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

[titanhog]

I wonder if they have any clients ready to build on their property...or any thoughts of immediately building any spec space?  I'm sure they're probably just prepping the site for potential developers to see...but maybe they already have something planned?

[smeagolsfree]

This is the very start of the project and a lot has to be done first. They could be n talk, but all the infrastructure work has to be done and probably a lot of zoning changes as well. There is talk about putting the area under the Downtown Code zoning to allow more height.

When I say infrastructure, it is pretty much everything from scratch, new water, sewer, storm sewer, roads, curbs, sidewalks, flood control, electric, fiber optic, etc, etc. A very expensive project.

[titanhog]

5 minutes ago, smeagolsfree said:

This is the very start of the project and a lot has to be done first. They could be n talk, but all the infrastructure work has to be done and probably a lot of zoning changes as well. There is talk about putting the area under the Downtown Code zoning to allow more height.

When I say infrastructure, it is pretty much everything from scratch, new water, sewer, storm sewer, roads, curbs, sidewalks, flood control, electric, fiber optic, etc, etc. A very expensive project.

Well...if they go ahead and put all of that work and $$ into infrastructure, I've got to believe they have some serious signs this venture will be successful in the end.

[markhollin]

New diagram of the first phase of Landings at River North released:

http://www.nashvillepost.com/business/development/article/20865189/real-estate-notes-image-released-for-river-north-site-plan

 

[WebberThomas4]

 

[nashvylle]

I really think TopGolf missed an opportunity to not be facing downtown...

[markhollin]

 

[PruneTracy]

1 hour ago, nashvylle said:

I really think TopGolf missed an opportunity to not be facing downtown...

Patrons would be facing the setting sun if they were.

[NashvilleObserver]

2 hours ago, PruneTracy said:

Patrons would be facing the setting sun if they were.

 

[titanhog]

Love this image of DT from the above video.

[TheRaglander]

Wow great shot.  If this really does come to fruition, it's going to feel like two separate core downtowns.  Based on the scale, and how hard it is for some people to get anything built in Nashville, I have my doubts.  But I really hope this happens.

[samsonh]

18 minutes ago, TheRaglander said:

Wow great shot.  If this really does come to fruition, it's going to feel like two separate core downtowns.  Based on the scale, and how hard it is for some people to get anything built in Nashville, I have my doubts.  But I really hope this happens.

What do you mean how hard it is to get things built? Tons of things are being built. The city is super accommodating of development.

[TheRaglander]

5 minutes ago, samsonh said:

What do you mean how hard it is to get things built? Tons of things are being built. The city is super accommodating of development.

Well, let's see.  West End Summit.  The massive project on 2nd.  The tower in the gulch.  Virgin Hotel.  Office tower behind the JW Marriott.  Gulch Ped Bridge.  I am sure I am leaving some out.  (Sorry I forgot the specific names)

My comment has nothing to do with how accommodating the city is.  It's specific to the grand plans that get released and do not happen and/or are taking forever to get started.

...that's what I mean.

[samsonh]

4 minutes ago, TheRaglander said:

Well, let's see.  West End Summit.  The massive project on 2nd.  The tower in the gulch.  Virgin Hotel.  Office tower behind the JW Marriott.  Gulch Ped Bridge.  I am sure I am leaving some out.  (Sorry I forgot the specific names)

My comment has nothing to do with how accommodating the city is.  It's specific to the grand plans that get released and do not happen and/or are taking forever to get started.

...that's what I mean.

Ahh I see, well yes some plans always get nixed. That's the nature of development, it is certainly not unique to Nashville. This project has a super long time frame, and a couple years of infrastructure work most likely before building can even begin.

[TheRaglander]

Just now, samsonh said:

Ahh I see, well yes some plans always get nixed. That's the nature of development, it is certainly not unique to Nashville. This project has a super long time frame, and a couple years of infrastructure work most likely before building can even begin.

I am hoping my company picks one of these developments for their HQ campus.  Fingers crossed.

[nashvylle]

5 hours ago, PruneTracy said:

Patrons would be facing the setting sun if they were.

I understand but sunglasses is all that is needed. 

[NashRugger]

Part of the problem using the Turnberry office tower as an example is that they're specialty is residential and hotels, and also that 100% spec from a company with not much of a proven track record in office makes banks cringe. 

