Jump to content

Anyone Else Feeling Overwhelmed?


Paramount747

Recommended Posts

I have to admit I am feeling a bit overwhelmed by all of the proposals and construction projects happening! I never thought this would happen in Nashville. I do question the viability of some proposals because I don't want to get disappointed like I did in the 1980's and 1990's. The 2000's were fine, but now in the 2010's it has exploded. We had 100's of non-built proposals that I don't want to get let down again.

 

I wonder how much we can sustain. I am so excited about all of this that I am even trying to find a job in Downtown, The Gulch, Midtown, or Vandy West End just so I can be a part of it. (plus where I am at in Antioch is extremely ghetto and very high crime. Lots of drug deals and prostitution down the block from my office.)

 

It is exciting, but as an avid onlooker it's a bit stressful. It would be a lot easier if I followed sports or politics! This seems to be an insatiable beast right now that needs to be fed.

 

It would almost be easier if I moved away for three years or so and then came back when it was all done. Just rent my unit out in 5th and Main, move to Oregon or Washington State as far away as possible, and then come back when its all done!

 

Anyone else feeling overwhelmed?

 

John

Link to comment
Share on other sites


  • Replies 15
  • Created
  • Last Reply

Not at all. It is just a little harder keeping track of everything, but I think this may continue for at least another 5 years from different folks I have talked to.

Just concentrate on the stuff that is of most interest to you John. That way you will not have to think about all the little projects that are happening.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Underwhelmed and disappointed by the needless historic demolitions of what little that is left (that hasn't already been preserved) and the scaled-back high-rise proposals and apartment blocks with mediocre designs.

 

As for Antioch, at least you just work here. As a lifelong resident...

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It does seem a bit frenetic to me sometimes, and yet it's the nature of development that it is frustratingly slow as well.  You can't let yourself get too disappointed when one project is shrunken or completely fails to materialize; for me an event like the destruction of the 1830s mansion at the music row roundabout is harder to take...but the results, overall, are incredibly gratifying when I look at what our city's like now compared to 10 or 15 years ago.

 

As far as sustainability, I think well designed urban density feeds on itself.  As long as overall conditions like interest rates and whatnot hold up, the sky's the limit.  (Within the cyclical nature of all economic activity.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I actually think I understand what you're saying John. Growing up in Atlanta in the 1970s-80s, I can tell you that nothing stayed the same for long.  I remember my father saying that "all the trees will be toppled", although I think there are more trees now in many areas than at any time in the last 100 years.  But I hated... still do... the traffic, whether it was from the additional cars brought by rampant growth, or (more often the case) the incessant road construction.  When I first got my drivers license, I was forbidden to drive on the freeways until my Senior year in high school. That's how I learned that a city can lose a lot of character really fast if it grows too fast. When I went to college, I remember feeling a certain pride when I brought friends from school back home... but that was a fleeting feeling.  As the metro area passed 3 million... then 4... I actually felt like a stranger in my own hometown. I was on a trip in Washington DC (Sept. '90) when the Olympics announced Atlanta would host in 1996, but I remember seeing the headline as I walked up K Street and thinking it will never ever be the same (for good or bad).  I love the Atlanta that I grew up in... but it's left that far behind... far far behind. As in Nashville now, when things move that fast, it's both exciting and overwhelming, especially when you see parts of your own past being demolished for "progress".   

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Now that the TV game shows have been offering showcase vacations to Nashville (without mention of the state of TN) then that must be a sign, I would think.

-==-

WHAT!?!?  I want proof! That is so awesome!

 

On topic: I absolutely love this.  I am a driver (Lyft if you've heard of it) so every time I work I get to look around and see all of the great new projects around town.  Lately I have been particularly impressed with the apartments at the Demunbruen roundabout (can't remember the name).  I am eagerly awaiting the cranes at Bridgestone, Westin and Thompson hotel.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

John:  If you go away for 3-4 years, you will come back to find that developers will have built midrise buildings all up and down the 5th Street corridor and that your views of downtown will have become blocked. Wouldn't you rather watch them rise?

