1601 Broadway (30 stories/316', 353 apts?, 6,000 sq. ft. retail/restaurant, 365 capacity internal garage)

[DDIG]

2 hours ago, markhollin said:

Specs of the Orbison complaint:

• The proposed development violates city rules designed to protect Music Row sight lines.
• The apartment complex's seven-story parking garage would block much of the Orbison building's natural light. 
• Scenic Investment's request for a special Music Row exemption to build a taller building would require a dedication to both music and historic preservation. According to Fleckenstein, "less than 1%" of the building is dedicated to music preservation, through an experimental sound lab, and none to historic preservation.
• The new building's plan would send traffic onto Oribson's property. 

 More behind The Tennessean paywall here:

https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2020/06/10/nashville-council-accepts-grant-church-street-park-makeover/5330988002/

 

The Orbison's music history is a fairy tale, right? It was acquired after he died and named the Orbison many more years after he died later in the 90s. It is office space. Do tours really stop to see that building? 

[Bos2Nash]

There is no alleyway here protecting these windows from another structure. The Orbison is a short, mid-rise building next to an auto dealership lot. They are fighting for sightlines that in order to be maintained, the parking lot next to the building would have to stay as parking lot. I agree that maybe some more music could be brought into the programming, but there is nothing of historical significance on the existing parcel so there is nothing to maintain.

Now, if the Music Row Overlay has language about historical expression of the exterior facade, I could get on board with that to bring some of that language into the development. Looking at what just got built over at the Graduate Hotel and even the Aertson residential/hotel building came out really nice are great examples of looking for high design and high execution of design.

Looking at the historical parcels around the site (blue outline), the Orbison building is considered "Worthy of Conservation", but not actually protected under historical guidelines. The site itself has nothing of historical on it and somehow the Beaman auto group has a "Worthy of Conservation" label on their property (WHAT?!?! HOW??).

If we are being honest, the Orbison's days are probably numbered. With the development popping up around it, the open land will fill in and this building will be bought up for redevelopment. From an urban and architectural perspective there is literally nothing about his building that is worth preserving. History made have happened in the building, but that history can be programmed into a new building down the road. If the building brought character to the neighborhood or had some great curb appeal it would be different. It kinda blows my mind that the entire building's orientation is over a parking lot. It appears that the building was renovated to have those windows placed on the eastern face, can anyone confirm that?

[Nash_12South]

It's a safe bet that the building had a long gone neighbor and the windows were added after that building was torn down.

[nashvylle]

34 minutes ago, Bos2Nash said:

are these sides stairwells? If not, just enlarge the STREET facing windows!!! 

[MLBrumby]

I'm about 85-90% certain there were no windows on the DT side of that building but were added sometime around when I was at Vandy, circa 1988-92. I seem to recall an elevator shaft being added. It used to be a warehouse with very few windows. 

[CenterHill]

38 minutes ago, Bos2Nash said:

If we are being honest, the Orbison's days are probably numbered. With the development popping up around it, the open land will fill in and this building will be bought up for redevelopment. From an urban and architectural perspective there is literally nothing about his building that is worth preserving. History made have happened in the building, but that history can be programmed into a new building down the road. If the building brought character to the neighborhood or had some great curb appeal it would be different. It kinda blows my mind that the entire building's orientation is over a parking lot. It appears that the building was renovated to have those windows placed on the eastern face, can anyone confirm that?

 

Except that history didn't happen in the Orbison building, at least nothing that Roy Orbison himself did there.    After Roy's death, his wife, Barbara, purchased the building in the 90's and used it to manage his estate and market his legacy.   The building was originally constructed as a storage facility and the east-facing facade was a blank wall (due to other buildings that I believe flanked its east side before being torn down for Beaman's parking lot).    Barbara sunk money into the building to add the east facing windows and redesign it for office space.    All worthy and admirable, but nothing guaranteed her that someday the Beaman lot would not be developed.        

[ArchitectBarbie]

46 minutes ago, Bos2Nash said:

...and somehow the Beaman auto group has a "Worthy of Conservation" label on their property (WHAT?!?! HOW??).

 

The only interesting thing on the Beaman site is the Beaman Pontiac / Motor Co. Neon sign. 

