Inner Loop - CBD, Downtown, East Bank, Germantown, Gulch, Rutledge

[AsianintheNations]

7 hours ago, titanhog said:

The one thing this shows me is how interstates can totally change a city…for good and bad.  It’s really like someone 60+ years ago said, “Ya know, we’d like all of this area to be considered downtown one day…to split up this neighborhood and this neighborhood.  Just build these interstates in a loop right here and eventually, we’ll have it,"

I couldn't help but laugh at the timing with this new combined thread being renamed to exactly match the CoStar downtown map

[smeagolsfree]

9 hours ago, AsianintheNations said:

I couldn't help but laugh at the timing with this new combined thread being renamed to exactly match the CoStar downtown map

You must have been in the Twilight Zone with Daniel. He has had this in mind for a bit when I sent the email to the Mods before I wen to NYC. I think a number of the changes have been brewing in his mind for a while and we just had our meeting last night, but it made 100% sense to us.

When I first made the threads a number of years ago, we were not having as much growth  and  was sort of easy to keep up with it all. Now we have had to shrink things because Nashville is out of control as far as growth and this sort of simplifies matters. I don't think any of us could have realized or predicted what  or how fast things would have changed in such a short period of time. 

To see SoBro, grow into the CBD and it grow into the Gulch in a short period is an amazing transition. Now we are about to see the East Bank explode beyond what we could have ever imagined as we thought it would take 40 years and that will probably be reduced to less than half that time and to be included in the downtown area is now natural. The East Bank was so tied to East Nashville for so long, we figured it would always be that way, but now that area will be closely tied to downtown.

[markhollin]

The .9 acre parcel that features a 22,900 sq. ft. warehouse at 616 Ewing Ave. has been offered up for sale with a $9.2 million asking price.  The structure is non-historical and was built in 1960. Flavor Catering, which is operated by the property's current owners, will relocate to Cockrill Bend. 

More behind the Nashville Post paywall here:

https://www.nashvillepost.com/business/development/pie-town-building-offered-for-9-2m/article_23e3fa40-e031-11eb-a0d3-0bf1cf62b6f5.html

[Luvemtall]

13 hours ago, PaulChinetti said:

Maybe they mean the NES building itself, it could make an interesting base to a building. 

Right!!! There’s definitely enough parking lots around it to build a couple/few towers and reuse and incorporate this into the plans!! 

[Bos2Nash]

Gonna break down a couple responses here...

22 hours ago, downtownresident said:

- Pending the redevelopment of any property adjacent to Hynes Street(this is referring to the NES land), the land use policy should be amended to T6 DN (if not already), and Hynes Street Right‐of‐Way shall be rededicated to Metro and reopened for public use. Alleys shall be built in accordance with the Downtown Community Plan.

I think this would be great if they opened it as a pedestrian lane only.  Keep the vehicles moving down to Charlotte/MLK for 11th and 12th Ave access. See the mobility hub comment below.

23 hours ago, downtownresident said:

Property owners and Metro departments should work together to secure a historic designation for any eligible properties in the Mid‐Gulch area. The Historic Preservation Bonus Height Program can be adjusted so that the number of square feet of bonus height earned by preserving an eligible property within the Mid‐Gulch area shall be ten times that of the number of square feet preserved. Other buildings that contribute to the industrial character of the Mid‐Gulch area may be eligible to be preserved through the Historic Preservation Bonus Height Program at this same rate.

There isn't a ton of historical character between Broadway and Charlotte/MLK. There are three buildings that I believe could help maintain the industrial character of the area. One is Pins Mechanical (blue circle below). There is another warehouse style building directly across the street from Pins and then the NES Building (which is very beautiful). Other than that I think the remaining buildings (that haven't been re-developed) are not really worth saving.

23 hours ago, downtownresident said:

- Any new development, or redevelopment along a property line that fronts George L. Davis Boulevard, between Broadway and Church Street, should be designed with active use pedestrian entrances, given the possibility that the interstate may be capped with a publicly accessible open space in the future.

This is great forethought on planning's part. In some respect it means at least the Planning Department is think a cap could be a realistic solution to stitch the city together. To me, for a pedestrianized George L. Davis (also had no idea that was the name of this stretch) to be successful along with a highway cap, TDOT will need to be willing to give up most of the ramps in this area. There has been countless idea and studies thrown around about capping the interstates – most notably to me from the Civic Design Center #1 and #2 – but one of the greatest successes of Boston's Big Dig is the improvement of Atlantic Ave and Purchase St that straddle the Rose Kennedy Greenway and one of the reasons it is so successful is because of the lack of interruption from vehicles. Giving up 8 (EIGHT!!) on/off ramps within this area, and keeping the surface roads at two or three lanes (three lanes at most even with turn lanes) could really spur a successful area. 

