Graduate Hotel, 12 stories, 2000 West End Ave., 203 rooms, 5,500 sq. ft. retail/restaurant, 7,500 sq. ft. conf. center

[markhollin]

Boutique Graduate Hotel planned for 2000-2006 West End Ave. on the NW corner of West End Ave. and 20th Ave. North (former location of Checkers Drive-In). The co-developer of Thompson Hotel in the Gulch, AJ Capital Partners of Chicago, paid $12.75 million in two purchases that make ip the for the 1.1 acre lot ($289 per square foot).  No renderings, specs, or start date yet. Based on sizes of other Graduate Hotels in similar scale markets, I estimate this will be around 12 stories and 200 rooms. 

http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2017/06/01/boutique-graduate-hotel-planned-west-end-retail-site/360393001/

Graduate Hotels national website:

http://graduatehotels.com/
 

Here are what some of the other Graduate Hotels look like. It appears that in some cases they refurbish existing properties.  In the Nashville case, they will build from scratch:

Berkeley, CA:

 

Tempe, AZ:

East Lansing, MI:

 

I would be excited if our design is akin to Berkeley, or Richmond, or Seattle.

[smeagolsfree]

Add this one to the list. E Lansing

 

http://eastlansinginfo.org/content/convexity-plan-now-includes-graduate-hotel-screened-parking

[titanhog]

Really like that Graduate design in Seattle.

[Nashtitans]

Hopefully we get one like Seattle and Berkeley, but knowing this city....not getting my hopes up.

[markhollin]

From today's Nashville Post:

The Chicago-based entity hoping to develop a Graduate-brand hotel on West End Avenue will go before the Metro Planning Commission on Thursday, Oct. 12, to seek final plat approval.

AJ Capital Partners recently paid $12.75 million for the 1.01-acre three-parcel site, which sits at the northwest corner of the intersection of 20th Avenue North and West End. The LLC has enlisted Nashville-based Ragan-Smith Associates to handle land-planning and engineering duties.

The parcels have addresses of 2000, 2004 and 2006 West End Ave. and are best recognized as home to a Taco Bell. They must be combined to allow for the development. The parcels are located across West End from The Cathedral and a half block from the northeast corner of the Vanderbilt University campus. AJ Capital Founder and CEO Ben Weprin is a VU graduate.

AJ Capital, which co-developed Thompson Nashville Hotel in The Gulch, created Graduate Nashville Owner LLC and Graduate Nashville TRS LLC for the purchase and development.

 

[markhollin]

From today's Nashville Post:

Chicago-based AJ Capital Partners plans to build a 203-room hotel at a prime West End Avenue corner near Vanderbilt University’s campus. The Business Journal reported Monday that the company, which helped develop the Thompson Hotel in The Gulch, is looking to start construction next year on the latest outpost of its Graduate Hotel brand. The project is expected to include a ground-floor restaurant as well as about 5,500 square feet of meeting space.

AJ officials earlier this year paid almost $13 million for the roughly one-acre site at West End and 20th avenues. Metro officials still need to approve the company’s plans.

Still no renderings.

[MidTenn1]

^^^ Sounds like about 14 floors? Eight floors of rooms at 25 per plus lobby level, meet rooms floor and 4 floors of parking. Or maybe 12.

[MLBrumby]

This has been denied the variance it sought with a reduction in parking spaces from 203 to 117. Seems a rather drastic drop. AJ Capital will try again next week (not stated if it will be with a modified request) but they claim the 203 requirement will bring "undue burden" on the project. Plans call for a 12-story building. Taco Bell on the site will close by the end of the year. 

http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/real-estate/2017/11/06/12-story-graduate-nashville-hotel-project-west-end-faces-setback/837187001/

[PruneTracy]

4 minutes ago, MLBrumby said:

Taco Bell on the site will close by the end of the year.

[donNdonelson2]

I stayed at the Graduate Hotel in Tempe,AZ (ASU) last week. It is an old hotel structure that was rehabbed for its new brand.  I found it to be stylish and interesting, but not awesome by any standard. Good niche market addition to our city’s hotel portfolio (if it happens when/if the parking variance is not approved).

[BnaBreaker]

This city still doesn't quite 'get it' entirely just yet if we're still denying permits for quality urban structures because it doesn't have "enough" parking.  This city is like 95% parking.  Can we stop obsessing over it yet?

[Nash_12South]

I wonder if the "117" spaces was a first play at the final number they really need. They come back with a 60 space reduction and look like heroes. 

I'll add that I just heard anecdotally, last week, that at least one downtown hotel has seen a significant drop in guests arriving with cars. Uber and Lyft are cheaper than a $50/day rental and $20/day parking fee.