It would almost be easier if I moved away for three years or so and then came back when it was all done. Just rent my unit out in 5th and Main, move to Oregon or Washington State as far away as possible, and then come back when its all done!

 

Anyone else feeling overwhelmed?

 

John

Link to comment
Share on other sites

John:  If you go away for 3-4 years, you will come back to find that developers will have built midrise buildings all up and down the 5th Street corridor and that your views of downtown will have become blocked. Wouldn't you rather watch them rise?

Makes me feel better Brett, Thanks.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Over breakfast recently a friend went on a rant complaining that Nashville was growing too fast and losing its character.  He moved here in the mid 90s and thinks all of their "progress" is detrimental.  Having been here since the early 80s, I have a bit more perspective.  After he was through venting, I calmly asked him these questions:

Do you like attending the Schermerhorn to hear the symphony?  

How about sporting events and large scale concerts we could never attract before the Bridgestone Arena was built? 

 

Do you enjoy seeing exhibits at the Frist Arts Center instead of looking at an underutilized (but beautiful) art deco Post Office building? 

 

Don't you think that turning a dilapidated Union Station into a 4 star hotel was a good idea?

 

Isn't it nice that the unused huge basement level of the Municipal Auditorium has been repurposed into the cool Musicians Hall of Fame?

 

The modernized Davidson County Courthouse building and adjoining park over a new underground garage are certainly improvements over the previously decaying infrastructure, aren't they?

 

Have you noticed that there are thousands MORE parking spaces in downtown due to massive new garages (both above and below ground) that what there were several decades ago? Do you realize that practically every new building being built downtown is coming with its own parking structures included?

 

Isn't Nashville jumping back into the Top 10 in convention business due to Music City Center and Opryland Convention Center a boon for the local economy?

 

Wasn't LP Field a nice addition to the east side of the river as opposed to the grungy low-level industrial wasteland that used to be there? Haven't the Titans (despite their recent woes) been a good boost to the city's recognition?

 

Aren't you glad that lower Broadway and 2nd Avenue are bustling with activity instead of being home to porn shops, peep shows, and used furniture outlets?

 

Do you appreciate our fantastic new downtown library and the 17 branches that were all rebuilt and modernized 15 years ago?

 

Isn't having a riverfront amphitheater going to be great for outdoor concerts/events from April thru October?

 

Aren't all the upgrades and additions to Riverfront Park on both sides of the river terrific?  And repurposing the Shelby Street Bridge into pedestrian use to connect the two (instead of tearing it down) a wise move?

 

The Korean Vets Bridge and Boulevard have certainly made getting across the south side of downtown more efficient, haven't they?

Don't you think the downtown Country Music Hall of Fame is far superior to the tiny old one on Music Row?

 

Won't it be nice seeing baseball in a modern First Tennessee Park with a nice view of the skyline as opposed to the cramped conditions at Greer looking out at warehouses?

 

Isn't the development of the Gulch a much better use of land than abandoned railroad tracks and rat-infested buildings?

 

Isn't it neat that Rolling Mill Hill, Germantown, Marathon Village, Buena Vista, East Nashville, and 12 South have been transformed?

Isn't it nice to see events at the refurbished Ryman, instead of dodging pigeons and mice during the $1 self-tours of the dilapidated, near-abandoned decades of 70s/80s?

 

Aren't the many new Community Centers being built or rebuilt in many of the city parks nice additions to their neighborhoods?

 

Isn't the Bicentennial Mall with the carillon, Greek amphitheater, fountains, historic markers, educational walkways, green space, refurbished Farmers Market, etc. a terrific downtown park compared to---once again--run-down industrial, abandoned buildings, and gravel parking lots? 

 

Do you like going to the remodeled and revitalized War Memorial Auditorium?  Isn't it neat that an old theater like that has been brought back to life?

 

How about Cummins Station…who would've thought that hulking, nearly abandoned warehouse could be transformed into such a vibey hub of entrepreneurial activity? 

 

Don't you think the modern, much larger terminal at the airport and support structures are a substantial upgrade from what they were before the late 80s?

Aren't you glad that Briley Parkway was redone from over on the east side for several miles on either side of Opryland?  

