Metro Supportive Housing/Homeless Center, 600 2nd Ave North, 5 stories, 88 units

[markhollin]

Metro's future Permanent Supportive Housing and Downtown Homeless Service Center appears to be moving forward at 505 2nd Ave. North, just across Gay St. from the new Criminal Justice Center.  The small lot will feature a multi-story structure (still no official height or renderings) that will include at least 100 permanent housing units, and a homeless service center that will feature on-site counseling, basic hygiene and health services, and case management and housing navigation.

Bell & Assoc. will serve as the contractor; Moody-Nolan as project architect, Catalyst for civil engineering; EMC, structural engineering; ICT, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering; SRMC, security consultants; and EDGE, landscape design.

More behind the Nashville Post paywall here:

https://www.nashvillepost.com/business/development/article/21088702/peabody-plaza-lands-major-tenant


Originally this was planned for 301 James Robertson Pkwy. as part of Tony Giarratana's deal the 65 story/660'-750' Paramount Tower at Church Street Park. Tony agreed to develop this to include some workforce housing in exchange for the park space on Church between 6th Ave. North and Capitol Blvd. 

Original story from a year ago:

https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2018/04/25/housing-service-center-homeless-planned-downtown-nashville/550199002/


More detail behind the paywall at Nashville Post:

https://www.nashvillepost.com/business/development/article/21002392/giarratana-targets-downtown-park-for-skyscraper#&gid=1&pid=2


Also, more behind the paywall at NBJ:

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2018/04/25/giarratana-eyes-condo-skyscraper-in-proposed-land.html


These were the renderings fro the James Robertson Parkway iteration:

 

This screen shote from Smeagolsfree's excellent development map shows the site highlighted in teal at the center of the frame:

[donNdonelson2]

I love it!

[Pdt2f]

Great use of that little plot of land! Pretty great location for whoever ends up living there, directly next to the bus terminal (especially if the transit referendum passes). Good to see some more density on the north side of downtown, and great to see another surface lot get better usage. 

[BnaBreaker]

Brilliant!  I absolutely LOVE smart and efficient usage of small, oddly shaped lots, because they do the important work of creating well organized spaces and promote a proper street wall.  I get almost as excited about projects like these as I do highrises!  I wish more developers would take the initiative and take the time to craft buildings that actually fit their lot.  We've had way too much of that over the years in Nashville, where a lazy developer will just put a rectangular building on an oblong lot and just fill in the gaps with blank walls or useless grassy patches.  

Edited April 25, 2018 by BnaBreaker

[henburg]

This looks great, makes use of an odd plot of land, serves a great cause, and helps Tony take the first steps toward building his legacy building! I love all of it! 

[Rockatansky]

I'm a bit confused. Is the housing workforce housing (for middle/lower income people) or housing for the (formerly) homeless?

[Neigeville2]

Only sad thing is losing Church St park, perfect location for a nice urban park, but it's been unusable for years now, so...  Hopefully this can get some needed services to people and create 2 very cool, densifying buildings.  This  homeless housing building is in a spot I hadn't even noticed, I literally never conceived of a building there.

[e-dub]

FAN-DAMN-TASTIC!!

[markhollin]

Critics decry cost and process for the $25 million plan involved in the 301 James project:

https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2018/04/30/nashville-affordable-housing-downtown-homeless-mayor-david-briley-tennessee/554003002/

[BnaBreaker]

Because of course they do.  

Now watch this be downgraded to a three story beige rectangle because it'll save taxpayers two pennies each.

Edited April 30, 2018 by BnaBreaker

[samsonh]

32 minutes ago, markhollin said:

Critics decry cost and process for the $25 million plan involved in the 301 James project:

https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2018/04/30/nashville-affordable-housing-downtown-homeless-mayor-david-briley-tennessee/554003002/

Critics being other developers that want money. I understand their frustration at not being able to use other vacant lots in town, and I think we should definitely look at using those lots to try to expand the supply of housing. 

[henburg]

If I understand the article correctly, their basic complaint is that ~100 units isn't enough and that we should be doing more with that amount of money. I can sympathize with the concern, but this situation reminds me a lot of the current MLS stadium deal where it seems that people mostly have issue with the city "giving" things to developers. To me, I'd like to see many more deals like these. Developers are going to build here regardless, so why not encourage them while also making sure that they return the favor to the city in some way? 100 new units obviously won't solve our homelessness issue, but it's a big step in the right direction. 

[BolaKnows]

I don't love the idea of housing right by that intersection because it gets so blocked up during evening rush hour on both sides.  Maybe this would be a good time to try to rework that traffic pattern so that people don't get run over.  Could car traffic be rerouted/prohibited leaving the stretch around the Music City Center only for bus traffic, at least at rush hour?  Otherwise, very cool plan.

