Nashville Yards, 15 acres/4 million sq. ft./ $1 billion, Phase I: Grand Hyatt Hotel (25 stories), Phase II: Amazon (26 & 22 stories), Phase III: AEG District (4 K theater, 34 & 35 story apts); Phase IV: Pinnacle Tower (35 stories), Amazon 3 (43)

[Guest]

This has been rattling around for a while today and the Business Journal blew it wide open. Thought it deserved its own thread.

http://m.bizjournals.com/nashville/blog/real-estate/2015/03/lifeway-unveils-details-for-major-mixed-use.html?r=full

[titanhog]

Some more in the Post.

 

https://www.nashvillepost.com/news/2015/3/24/lifeway_campus_could_be_reinvented_with_major_mixed_used_project

[MidTenn1]

Since this is the official thread, just for reference.... if their are errors, let me know. I will fix it.

 

 

 

 

 

Revised again scope of campus per comments in Posts # 5 and #13.

Edited March 25, 2015 by PHofKS

[MidTenn1]

Some more in the Post.

 

https://www.nashvillepost.com/news/2015/3/24/lifeway_campus_could_be_reinvented_with_major_mixed_used_project

 

 

 

 

Rainer said the prospective buyers have said Uptown Nashville will “architecturally combine historic charm, paying homage to Nashville’s roots, with the finest quality modern and forward-thinking design. They pledge the mixed-use community will be environmentally green, technologically advanced and service-oriented.”

 

Whatever that means. And it is being called "UPTOWN NASHVILLE".

[Guest]

The picture looks great and really helps one to visualize the massive area involved. It may not be part of this deal but Lifeway also owns the Career college building and the several storefronts that are along Church street in the picture across from the Y. Also in the upper right quadrant of the yellowed picture the parking lot and gray building that is partially in view are part of the Lifeway campus. If done correctly this is a game changer for my area of downtown. 

[BnaBreaker]

Giving it a name like "Uptown Nashville," to me, makes it sound like a strip mall development in Gallatin.  I am encouraged by the bit about it incorporating "historic charm" into the development.  Hopefully that means that the Art Deco structure will be saved. 

[titanhog]

So...other than the Art Deco building and the "cross" tower, are you guys cool with demolishing the rest and building upward?  Heck...if they want to demolish the "cross" tower, I'm ok with that, too...but I'm thinking it may be beneficial to just refurbish.

 

So...with at least 12-13 acres left, they could really make a statement.

[donNdonelson2]

The historic Frost Building is included in the sale. I truly hope they do not level that classic structure! (It's the only building in the transaction that fronts Rosa Parks/8th Ave)

[bigeasy]

Will we finally get our guitar shaped building!?!?!

[Hey_Hey]

I could very well be wrong, but I can't imagine that the most economical thing to do wouldn't be to refurbish the cross building and the art deco building. To rebuild the cross building would have to cost $50-75 million or so for a similar sq footage. I don't know what shape the space is in, but I would assume it is at least class B space that they could rent for $15-20/ft.

[CenterHill]

I don't know what shape the Art Deco building interior is in, but it would make a great boutique hotel. 

[rookzie]

That Lifeway art-deco "revival" building, or more appropriately called "post-deco" (and in that era of construction called "early post-moderne"), is one of the very few structures of its vintage in the region.  A post-war building from 1953, the Sullivan Tower depicts the transition from the Depression-era inspired architectural movement, epitomizing modernism with the use of sleek fashion and stylized streamlined representational forms with unusually varied, often expensive materials.

The Sullivan Tower, design combines early migration from art-deco vogue with simplified lines and more functional spatial design, while retaining the formality of expensive cladding of limestone with accents of carved granite.  Others in the vicinity include the nearby Estes Kefauver U.S. Courthouse, the NES (Nashville Electric Service "campus"), the Cordell Hull State Office Building, and the Tenn. State Library, each built within 2 years of each other.  IMHO while the NES building represents emulation of a more Beaux-arts revival, and the State Library (and archves) is of a more Classical-revival design, they nevertheless are prime candidates for preservation, if not eventual repurposing (in the case of NES).

 

The Sullivan Tower probably represents one of the best (if not the most salient) example of post-war art-deco inspiration in the city, and my guess is that, in the mind of the re-developer, it's likely considered a crown jewel and therefore probably would remain extant, even if some of the adjoining structures would not.

-==-

Edited March 26, 2015 by rookzie

[RonCamp]

Hopefully this aerial helps clarify exactly what is supposed to be included in this sale:

 

Edited March 25, 2015 by RonCamp

[gannman]

I don't expect the art deco building to be demolished considering 20/20 Research recently moved in. There is no incentive to tear it down.