Few companies can do all spec, such as Hines.

[BnaBreaker]

In a really weird way, I kinda hope this River North project doesn't come to fruition.  At least not the sea of highrises version anyway.  I know saying something like that is blasphemy on a skyscraper message board, but there is still TONS of developable space in the core itself, and I think I'd prefer the majority of the highrise awesomeness be centralized there instead of a couple miles up river.

[titanhog]

31 minutes ago, BnaBreaker said:

In a really weird way, I kinda hope this River North project doesn't come to fruition.  At least not the sea of highrises version anyway.  I know saying something like that is blasphemy on a skyscraper message board, but there is still TONS of developable space in the core itself, and I think I'd prefer the majority of the highrise awesomeness be centralized there instead of a couple miles up river.

Yeah...it would be nice if our downtown was so packed that we HAD to start building at River North.

[Neigeville2]

I couldn't disagree more.  I don't think River North is going to take anything from the CBD, which is now reserved for luxury hotels, luxury condos and super expensive office space.  It's going to be cheaper and easier to build there. I see it as an alternative to Cool Springs for companies that can't justify being in the District but would like to attract a hipper employee base and public image.  It also takes dense development across the river which is a priority for me, and that isn't going to happen across from the CBD with a scrap metal plant and a square mile of surface parking.

And another thing, it seems to me that it would take some of the pressure off prices in the central business district and thereby contribute to its development, which may be being slowed by unreasonable asking prices for land.

Edited June 21, 2017 by Neigeville2

[AronG]

People holding out for a payday on their land does seem like it's serving as an unfortunate deterrent to more projects getting done. There is a solution though: Land value tax. Instead of calculating property taxes based on the value of buildings, base it on the unimproved value of the land. That way people who are sitting on underused prime real estate (cough beaman! cough) have to pay a disproportionate tax rate, encouraging them to sell it or develop it.

Anyway, for my money I agree that it seems strange to try to turn this area into another downtown core. It would make more sense to me if they were shooting for Germantown-level density. That said, if they can pull it off more power to them. In some ways it's not completely different from what Market Street did with the Gulch.

[Pyramid Scheme]

1 hour ago, AronG said:

People holding out for a payday on their land does seem like it's serving as an unfortunate deterrent to more projects getting done. There is a solution though: Land value tax. Instead of calculating property taxes based on the value of buildings, base it on the unimproved value of the land. That way people who are sitting on underused prime real estate (cough beaman! cough) have to pay a disproportionate tax rate, encouraging them to sell it or develop it.

Anyway, for my money I agree that it seems strange to try to turn this area into another downtown core. It would make more sense to me if they were shooting for Germantown-level density. That said, if they can pull it off more power to them. In some ways it's not completely different from what Market Street did with the Gulch.

That's right it doesn't make much sense, but their vision is admirable. And, it might make more sense than it appears, what with Dickerson Pike and Main's projected growth. Also, (this is probably from my own anti-authority tendencies), who say's CBD has to be the only place with tall buildings?

PS: Yeah yeah, infrastructure. Well, isn't the place kind of a blank slate?

Edited June 21, 2017 by Philip

[jmtunafish]

In my fantasty world, River North is developed as a residential area similar to Montreal's Pointe Nord, a largely residential development containing high-rise and low-rise multi family buildings along the Saint Lawrence River within earshot of downtown Montreal.  I'd love to see water taxis connecting River North to Nashville's downtown similar to Vancouver's SeaBus, but that's probably asking too much.

 

 

Edited June 21, 2017 by jmtunafish

[Nathan_in_DC]

It's funny you mention water taxis...they're used successfully in a number of cities, Baltimore and Washington come to mind. I have always thought that Nashville was ripe for a water taxi system. Regular runs, say every 30 minutes, between Opryland and Metro North with appropriate stops in between would likely be very heavily used, especially as CBD/SoBro/RMH density near the river increases. People driving in from the east could be encouraged to ride the river taxi to work if free parking was provided and fares were less than it costs to park for a day, freeing up space downtown.

[SoundScan]

Nashville had water taxis for a few years in the late 90's that shuttled tourists from the Opryland Hotel area to downtown and back.