvals and we start this 24 year cycle all over again. This was first proposed in 1992 the year I got married! I was 29. Now I am 52. Enough already! Build this MoFo  before I lose it!