River North, 105-acre Cowan Street corridor, Phase One: five 4-7 stories, 650 residences, 85 K sq. ft. retail, 50 K sq. ft. office, mile long riverfront park; Phase Two: two 12 story office buildings, pedestrian bridge across river

[MLBrumby]

I think that TopGolf is a huge draw for companies that may be considering River North, and nearby.  And as the land on the East Bank gets more developed they will be able to sell for a handsome return whenever that happens.

By the way, as I understand the NBJ article the land between TopGolf and the river will be developed by MRP/Creek Lane to build around 650 apartment units in their first phases. So word must be getting around that Oracle will be needing lots of apartments.  Monroe has announced a rough timetable by the end of spring '21.  

Edited December 19, 2020 by MLBrumby
Corrected per Ron’s clarification.

[Luvemtall]

9 minutes ago, titanhog said:

I guess you’re right if they can truly pull off what they’re planning near the Titans stadium.  Definitely would be nice if the east bank from the two interstate bridges was 100% complete with entertainment, retail, restaurants, hotels, NFL, MLB, business towers, etc.

Wouldn’t it be cool, if the scrapyard was a transportation hub! Clean efficient monorails coming from the outlaying counties, trams, buses and other forms of moving around the inner city. 
the potential of the East Bank is incredible, it’s time to start the transformation. 

[smeagolsfree]

2 hours ago, MLBrumby said:

I think that TopGolf is a huge draw for companies that may be considering River North, and nearby.  And as the land on the East Bank gets more developed they will be able to sell for a handsome return whenever that happens.

By the way, as I understand the NBJ article the land between TopGolf and the river will be developed by Monroe Partners while the land from TopGolf to Cowan Street will be developed by MRP/Creek Lane. Both developers plan to build around 650 apartment units in their first phases. So word must be getting around that Oracle will be needing lots of apartments.  Monroe has announced a rough timetable by the end of spring '21. I don't recall anyone here mentioning a groundbreaking for MRP/CL. 

I think the two projects are being confused here and they should not. The infrastructure is part of the Creekside MRP project and the grondbreaking for that was in the headline of spring 2021. The infrastructure has to work hand in glove with that development.  Creekside is developing the property between Top Golf and the river, Monroe will be developing the property between the Creekside parcels and Cowan.

That land is about 25 acres and the infrastructure plan includes that area as well as the Creekside MRP parcels which is about 13 acres or so that was sold by Monroe to them. The CreeksideMRP parcels will be done in two phases, and all of this is what Monroe Partners is calling The Landings or Phase 1 which is a 12 year build out total.

The entire 110 acre sire is a two generation build out according to Monroe Partners. If Oracle goes to the East Bank, I highly suspect they will go on  the remaining 25 acre site. I think that is why there was a quick agreement all of the sudden from the mayors office.

My guess is there will be a Oracle announcement coming soon for the 25 acre site.

The NBJ does a good job of muddying the picture by trying to present to much information in a much too wordy manor. I watched the community meeting long before the NBJ knew it was there. The maps presented show clearly who is doing what.

[MLBrumby]

Thanks for the clarification. Somebody on another site had it reversed.

[smeagolsfree]

No worries. I think sometimes folks just do not read and it happens to me but I put this crap on the map and I am very familiar with who owns what. The renderings speak volumes too when you look at the Creekside Project.

[MLBrumby]

I actually wondered about that when I looked at your map after reading both the article and that comment. my COVID brain with little to no client interaction in person has made me easily confused. Turning 50 this year didn’t help. 

[BnaBreaker]

5 hours ago, henburg said:

I agree with keeping Top Golf there, it's super fun and this development is practically going to shield it from view anyways. It's proximity is an asset and helps further the idea of the East Bank as an entertainment district.

I mean I agree that it's a lot of fun, and I'm glad they're in Nashville, but I just think an oddly angled golf driving range with a giant parking lot the size of some neighborhoods is a crazy inefficient usage of space in an area that we'll be trying to develop as an urban district in the not too distant future.   But I'm probably jumping the gun since there's nothing over there yet.  I suppose we cross that bridge when we get to it, which may still be quite a ways off.

Edited December 19, 2020 by BnaBreaker

[MLBrumby]

Good gosh.. the Tennessean is such a s#!++¥ newspaper for any size city. They get this ‘scoop’ two days late and can’t even send someone out the door to snap a current picture of their own city... unless those folks are now in Knoxville too. 
Anyway... from Emily West.... https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/2020/12/20/nashville-cumberland-river-east-bank-improvement-project/3982111001/

[smeagolsfree]

They have a very good staff photographer too.

[markhollin]

Some more detail on the $20 million infrastructure agreement between the city and Monroe Development:

Monroe has agreed to cover 34% — or $7.1 million — of the $20.9 million of infrastructure work that is planned, a contribution that was not originally envisioned when Metro approved the funding in 2018. Metro will reimburse Monroe Investment for the remaining $13.8 million. Monroe Investment is on the hook for any costs beyond the total $20.9 million mark.

