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

[Guest]

This is an interesting shot (TENNESSEAN) from the corner of Church and 5th Ave. North.... the building of the Financial Center. 1984

[nashmoney]

This is an interesting shot (TENNESSEAN) from the corner of Church and 5th Ave. North.... the building of the Financial Center. 1984

 

Wow....didn't know that Dollar General Store has been there that long...30 years +

[Griz83]

This is an interesting shot (TENNESSEAN) from the corner of Church and 5th Ave. North.... the building of the Financial Center. 1984

 

Great shot!  Is that the old Cain Sloan building on the opposite corner, where the surface lot is now?

[donNdonelson2]

My recollection about the 5th Avenue Dollar General is that the one in the photo closed and a new (current) location was established after a number of years.  There was a Family Dollar Store on that street for a while in those years when Dollar General was absent.

 

Speaking of 5th Avenue (of the Arts) retail...anybody have any idea when that new location of Frothy Monkey will open?  It's taking FOREVER!

[Paramount747]

I vaguely remember this as I was away at college when this was happening. I remember the Renaissance Hotel being built after this, but I never went to downtown Nashville during the time this building was being constructed.

[nashmoney]

Speaking of 5th Ave of the Arts, I thought this was pretty cool what they did with Fashion week, having the runway down the middle of 5th Ave. Glad the lights aren't twisted and tangled like they were when they first installed them

 

From the Tennessean

 

[MidTenn1]

Great shot!  Is that the old Cain Sloan building on the opposite corner, where the surface lot is now?

 

The original proposal...

 

[bwithers1]

I am inclined to think that would be the area as well.

What about Wedgewood Houston?  They have lots of buildings that were originally designed for this sort of manufacturing.  That area already has a lot of available land with the proper zoning already in place.

[MLBrumby]

Yes... that's the old Cain Sloan department store... mid-century modern.  Don't you think that surface lot is an improvement? Tony Giarratana demolished that and the old Tennessee Theatre (the latter was before "my time", but I've seen pictures of the huge marquee and some interiors).  It was a great building, replaced by the ever-so-bland Cumberland. I remain skeptical, but if Tony Giarratana ever gets his tower out of the ground, it would only go part of the way in replacing what he's destroyed.

[captainwjm]

the old Tennessee Theatre (the latter was before "my time", but I've seen pictures of the huge marquee and some interiors).  It was a great building,

Maybe in its day, but at the time it was demolished, it was a homeless haven, boarded up and falling down. I remember vividly the sign that was in what was the old ticket window, "Warning, this building protected by a pit-bull with AIDS."  Too bad that it got in that condition, but don't blame the guy who tore it down.

[fieldmarshaldj]

The demolition of the Tennessee Theater and Sudekum Building were terrible. That we didn't save so much as one of our old downtown theaters is inexcusable. We stand almost alone as a major city without a restored theater.

[Paramount747]

The Tennessee Theater was so full of asbestos, it was not worth saving, especially since it had been a porno theater for decades. The Cain Sloan Building was not in better shape either. The architecture not withstanding, The Cumberland has served its purpose well and put a lot of people back on downtown streets.

[fieldmarshaldj]

^I don't remember it being a porno theater. I saw "The Black Stallion" (which although sounds like a porno, is a children's film) there back in 1979. I don't believe it was open that much longer after that.

[GreenHillsBoy]

The Tennessee Theater was never a porno theater.  It was a great art deco building and should have been restored.  In my opinion it was the best of all of the downtown theaters.

[Paramount747]

Yes, it was a porn theater. One of the last films they showed there was "Looking for Dr. Goodsex." Darlene's cakes was in the building for awhile after the porn theater closed. All one has to do is go through sources like the Tennessean archives to see it was at one time a porn theater.

 

In any case, if GHB does not believe me, so be it.

 

However, if I am thinking of another theater on Church Street I could be wrong, but my wife used to work downtown in the 1970's and she used to shop on Church Street and at that time it was a porn theater. She remembers seeing the Marque advertising adult films.

 

I remember the Dr Goodsex poster in the window in 1977 or 1978. I made a joke to a friend in high school that I could not believe they sold hot dogs in a porn theater!

 

 

From the web:  

• The Tennessee Theatre opened in 1928. ... Nashville, TN, State Theatre .... being converted into a porno theatre (the Paris XXX Adult Entertainment Center).

   
• I really liked this theatre design, as all of the theatres had large screens. ... located onChurch Street and there was an adult XXX 35 mm theatre right down the ...Nashville's intolerance for such things – one of the theaters had porn side by side ...