Are you grateful for the intersection upgrades of I-40 at Briley on the east and west sides?

 

Does the extension of Briley Parkway from I-24 West all the way over to I-40 West, the construction of I-840 around the southern portion of the metropolis, and the Vietnam Vets freeway in Hendersonville help with traffic flow (as compared to the alternatives)?

Can you imagine how long it used to take to get from Donelson over to Bellvue before 440 was built? 

 

Don't you think the flow of traffic on nearly all the expressways in Davidson county has been helped by adding multiple lanes?  I can remember when most of them were just two lanes in each direction for decades.

I'm sure there are more that I missed in my summary, but I think he got the point. As I spoke, his protestations became fewer and quieter.  By the end of my response, he admitted that, indeed, Nashville is much better for all these things, and that despite the growing pains, it is a more vibrant and livable city now than it was two decades ago.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I will probably just watch the high rise construction, or structures over 300 feet and just let the rest fill in. Namely watching Sobro, Westin, Bridgestone, Turnberry, 505, The Michael Hayes Tower,  and The Pat Emery Project. I think that is enough! Keep my interests between 1st and 8th Avenues to the East And West, and from Lafeyette Street to the South, and Charlotte to the North.

 

I'll stay out of The Gulch, Midtown, West End, Vandy and the outlying areas.

 

7 Projects is enough. That is my limit right now.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

About two thirds of my life have been spent in Middle Tennessee, from being born at Donelson Hospital and growing up in rural western Middle Tennessee until I went to college at UT. Since then, my travels have taken me far and wide, from Knoxville to Philadelphia and now to DC (with some brief interim stops). I get back every 3 to 6 months, and I just am shocked every time I make it home how much things are growing and changing.

 

Growing up, I always loved spending time in Nashville, but it seemed rather stagnant until around 2000 (everyone remember what a big deal Batman was?). Now, the skyline has a new addition every time I'm home. There's a new venue or restaurant or brewery, or a new area that has been cleaned up and made safe to walk through. Development has its drawbacks: traffic, changing populations, increased costs of living, et cetera. I do not hesitate to say that it has been a net gain overwhelmingly, though.

 

It really is tough to keep up with everything. That's why I spend so much time on this board. There really isn't any other way for me to keep track of all that is going on, or any way to find out about new items since they seem like they're happening every day!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

About two thirds of my life have been spent in Middle Tennessee, from being born at Donelson Hospital and growing up in rural western Middle Tennessee until I went to college at UT. Since then, my travels have taken me far and wide, from Knoxville to Philadelphia and now to DC (with some brief interim stops). I get back every 3 to 6 months, and I just am shocked every time I make it home how much things are growing and changing.

 

Growing up, I always loved spending time in Nashville, but it seemed rather stagnant until around 2000 (everyone remember what a big deal Batman was?). Now, the skyline has a new addition every time I'm home. There's a new venue or restaurant or brewery, or a new area that has been cleaned up and made safe to walk through. Development has its drawbacks: traffic, changing populations, increased costs of living, et cetera. I do not hesitate to say that it has been a net gain overwhelmingly, though.

 

It really is tough to keep up with everything. That's why I spend so much time on this board. There really isn't any other way for me to keep track of all that is going on, or any way to find out about new items since they seem like they're happening every day!

 

I'm taken aback (but in a good way) to hear that you were born in Donelson and lived in rural west-mid-state; never, ever would have figured.  I would have thought that you had been born in, say, New Albany, IN and grew up in Cincinnati. (Ha-Ha!)  I can't really conclude how I got that notion, though ─ maybe its the Philly and DC thing that makes me mentally associate you with somewhere in between the South and the NE-Mid-Atlantic, even though I reasoned that you most likely had to have spent some memorable time in mid-state, in order to want to post in the Nashv'l sub-forum.

-==-

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Archived

This topic is now archived and is closed to further replies.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...

Important Information

By using this site you agree to our Terms of Use and Privacy Policy. We have placed cookies on your device to help make this website better. You can adjust your cookie settings, otherwise we'll assume you're okay to continue.