Also new is the intended creation of a central business improvement district for those 40 acres, akin to districts that cover the Gulch and downtown. It would mean property owners would pay a surcharge on their taxes that could be devoted to any number of uses within that designated area, from landscaping and street cleaning to public safety, marketing and economic development efforts.

Monroe is contributing 4 acres to Metro for an extension of the Greenway trail, as well as 5.5 acres for roads, sidewalks and right-of-way.

The roadwork includes a 96-foot-wide boulevard connecting to Cowan Street, including sidewalks, bike lanes and a median.

The agreement requires Metro Council approval. The council typically vets bills over three consecutive meetings, taking a final vote at that third session.

The River North agreement appears on track to first appear on Metro Council's Jan. 5 meeting agenda, which could mean the council will take a final vote as early as February.

More at NBJ here:

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2020/12/18/cooper-river-north-infrastructure-east-bank.html

[markhollin]

More details about the 3rd and final Feb. 2nd vote for Metro Council on infrastructure funs for the River North Landings. 

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2021/01/21/river-north-participation-agreement-infrastructure.html?cx_testId=40&cx_testVariant=cx_34&cx_artPos=0#cxrecs_s

Also some new renderings:

 

[MLBrumby]

Is the rezoning for the apartments only or the whole shebang in anticipation of Oracle?  EDIT: I see now it's for actual funds. Thanks!

So will the apartments be starting in a few weeks? 

Edited January 21, 2021 by MLBrumby

[downtownresident]

16 minutes ago, MLBrumby said:

Is the rezoning for the apartments only or the whole shebang in anticipation of Oracle?  EDIT: I see now it's for actual funds. Thanks!

So will the apartments be starting in a few weeks? 

They’ve already started some of the grading work. I’d imagine the roads need to be built before they can start on the apartments/office space. 
 

Interesting quote from the mayors office: 

"The mayor is in fact most emphatically making this deal better," said Mike Jameson, Cooper's director of legislative affairs, during the council meeting. "Not every capital spending plan results in the luring of major corporations, but when those opportunities present themselves, we have to do the best we can to avail ourselves of those opportunities."

[bnacincy]

"Infrastructure funs"? You betcha!!

[DDIG]

Oracle deal is done seems to me they are making sure council doesn’t screw with the infrastructure deal before announcing it.

[MLBrumby]

Read that Steve Glover is in favor of the deal. However he's doing backbends trying to make it clear that it's state money and it was already allocated to infrastructure. 

Nashville Officials Debate Project That Would Attract Technology Company Oracle, Create New Jobs - Tennessee Star

[smeagolsfree]

Infrastructure agreement passes on 3rd and final reading, 39-1.

[markhollin]

Metro Council gave final approval to a nearly $14 million infrastructure improvement deal for the first phase of River North's development. In 2018 they had approved $21 million,  but it was downgraded due to the new mayor, and Monroe Investment Partners (the developer) will kick in the remaining $7 million.  A surcharge on the development's taxes in the coming years will eventually pay back the city's contribution. The work should begin within 90 days according to the agreement. 

There will be another East Bank planning meeting on Thursday Mayor John Cooper’s office, the Tennessee Titans, and Council members Sean Parker and Brett Withers, who represent the area, are hosting.

More at the Nashville Post here:

https://www.nashvillepost.com/politics/metro-government/article/21145817/council-approves-river-north-infrastructure-deal

And at NBJ here:

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2021/02/03/river-north-funding-approved-construction-imminent.html?cx_testId=40&cx_testVariant=cx_34&cx_artPos=0#cxrecs_s

[nashville born]

[UrbanWes03]

While I feel Mayor Cooper’s outlook on incentives is a little intense, it’s pretty impressive that he pulled off getting Monroe to pay $7 million of the cost. 

[markhollin]

MRP Realty announces that their $250 million mixed-use project, The Landings at River North (650 apts, 83,000 sq. ft. office space, 85,000 sq. ft. retail),  will break ground by summer.  It should be finished by late 2023. 

Company officials have said they've raised all the needed equity, benefitting in part from the property's location in an Opportunity Zone, which entices investors with federal tax breaks.

No word yet on an Oracle hub being part of further development at River North, adjoining this project. 

More at NBJ here:

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2021/02/04/river-north-update.html?cx_testId=40&cx_testVariant=cx_34&cx_artPos=1#cxrecs_s

[smeagolsfree]

We pretty much already knew all of this from the public meeting last month.

[markhollin]

Feature in The Tennessean about work getting underway for River North:

https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2021/02/08/east-nashville-riverfront-development-gains-momentum-construction-major-projects-underway/4387727001/

[markhollin]

New renderings for The Landings at River North (Phase 1 and Phase 2). 

A bit more info on Phase 2: will consist of two 12 story office buildings and the pedestrian bridge across the Cumberland River to Germantown. 

More at NashvilleNowNext here:

https://nashvillenownext.com/2021/02/10/new-rendering-angles-of-river-north-provides-amazing-insight/

Phase 1:

Phase 2:

[smeagolsfree]

I am now ,at the suggestion of Bob, tweeting items like this with a link to the UP page. So our forum behavior is going to have to be top notch now. I think there will be a lot more readers  on the site.

Thanks for posting this promptly Mark!