SAVE THE SULLIVAN TOWER

[smeagolsfree]

I wanted to let you all know I spoke to someone yesterday that has a pretty good idea about the Lifeway redevelopment and he said that plans are for the Sullivan Tower to come down.

 

It is time to head this off before it happens and Make Some Noise to Save this building.

We cant afford to lose another art deco building and for that matter one of the first tall buildings downtown.

[dmillsphoto]

36 minutes ago, smeagolsfree said:

I wanted to let you all know I spoke to someone yesterday that has a pretty good idea about the Lifeway redevelopment and he said that plans are for the Sullivan Tower to come down.

 

It is time to head this off before it happens and Make Some Noise to Save this building.

We cant afford to lose another art deco building and for that matter one of the first tall buildings downtown.

Time to rattle the Historic Nashville cages?

[fieldmarshaldj]

Put Mayor Barry on it. Give her something to do. She stepped in with the Embers building, and Sullivan is just as important.

[markhollin]

This is distressing. It is one of the few elements of the whole complex that I think is worth saving/integrating into a new plan. The other is the Frost Building.

For those who might not be familiar with these grand structures, here are a few pics:

Sullivan Tower (1953):

The existing Lifeway Campus With Sullivan Tower and Frost Building in lower left portion:

 

Frost Building (1913):

Edited March 7, 2016 by markhollin

[BnaBreaker]

I wish I could say I was shocked, but this has become all too common in Nashville.  We can't let these developers get away with this bullshhit anymore.  If they want this property bad enough, they'll find a way to not take the lazy way out, and work around this beautiful work of art.  SAVE THE SULLIVAN TOWER!!  And I tell you what, if they so much as touch the Frost Building...so help me I will drive down to Nashville and tie myself to that thing.  It is, in my opinion, the greatest architectural masterpiece in this entire city.  

Edited March 7, 2016 by BnaBreaker

[rookzie]

Well, if any one would have had any "411" on that tower, then it would have been NoChesterHester, who made several references and hints to the campus as a hold, as well as having given his opinion that the interior of the tower was far less than glamorous, as it might appear from the street ─ that "... inside the Sullivan tower it is a miserable building..", in the thread he started last March as "LifeWay Campus Sale and Redevelopment"

On 3/26/2015 at 8:19 PM, NoChesterHester said:

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.

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.

I'm not construing the quote to imply that the building would have been slated to come down, even though at present, the controlling interest has changed since then.  I just never at once held any sustainable confidence that the structure would remain, particularly since I curiously have suspected the unspoken probability of foreboding ill-fate of that building, particularly with posts within that topic indicating that the Cross Building itself likely would remain (and from which I inferred to suggest that other structures likely would be totally transformed or leveled).  Just saying....  That's the reason I drove around it several times last fall and "kissed it goodbye".

[titanhog]

Oh man...I would hate to see that building go!  Surely there's something they can do with it!  Knock down the cross building and keep this one!

[farm_boy]

I have heard (long before now) that the Sullivan building is not in good shape. But that doesn't mean it's not salvageable. Wait for the structural engineers to make a professional determination first

Ironically, I had heard the Frost building is still a keeper

[MidTenn1]

It would make an incredible, four star-ish hotel!

[MLBrumby]

Historic Nashville has a pathetic record of success... er, failure.  Is anyone here connected enough in Metro government to get this information to them? 

Little more info...  http://nashvillepublicradio.org/post/nashvilles-endangered-historic-buildings-named-annual-list#stream/0

[markhollin]

Such a nice example of early modernism.  Anxious to hear an update from the Southwest Ventures folks on if/how they plan on incorporating this into their massive redevelopment of the LifeWay site.

 

[CenterHill]

^^  Agree.      btw, the Billy Graham statue on the grassy knoll across the street was recently removed.    Wondering if Billy will resurface at the new Lifeway headquarters.   Not that I have any particular fondness for that statue, just found it curious that it was removed.  

Photo (and blurryface) courtesy of Google.   Preaching to the fire hydrant. 

Edited July 11, 2016 by CenterHill

[Vrtigo]

He's headed back home to North Carolina.

[CenterHill]

1 minute ago, Vrtigo said:

He's headed back home to North Carolina.

Ahh.   Thanks.

[Nathan_in_DC]

Any news on this since I've been gone?

[thirdday2002]

Any news on this since I've been gone?

I haven't heard much. LifeWay is leasing it until they move into their new HQ late 2017/early 2018, so it's safe to say that nothing will happen between now and then.


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[smeagolsfree]

I think this one will wait till the next round.

 

We have a number of multi acre projects being worked on or in the pipeline.

 

One City

Capitol View

Rolling Mill Hill project

Lifeway

Demonbreun Hill / old Elmington capital group land with several multi story buildings.

East bank project roughly 105 acres

Not to mention the two tower project on second and who ever buys the Tennessean site

[markhollin]

And let's not forget 5th and Broadway.  : )

[smeagolsfree]

I was about to add it.

[markhollin]

Preservationists want Sullivan Tower on former LifeWay Campus saved:

http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/real-estate/2017/06/19/preservationists-want-sullivan-tower-former-lifeway-campus-saved/404606001/

[rolly]

Dialing back into this thread after 2 years and half.    Was Sullivan Tower saved?  Asking for a friend. 

[donNdonelson2]

1 minute ago, rolly said:

Dialing back into this thread after 2 years and half.    Was Sullivan Tower saved?  Asking for a friend. 

No. Gone with the wind.

[rolly]

@donNdonelson2 bummer, but like so many people in my long life that are now gone.  Have to move on.  At least an amazing campus is springing up in it's place. 

[chris holman]

1 hour ago, rolly said:

 

 

 

http://www.tennessean.com/videos/news/2018/07/21/watch-historic-sullivan-tower-nashville-implodes/811818002/

[rolly]

@chris holman oh man thanks for the video link. That was a great demo.  What a bummer that Sullivan Tower had to go. I saw the Lifeway tower implosion but someone missed this one.   Thanks for sharing!