[SoundScan]

11 hours ago, MLBrumby said:

This has been denied the variance it sought with a reduction in parking spaces from 203 to 117. Seems a rather drastic drop. AJ Capital will try again next week (not stated if it will be with a modified request) but they claim the 203 requirement will bring "undue burden" on the project. Plans call for a 12-story building. Taco Bell on the site will close by the end of the year. 

http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/real-estate/2017/11/06/12-story-graduate-nashville-hotel-project-west-end-faces-setback/837187001/

Only way they should approve is with a replacement Taco Bell on ground floor, otherwise I support denial of variance on the grounds that I will have to walk way too far for late night crunchwraps and chalupas.

[donNdonelson2]

Well, they DO have a taco joint in their Tempe location!

[AronG]

11 hours ago, BnaBreaker said:

This city still doesn't quite 'get it' entirely just yet if we're still denying permits for quality urban structures because it doesn't have "enough" parking.  This city is like 95% parking.  Can we stop obsessing over it yet?

This drives me crazy. Forcing developers to include structured parking that they don't want is *insane*. Anyone that gets financing for a significant project has a very keen awareness of how much parking they need.  Mandating that they build beyond that is just a magnet to encourage more cars onto the roads instead of using alternatives (uber, walk/bike, transit, etc.). It's like a giant tax on development, except nobody even gets to spend the money.

I thought at one point on some other thread somebody pointed out that nashville doesn't have parking minimums? Is this specific to one of the redevelopment zones?

[Nash_12South]

Nashville does have parking minimums. But building parking is expensive, especially underground, and can be ugly. Also a lot of business owners will make the employees park off site which creates it's own problems. 

[BnaBreaker]

2 hours ago, AronG said:

This drives me crazy. Forcing developers to include structured parking that they don't want is *insane*. Anyone that gets financing for a significant project has a very keen awareness of how much parking they need.  Mandating that they build beyond that is just a magnet to encourage more cars onto the roads instead of using alternatives (uber, walk/bike, transit, etc.). It's like a giant tax on development, except nobody even gets to spend the money.

I thought at one point on some other thread somebody pointed out that nashville doesn't have parking minimums? Is this specific to one of the redevelopment zones?

Spot on.  Very well said.

[samsonh]

2 hours ago, AronG said:

This drives me crazy. Forcing developers to include structured parking that they don't want is *insane*. Anyone that gets financing for a significant project has a very keen awareness of how much parking they need.  Mandating that they build beyond that is just a magnet to encourage more cars onto the roads instead of using alternatives (uber, walk/bike, transit, etc.). It's like a giant tax on development, except nobody even gets to spend the money.

I thought at one point on some other thread somebody pointed out that nashville doesn't have parking minimums? Is this specific to one of the redevelopment zones?

Show up and speak at the meeting if you feel strongly. 

[AronG]

The real issue is the code, not this specific development. I looked it up, and the last time this came up somebody pointed out that the downtown code (available at http://www.nashville.gov/Portals/0/SiteContent/Planning/docs/dtc/DTC_170928.pdf) specifically excludes parking requirements (on page 80):

Which I was surprised and impressed that they had the foresight to do. So I guess midtown isn't governed by this code. Which code includes the parking requirements?

[AronG]

So I guess this was overturned? See halfway down here: http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/real-estate/2017/11/17/east-nashville-blow-up-doll-deemed-not-obscene-no-strike/876802001/

Quote

In other business Thursday, the Board of Zoning Appeals also voted 4-2 to grant the developer planning the 12-story Graduate Nashville hotel on West End Avenue a variance from Metro's parking requirements. A previous 3-2 decision fell short of the four concurring votes Chicago-based AJ Capital needed to be allowed to have 117 parking spaces instead of the required 202.

Wonder what changed their mind?

[Pdt2f]

28 minutes ago, AronG said:

So I guess this was overturned? See halfway down here: http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/real-estate/2017/11/17/east-nashville-blow-up-doll-deemed-not-obscene-no-strike/876802001/

Wonder what changed their mind?

Perhaps the Graduate Hotel people sent their senior Vice President Mrs. Robinson to negotiate?

[donNdonelson2]

I met Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft) in 2003. She was so kind! RIP, dear Mrs. Mel Brooks.

[markhollin]

The former Checker's Hamburgers building is to be razed any day now, according to The Post.

[markhollin]

Checkers is gone and fencing up for that portion of the lot.  Taco Bell will be next to come down.  Not sure of a date for that, as it is still open for business.

 Looking SW along West End Ave. from intersection with 20th Ave:

 

Looking NW along 20th Ave. North from intersection with West End Ave:

[e-dub]

timetable on the taco bell coming down? i could have sworn i saw a sign that said they were hiring last weekend?