[donNdonelson2]

20/20 is in the Frost Building, not the deco Sullivan Building.

[CenterHill]

To clarify,

 

The Frost building on 8th

 

 

 

The Sullivan art-deco building on 9th

 

[titanhog]

Definitely need to keep those ^^

[Neigeville2]

That Lifeway art-deco "revival", or more appropriately called "post-deco" (and in that era of construction called "early post-moderne"), is one of the very few structures of its vintage in the region.  A post-war building from 1953, the Sullivan Tower depicts the transition from the Depression-era inspired architectural movement, epitomizing modernism with the use of sleek fashion and stylized streamlined representational forms with unusually varied, often expensive materials.

The Sullivan Tower, design combines early migration from art-deco vogue with simplified lines and more functional spatial design, while retaining the formality of expensive cladding of limestone with accents of carved granite.  Others in the vicinity include the nearby Estes Kefauver U.S. Courthouse, the NES (Nashville Electric Service "campus"), the Cordell Hull State Office Building, and the Tenn. State Library, each built within 2 years of each other.  IMHO while the NES building represents emulation of a more Beaux-arts revival, and the State Library (and archves) is of a more Classical-revival design, they nevertheless are prime candidates for preservation, if not eventual repurposing (in the case of NES).

 

The Sullivan Tower probably represents one of the best (if not the most salient) example of post-war art-deco inspiration in the city, and my guess is that, in the mind of the re-developer, it's likely considered a crown jewel and therefore probably would remain extant, even if some of the adjoining structures would not.

-==-

 

The NES building may be underappreciated; I think it's gorgeous, and I love the way it's situated, and the way it catches the light at sunset.

[nashvillwill]

Definitely need to change the name.

So, "uptown" is between downtown and midtown? Makes perfect sense.

[Guest]

Frost Building is a great building. If you have ever been inside the Sullivan tower it is a miserable building. It is also built like a fortress at a time when cities were more about internalism than connection. I don't find the exterior horrible, but it isn't as majestic as some one here make it out to be.

Definitely need to change the name.

So, "uptown" is between downtown and midtown? Makes perfect sense.

I like it. Uptown isn't a real moniker anyway. It could be perceived as up Broadway since it is up the hill. It could be perceived as a higher class district than the beer hall Honky Tonk character.

[NashRugger]

The hill thing is the only reason why you hear it called Uptown Charlotte as opposed to downtown Charlotte. 

[CenterHill]

If you have ever been inside the Sullivan tower it is a miserable building. It is also built like a fortress at a time when cities were more about internalism than connection. I don't find the exterior horrible, but it isn't as majestic as some one here make it out to be.

Except that "they don't make 'em like that anymore." Majestic? No, but the Sullivan building is a solid contributor to what's left of downtown's historical building stock and I agree with Rookzie that it's a very good example and representative of the architecure of its era. The best representative of the style that Nashville had, btw, was probably the Sudekum Building on Church, which fell to the wrecking ball a couple decades ago.

Yes, the Sullivan tower is a fortress, but built that way intentionally. I expect the Cumberland residential tower that replaced the Sudekum Building will suffer the ravages of time and be gone long before the now 60+ year old Sullivan building is no longer habitable. Compare the Cumberland's cheap and bland exterior Dryvit cladding to the Sullivan's handsome limestone, marble and masonry detailing which look as good today as they did when it was built (admit I wasn't around then). I know you're not advocating its replacement, but I think the posters here are justified in their concern about its future as part of an as yet unknown development plan. I am.

As for the interior, you say it is miserable. I have no idea and I'm sorry to hear that. I'd like to know more. Are the problems something that can be remedied with a complete renovation?

[Paramount747]

Maybe we can get an Ikea downtown!

Edited March 26, 2015 by Paramount747

[Nathan_in_DC]

Maybe we can get an Ikea downtown!

 

I really hope not, to be honest. I think it'd be a massive traffic headache (no one takes the bus to Ikea...), and the low-density use of that land would be a terrible waste.

[Vrtigo]

The comments about an Ikea there are well-founded... I think it's not necessarily the best use of space either, but then again, it could contribute more than we think.

 

For example, take Atlanta's Atlantic Station:

 

 

From what I know of this development, it came from similar origins in that a whole bunch of land opened up all at once. I rather like the density and the fact that it was planned out all at once, rather than being an eventual byproduct of iterative projects over the course of many years.

 

The new owners of the LifeWay campus have a great opportunity on their hands. My hope is that it gets developed intelligently in a way that each element contributes to the others and to the surrounding area. In my dreams, I see New York's Hudson Yards, but I also have been known to dream extravagantly:

 

 

Cross your fingers with me?