23 hours ago, downtownresident said:

- Section 4.2 ‐ The northbound and southbound approaches of 12th Avenue North at Grundy Street are currently offset by approximately 65 feet. Aligning this intersection would lead to improvements in traffic flow. Future developments proposed adjacent to the north side of this intersection should dedicate the Right‐of‐Way necessary for this alignment to happen. (a little late on that one, Metro Planning Department)

 Annnnd there is the planning that this board loves to see. What an absolute FAIL on planning's part here hahaha. Now we are at a point where when the buildings at the southeast corner of Grundy and 12th are redeveloped there will have to be a bit of roadway alignment (similar to Green Hill CVS). Grundy should maintain its current alignment, but 12th Ave should jog starting at Porter over to align correctly. This would create a new intersection at 12th and Porter and should provide a natural vehicle in/out point for any development on the red hatched area. The green hatched area would most likely be granted to the redevelopment of Music City Pizza building (the warehouse just north should remain) or possibly the developer of the red hatch purchases the building for demolition and creation of a central green space for a height increase. This would create a nice pocket park right in the middle of a bustling district.

23 hours ago, downtownresident said:

- Section 4.3 ‐ Any redevelopment of the property adjacent to the intersection of 11th Avenue North and Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Boulevard shall dedicate enough space for identified intersection reconfigurations to be made.

I would be curious to see what improvements proposed here. Especially with the inclusion of the Innovation Corridor and the desire for buildings fronting Charlotte to contribute to such a corridor.

23 hours ago, downtownresident said:

- Section 6.4 ‐ A shared mobility hub should be considered for the Gulch to enhance the travel experience of individuals who choose an active form of transportation. The hub should be open to the public and located on the ground‐level of a future development.

This would absolutely help the district succeed. As well as add to the success of Capital View and the Gulch.  I think this would pair very well with a pedestrianized version of Hynes Street that would connect a pedestrian friendly George L. Davis (and cap park) over to 12th Ave and 11th Ave. Multiple B-Cycle parking hubs, scooter parking, personal bike racks plus a corridor fully dedicated to people would be wildly successful in my opinion. Not to mention the retail and mural success that could come from it.

23 hours ago, downtownresident said:

- The Mid‐Gulch should be considered for a Business Improvement District designation, either by creating a new one specific to this neighborhood or by extending the existing Gulch Business Improvement District or the existing Central Business District.

I'd be interested in getting your thoughts on this @Mr_Bond. I don't know if it would adversely affect Gulch residents if this district got tied into the Gulch Business Improvement, because the added tax revenue for that district could be nice and expand certain partnerships to maintain all the way from Division to Charlotte. Obviously these improvement districts have worked well for Nashville (and we are getting another one with Oracle), but what would it hurt to encompass the Gulch, Capital View and this new district (Mid-Gulch sounds lazy to me) into the true CBD and have the area as a whole improved through the partnerships that have worked so far?

Thanks for sharing @downtownresident! Sorry for breaking that out into little snippets, but processing everything can be difficult and this was the best way I could coherently get thoughts out.

[smeagolsfree]

The brick building you have outlined in red is scheduled to come down I think for the Edition Hotel.

[Mr_Bond]

@Bos2Nash, I am attempting to rephrase your questions and give you my opinions.  And it is my opinion, not that of the GBID board.  In my answers, the phrase "The Gulch" means the area covered by the Gulch Business Improvement District (GBID).

Would adding the Mid-Gulch adversely affect Gulch residents who are currently benefiting from GBID's services?

As new buildings in The Gulch are completed over the next few years, they will start paying property taxes and GBID assessments, increasing revenue to provide services to the area around those buildings.  GBID's budget is healthy, we are providing the services as promised, and will be able to continue to do so.  Adding the Mid-Gulch properties and assessments to the GBID would probably not have a negative affect on our ability to provide services.

Expand certain partnerships to maintain all the way from Division to Charlotte.