[donNdonelson2]

6 hours ago, ArchitectBarbie said:

The only interesting thing on the Beaman site is the Beaman Pontiac / Motor Co. Neon sign. 

The corner of Broadway and 16th was home to Cumberland Dodge, which was the very first Dodge dealership. Photo is a screenshot from a Google books online search. (I was thinking that I remembered this being the case, but it took a few minutes of searching to confirm this obscure fact.) Second image from historic Nashville page in Wordpress.com

Two more photos added from Google Maps street view that show historic detail that was not covered by facade alterations in recent years. Love the wheel and springs on the column’s capital.

Edited June 11, 2020 by donNdonelson2
More photos

[DDIG]

Looks like the article was updated by Tennessean with rebuttals from the developer: https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2020/06/10/music-row-apartment-development-orbison-building/3143728001/

[markhollin]

Scenic Investments and the Orbison Building folks have brokered a deal in their dispute about the new structure being built too close.  There will now be a 15 foot gap (triple from the previous design) that will create space for a private park accessible to tenants in both buildings.  The Orbison team has agreed to these terms and will no longer object to the 27 story building getting underway.

Moe behind the NBJ paywall here:

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2020/06/17/scenic-tower-orbison-building-dispute-resolved.html?iana=hpmvp_nsh_news_headline

[markhollin]

The Metro Planning Commission approved the height modification for the 27 story tower and now Scenic Investments will finish the purchase of the site, with a 2021 groundbreaking being eyed.  

More behind the Nashville Post paywall here:

https://www.nashvillepost.com/business/development/article/21138772/groundbreaking-set-for-2021-for-midtown-tower

[markhollin]

Scenic Investments has finalized the purchase of 1601, 1605, and 1607 Broadway for $11 million. At. 78 acres, it works out to $378 per sq. ft. 

More behind the Nashville Post paywall here:

https://www.nashvillepost.com/business/development/article/21143558/midtown-split-site-eyed-for-tower-sells-for-11m

[MLBrumby]

How many acres does Beaman have across the street?  Did I hear correctly that it's 15 acres? Geesh!!!!

[smeagolsfree]

I think it is just under 12 acres but closer to 11. That is according to the blue area outlined on the development map, but that includes streets which you have to subtract.

The property over on Hawkins is around 7 acres, so that is around 18 or so acres total.

[markhollin]

Fencing up around site.

Looking SW from intersection of Broadway and 16th Ave. South:
 

[smeagolsfree]

Next step is demo of the ugly building.

[downtownresident]

On 11/28/2020 at 12:51 PM, smeagolsfree said:

Next step is demo of the ugly building.

Speaking of which, demo permit has been applied for: 

https://epermits.nashville.gov/#/permit/3893069?searchCode=APN&page=1&searchText=09212049100&searchType=permit&orderBy=fullAddress ASC,permitNumber ASC

[smeagolsfree]

3 minutes ago, downtownresident said:

Speaking of which, demo permit has been applied for: 

https://epermits.nashville.gov/#/permit/3893069?searchCode=APN&page=1&searchText=09212049100&searchType=permit&orderBy=fullAddress ASC,permitNumber ASC

Thanks Tyler.. Applied for but not issued so it must be coming soon!

[downtownresident]

Demo permit issued

https://epermits.nashville.gov/#/permit/3893069?searchCode=APN&page=1&searchText=09212049100&searchType=permit&orderBy=fullAddress ASC,permitNumber ASC

[smeagolsfree]

I saw and forgot to post. It will show in permit patrol. I have also been looking for a new rendering with no luck.

[markhollin]

The demo permit that downtownresident and smeagolsfree mentioned is valued at $14,500 and issued to Tiny's Construction to handle the razing of the former care dealership structure>

A mid-2021 groundbreaking is still scheduled.

More behind the Nashville Post paywall here:

https://www.nashvillepost.com/business/construction/article/21145094/permit-patrol-21-december-2020
 

[downtownresident]

I drove by and the building is for the most part down. Unable to take a picture. 

[downtownresident]

Snuck a picture through the fence. Ugly building is down! 

[markhollin]

Site scraped.

Looking east from alley between Broadway and Demonbreun, 1/2 block east of 17th Ave. South:

Looking north from alley between Broadway and Demonbreun, 1/2 block east of 17th Ave. South:

[nashville born]