Edited April 7, 2014 by Urban Architecture

[captainwjm]

 

However, if I am thinking of another theater on Church Street

there was another theater on Church which was also abandoned. It was torn down for Church Street Center, which itself was demolished for the curent Main Library building. another improvement to downtown.

[smeagolsfree]

Site plan for Fountains of Germantown released.

 

http://nashvillepost.com/blogs/postbusiness/2014/4/7/site_plan_shows_positioning_of_proposed_fountains_germantown

[smeagolsfree]

 

Yes, it was a porn theater. One of the last films they showed there was "Looking for Dr. Goodsex." Darlene's cakes was in the building for awhile after the porn theater closed. All one has to do is go through sources like the Tennessean archives to see it was at one time a porn theater.

 

In any case, if GHB does not believe me, so be it.

 

However, if I am thinking of another theater on Church Street I could be wrong, but my wife used to work downtown in the 1970's and she used to shop on Church Street and at that time it was a porn theater. She remembers seeing the Marque advertising adult films.

 

I remember the Dr Goodsex poster in the window in 1977 or 1978. I made a joke to a friend in high school that I could not believe they sold hot dogs in a porn theater!

 

 

From the web:  

• The Tennessee Theatre opened in 1928. ... Nashville, TN, State Theatre .... being converted into a porno theatre (the Paris XXX Adult Entertainment Center).

   
• I really liked this theatre design, as all of the theatres had large screens. ... located onChurch Street and there was an adult XXX 35 mm theatre right down the ...Nashville's intolerance for such things – one of the theaters had porn side by side ...

 

I would bet that Debbie Does Dallas was something on the big screen.

[bhibbs]

Site plan for Fountains of Germantown released.

 

http://nashvillepost.com/blogs/postbusiness/2014/4/7/site_plan_shows_positioning_of_proposed_fountains_germantown

 

would certainly be a welcome addition, hopefully the proposed "beer garden" at the corner of 4th and Van Buren gets going soon as well...btoh project would really change that area.

[fieldmarshaldj]

^Come to think of it, I believe John is correct. The theater I saw "Stallion" in was, I believe, the one that was located on the site of the library. There were 3 theaters on the street by the late '70s/early '80s. The Tennessee Theater, the Princess (next to the L&C, now the Viridian), and the former Loew's on the site of the library (I don't know what the name was by the early '80s). There was also the Paramount further west on Church before 8th (which I believe you can see the demolished outline of along the east side of the state building, which used to be the old Sears before it moved into what is now the Union Mission), but I believe that had closed before that period.

Yes, it was a porn theater. One of the last films they showed there was "Looking for Dr. Goodsex." Darlene's cakes was in the building for awhile after the porn theater closed. All one has to do is go through sources like the Tennessean archives to see it was at one time a porn theater.

That would be "Looking for Mr. Goodsex", which would date it to 1985. "Mr. Goodsex", of course, was played by none other than the legendary John Holmes.

[UTgrad09]

Site plan for Fountains of Germantown released.

 

http://nashvillepost.com/blogs/postbusiness/2014/4/7/site_plan_shows_positioning_of_proposed_fountains_germantown

 

Is that the one with the ~10' hill/"bluff" on the NE corner that we walked by during our Germantown meet?

[smeagolsfree]

Is that the one with the ~10' hill/"bluff" on the NE corner that we walked by during our Germantown meet?

That is the one. I did not realize the strip in the middle of the block was part of the deal. This is the part that is on the West side of the alley that will fron 4th Ave.

[smeagolsfree]

Apartment building planned for the Stockyard restaurant site. Didn't see it coming, but frankly not surprised. My only gripe is that it looks as if we will lose another pre-WWII building.

 

http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2014/04/07/apartments-planned-for-stock-yard-restaurant-site/7441939/

[MLBrumby]

My thoughts exactly... with all the parking lots around that building, is it really necessary to destroy a historic structure?  And it truly is historic.  It was the administrative offices of the Nashville stockyards that used to spread out just to the south and west of this building. It was the reason for the packing plants that sprang up around that area... the basis of employment for the residents around there (not coincidentally, many descendants of the original German settlers that gave the area its name).  This would seem to be an "endangered" building from the Historical Society.  I even remember eating there a couple of times... that basement bar was interesting.  What I'm really concerned about is that this developer demolishes the building (that would be a tragedy in itself) and then doesn't have the building ready to build.  Then it sits vacant for years... and ultimately becomes  a car park... a'la Alex Palmer and Lake Palmer.

Edited April 8, 2014 by MLBrumby

[CenterHill]

Stopped in Crema this morning and noticed a survey crew and core drilling rig on site at the NE corner of Rutledge St. and Lea Ave.     I believe there are apartments proposed for this site.    Currently a vacant lot.        

Edited April 8, 2014 by CenterHill