I know your description of the GBID's area is not meant to be precise, but for other readers I will define it.  The GBID is bordered by Broadway, the railroad tracks and the interstate.  Now, on to your comment.  I think GBID has been extremely successful.  The Gulch is a neighborhood with a great reputation that is desirable for many homeowners, renters and tourists.  This reputation is partially built on the services provided by GBID and if those services were not there, real estate values would drop and residents would be less happy.  To the extent that the Mid-Gulch is using the name "Gulch" it is partially benefiting from GBID's services without paying for them.  Granted, they don't have extra trash pickup, ambassadors, graffiti removal, street light maintenance, etc., but they are next door to the streets that have these services.  The Planning Department is acknowledging that the Mid-Gulch will need these services.  I think the easiest solution is for GBID to expand to include the Mid-Gulch.  Perhaps we can drop "Mid-Gulch" and say that The Gulch is bordered by Charlotte, the tracks, and the interstate.

Combine the Gulch, Mid-Gulch and Central BIDs.

The company that provides services to GBID also provides them to CBID.  I cannot speak to the differences between the mandates of CBID and GBID.  In essence, there is a lot of overlap already.  By my lights, the needs of GBID is somewhat different from CBID.  However, the Gulch and Mid-Gulch probably have the same needs. 

[smeagolsfree]

Every Developer it seems has tried to say they were in the Gulch and expanding the boundaries of the Gulch. Now we have the North Gulch, East Gulch, and even the area where the Vorhees building is, is being called the Gulch.

There are even some that are calling stuff on the other side of I 40 the Gulch. It gets a little ridiculous with some of these real estate people trying to sell homes. 

its just I really don’t know what the real boundaries are!

[KJHburg]

1 hour ago, smeagolsfree said:

Every Developer it seems has tried to say they were in the Gulch and expanding the boundaries of the Gulch. Now we have the North Gulch, East Gulch, and even the area where the Vorhees building is, is being called the Gulch.

There are even some that are calling stuff on the other side of I 40 the Gulch. It gets a little ridiculous with some of these real estate people trying to sell homes. 

its just I really don’t know what the real boundaries are!

this kind of neighborhood name stretching is common in Charlotte.  We have Southend which keeps getting bigger and further from its original area.  We even have LoSo Lower Southend now that keeps moving further south.   We now have even overlay names of multiple areas like the Mill District which covers NoDa, Villa Heights and Belmont neighborhoods.  

Maybe an Inner Gulch, Outer Gulch and an Upper Gulch or a Lower Gulch.    When developers find a name that attracts people and buildings they latch on to it and spread it. 

[titanhog]

3 hours ago, smeagolsfree said:

Every Developer it seems has tried to say they were in the Gulch and expanding the boundaries of the Gulch. Now we have the North Gulch, East Gulch, and even the area where the Vorhees building is, is being called the Gulch.

There are even some that are calling stuff on the other side of I 40 the Gulch. It gets a little ridiculous with some of these real estate people trying to sell homes. 

its just I really don’t know what the real boundaries are!

It’s like Brentwood.  I swear, Brentwood stretches from Arkansas to North Carolina.  Brentioch?  What??  Brentville…Brentlin...

Btw…pretty sure my house in M’boro is considered to be “in the Gulch” 

[titanhog]

4 hours ago, Bos2Nash said:

 

 

5 years ago and earlier, I would have said to keep the 12th and Porter building and that “Ale House” across the street.  Kind of a cool, funky vibe to that area…and with Pins Mechanical opening up, I had the thought that maybe that would help (and I do believe there are tenants still trying to make that happen?).  However…if someone was able to come up with something nice in the location stretching from the Endeavor / Tennessean site structures to the new Gibson Residences that would help keep a kinda funky, cool “Gulch” vibe without just plopping down another 2-3 apartment complexes, that would be great…even with the street change you’re discussing.  I would hate for Pins Mechanical to be the only cool, funky place left between Broadway and Church.

[Bos2Nash]

Thank you for your insight @Mr_Bond! I like the idea of expanding the GBID up to Charlotte. Too many little districts could distract from a more cohesive city. Plus the highway cap up against a single neighborhood/district could be beneficial. 

[BnaBreaker]

4 hours ago, smeagolsfree said:

Every Developer it seems has tried to say they were in the Gulch and expanding the boundaries of the Gulch. Now we have the North Gulch, East Gulch, and even the area where the Vorhees building is, is being called the Gulch.

There are even some that are calling stuff on the other side of I 40 the Gulch. It gets a little ridiculous with some of these real estate people trying to sell homes. 

its just I really don’t know what the real boundaries are!

To avoid confusion maybe the South Gulch could be renamed 'Below the Gulch' or... Belch, for short.  What a glamorous address that would be!  

Edited July 10, 2021 by BnaBreaker

[titanhog]

3 minutes ago, BnaBreaker said:

To avoid confusion maybe the South Gulch could be renamed 'Below the Gulch' or... Belch, for short.  What a glamorous address that would be!  