[CandyAisles]

Not to split hairs here or anything but if there are 22 units per floor and 7 floors of housing, that's closer to 150 units not 100.

[NashvilleObserver]

3 hours ago, henburg said:

100 new units obviously won't solve our homelessness issue, but it's a big step in the right direction. 

I thought it was 100 units for workforce housing but then also a homeless assistance center? Are they providing housing to the homeless or to those who need affordable housing?

[henburg]

1 hour ago, NashvilleObserver said:

I thought it was 100 units for workforce housing but then also a homeless assistance center? Are they providing housing to the homeless or to those who need affordable housing?

After rereading it, it looks like you're right. That's my bad. 

[smeagolsfree]

I think that is a fuzzy line that no one seems to know the answer to. I have heard affordable and I have heard transitional. In my opinion it will be a mistake to do both in the same building. If I were looking for an apartment and I qualified for one there I do not want a homeless services center in the lobby of my building. The police will just have to move from the park to the building. All you are doing is moving the problem and nothing of this nature should be downtown period. 

If the rescue mission is not going to move from their current location, then why do they have that big ass parking lot at their property. Seems like a great place to build transitional housing with a homeless services center.

[markhollin]

Tony G. hits back at critics of this deal:

Giarratana offered an impassioned response during a May 1 panel discussion on the topic of affordable housing, hosted by The Phoenix Club of Nashville, a volunteer organization that targets its philanthropy to area youth and helping foster the next generation of business and civic leaders.

Giarratana began by citing The Pearl, a 50-unit apartment complex he opened in Midtown late last year with partner investor Mike Shmerling, who was also on the panel. The apartments are classified as workforce housing, which is generally defined as rents attainable for people making between 60 percent of the area median income to as much as that annual level (or even slightly above it). The Pearl, at 1717 Pearl St., is 80 percent leased, Giarratana said. The units are between 570 square feet to 1,127 square feet, with monthly rent starting at $995.

Giarratana said The Pearl is part of 250 such apartments he is actively pursuing — including the James Robertson Parkway building, a project Giarratana said would be announced May 2 targeted for veterans, and another one at an undisclosed location on Nolensville Pike.

Given the deficit of affordable and workforce housing in Nashville, "surely our 250 units are just a drop in the bucket," Giarratana said.

"Rather than seeking to criticize … why don't those people and those organizations do something?" Giarratana said. "People will pick on the building design or color or where the entrances are. 'We need more meetings and charrettes with Post-it notes.' There is so much need out there that to spend any time criticizing anybody for doing anything seems outrageous. There is so much need that anyone with a heart to do this ought to just get on with it. We should applaud the efforts of anyone working to solve this."

More behind the paywall at NBJ:

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2018/05/01/giarratana-defends-controversial-deal-for-metro.html?ana=twt

 

[markhollin]

Looking SW towards the site (with the Morris Memorial Building directly behind) from intersection of James Robertson Parkway and 3rd Ave. North:
 

[smeagolsfree]

I really doubt this will be done as Metro Council seemingly is wanting  a lot more for the Pocket Park. Like 10 x's the amount …. Good luck Metro. The property will be full of Homeless folks and dog crap forever. 

 

They need to look at this serious offer, to get rid of the problem they have there. 

 

Sorry Bret, but you are wrong here.

[fishsticks176]

I just had a conversation with the woman spearheading this project in Briley’s office. They’re planning to start public forums regarding this next month. She begged for anyone in support to attend, as most public input thus far has been in strong opposition (of course).

Also, it’s 100 units of permanent low-income housing for the formerly homeless, not transitional housing. However, they expect a decent amount of turnover as tenants move up and out.

[MetroTN]

Nashville needs this type of housing.

Sent from my Pixel 2 XL using Tapatalk

[markhollin]

Metro's future Permanent Supportive Housing and Downtown Homeless Service Center appears to be moving forward at 505 2nd Ave. North, just across Gay St. from the new Criminal Justice Center.  The small lot will feature a multi-story structure (still no official height or renderings) that will include at least 100 permanent housing units, and a homeless service center that will feature on-site counseling, basic hygiene and health services, and case management and housing navigation.

Bell & Assoc. will serve as the contractor; Moody-Nolan as project architect, Catalyst for civil engineering; EMC, structural engineering; ICT, mechanical, electrical, and plumbing engineering; SRMC, security consultants; and EDGE, landscape design.

More behind the Nashville Post paywall here:

https://www.nashvillepost.com/business/development/article/21088702/peabody-plaza-lands-major-tenant

This screen shot from Smeagolsfree's excellent development map shows the site highlighted in teal at the center of the frame:

[nashvylle]

Is this a different strategy than Nashville Rescue Mission?

 

 

[donNdonelson2]

41 minutes ago, nashvylle said:

Is this a different strategy than Nashville Rescue Mission?

 

 

Rescue Mission has NO permanent housing element, this will have 100 units of permanent housing.