Lower Gulch…call it “The Lurch"

[donNdonelson2]

26 minutes ago, BnaBreaker said:

To avoid confusion maybe the South Gulch could be renamed 'Below the Gulch' or... Belch, for short.  What a glamorous address that would be!  

Almost as sophisticated as saying “I’m proud to call Pie Town my home.” 

[titanhog]

8 minutes ago, donNdonelson2 said:

Almost as sophisticated as saying “I’m proud to call Pie Town my home.” 

You guys should change the name once a month to celebrate America’s pies.  January…Apple Pie Town.  May…Key Lime Pie Town.  October…Pumpkin Pie Town.  November…Pecan Pie Town.  You’d have visitors from all over.  Instead of the Woo Hoo girls…just pie ladies and their husbands.  Mid-60’s.  Recently retired.  Rotund. 

[donNdonelson2]

15 minutes ago, titanhog said:

You guys should change the name once a month to celebrate America’s pies.  January…Apple Pie Town.  May…Key Lime Pie Town.  October…Pumpkin Pie Town.  November…Pecan Pie Town.  You’d have visitors from all over.  Instead of the Woo Hoo girls…just pie ladies and their husbands.  Mid-60’s.  Recently retired.  Rotund. 

Sadly, there is no House of Pies in Pie Town.

[Baronakim]

11 hours ago, titanhog said:

5 years ago and earlier, I would have said to keep the 12th and Porter building and that “Ale House” across the street.  Kind of a cool, funky vibe to that area…and with Pins Mechanical opening up, I had the thought that maybe that would help (and I do believe there are tenants still trying to make that happen?).  However…if someone was able to come up with something nice in the location stretching from the Endeavor / Tennessean site structures to the new Gibson Residences that would help keep a kinda funky, cool “Gulch” vibe without just plopping down another 2-3 apartment complexes, that would be great…even with the street change you’re discussing.  I would hate for Pins Mechanical to be the only cool, funky place left between Broadway and Church.

The old 12th & Porter music venue is not coming back as far as I can tell.  The building was occupied as a field office  by the contactor for Asurion (JE Dunn).  The old bar and stage are gone and the building has been repainted a darker grey (ugly).  However a new use  as a meeting and entertainment  venue is planned  (from an April 12 Tennesseean article)  with a high tech wall projection system and renamed  Nightscape Visions.  I think I would have preferred it to be razed and made part of the Edition Hotel site, but perhaps the high tech use would be compatible with the new hotel.  Is this just a pipe dream?  They do have an active websites saying they will open towards the end of the year.

Edited July 10, 2021 by Baronakim

[Mr_Bond]

17 hours ago, smeagolsfree said:

Even the area where the Vorhees building is, is being called the Gulch.

That development is actually in "The Gulch"!  Broadway, railroad tracks, the interstate.  That's it.

12 hours ago, titanhog said:

Lower Gulch…call it “The Lurch"

I overheard someone call The Gulch "The Glutch."  That could be the Lower Gulch.

[markhollin]

3rd/4th Townhomes (3 stories, 18 units) in Germantown update: excavation underway.

Looking east from 4th AVe. North, 1/4 block south of Monroe St:

[markhollin]

Harvey Hotel (repurposing of former department store into boutique hotel) update.

Looking NE from intersection of 6th Ave. North and Church St:
 

[markhollin]

Three demolition permits totaling $21,000 have been issued to tear down structures at 1020 Jefferson St. to make way for a 4 story, 25 unit residential complex.  

More behind the Nashville Post paywall here:

https://www.nashvillepost.com/business/development/permit-patrol-12-july-2021/article_3d38d882-e0f2-11eb-bbef-9f1c319578dc.html

[markhollin]

Summary piece on The Nell (formerly Pie Town Condos) at Nashville Now Next here:

https://nashvillenownext.com/2021/07/12/video-post-new-mixed-use-development-introduces-new-condos-design-aesthetic-in-pie-town-nashville/

Video summary:
 

[smeagolsfree]

Mark, show me where the name is The Nell. I just do not see it anywhere and may be overlooking it. It is not on CA Souths web site either.

[markhollin]

2 hours ago, smeagolsfree said:

Mark, show me where the name is The Nell. I just do not see it anywhere and may be overlooking it. It is not on CA Souths web site either.

It was in an article from either The Post, NBJ, or The Tennessean that came out a month or so ago.  Now that the threads have been combined, I don't have time to go back and look for it.