Wedgewood Village (Merritt Mansion Development, 6.3 acres, eight 4-6 story buildings, 800,000 sq. ft. mixed-use)

[markhollin]

A.J. Capital Partners continues its massive investment into WeHo by announcing a huge 8 building project (ranging from 4 to 6 stories) totaling 800,000 sq. ft. of office, residential, and retail which will surround the Merritt Mansion (original portion started in 1799, and further built in 1840).  The historic home will actually be lifted and repositioned slightly on the site. 

Of the 800,000 sq. ft. of building space planned, so far office will take up 212,000 sq. ft, retail will take up 104,000 sq. ft, residential will occupy 265,000 sq. ft., parking will take 186,000 sq. ft. (450 spaces).  That leaves 33,000 sq. ft. that are not currently accounted for.

No word on the price tag, but I would estimate over $100 million. Schedule has not been released yet.

More behind the Nashville Post paywall here:

https://www.nashvillepost.com/business/development/article/21145706/majory-mixeduse-project-planned-for-weho

And at NBJ here:

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2021/01/29/weho-project-move-merrit-mansion.html?cx_testId=40&cx_testVariant=cx_34&cx_artPos=5#cxrecs_s
 

[smeagolsfree]

Thanks for getting this up Mark! I have worked my rear off on this one today.

It took a little figuring to see what they were going to do, but the mansion will be aligned so that Brown will look as if it will dead end into it, so they will be shifting it to the west I believe it is. Need to check my directions on that. Some of the old trees will be saved too.

The project will be in the two large blue blocks of the screen shot below.

There is another one coming for WeHo today too,. It is an expansion of a previously announced project.

[titanhog]

Really appreciate them saving the mansion and making it a part of the green space.  Fabulous idea and I wish more developers would think outside the box like this.

[Melrose]

Heard that maybe some of these renderings/concepts have changed a bit since the above?  

[smeagolsfree]

2 hours ago, Melrose said:

Heard that maybe some of these renderings/concepts have changed a bit since the above?  

Well, this is what they are presenting to planning and even though Uday was not quoted, he said everything was accurate.

[nashvylle]

The lawn around the house looks like a college campus, and I mean that in a great way. 

[UrbanWes03]

Really love that every building in this project has ground level retail! That’s one thing Nashville isn’t the greatest with IMO and I know it’s sometimes hard to pull off but I’m glad this project didn’t miss this opportunity

[titanhog]

WeHo is gonna end up being one of the coolest parts of Nashville.

[BnaBreaker]

Fantastic looking project.  This is really going to put We-Ho into hyper drive and totally transform it.  In a few years Nashville will be able to say that it has multiple legitimately urban neighborhoods in all directions from the core, which is something that most of it's peer cities cannot say. 

[thenorthchannel]

Why  dont yall move to the neighborhood?  We are a welcoming bunch!  When I moved from Five Points to We-Ho in early 2015 I had read NashvilleNext so I expected big things in the neighborhood, but I did not imagine all this.  SoHo House, soccer stadium, the Hines project, Merritt Mansion...  Gangbusters. 

[markhollin]

29 minutes ago, thenorthchannel said:

Why  dont yall move to the neighborhood?  We are a welcoming bunch!  When I moved from Five Points to We-Ho in early 2015 I had read NashvilleNext so I expected big things in the neighborhood, but I did not imagine all this.  SoHo House, soccer stadium, the Hines project, Merritt Mansion...  Gangbusters. 

I live just to the SW of you between 10th and 12th Aves. South....am looking forward to coming over to WeHo more and more as the years progress with all of these exciting projects.

I know the brand new Publix on 8th Ave. South is just a dozen or so blocks from the heart of WeHo...but I could see some grocery chain looking seriously at another grocery in that neighborhood in the next several years with all the density of residential projects going up.

[smeagolsfree]

I will have to say WeHo is turning into so much more than anything I could have imagined 5 years ago. AJ Capital and Hines look to be the ones steering the ship there. I do expect a lot more to happen as the stadium and the Race track evolve. Exciting times and I sure do not miss the SOF group.

[UrbanWes03]

3 minutes ago, markhollin said:

I live just to the SW of you between 10th and 12th Aves. South....am looking forward to coming over to WeHo more and more as the years progress with all of these exciting projects.

I know the brand new Publix on 8th Ave. South is just a dozen or so blocks from the heart of WeHo...but I could see some grocery chain looking seriously at another grocery in that neighborhood in the next several years with all the density of residential projects going up.

I really hope Nashville gains an urban Target soon. I’ve heard they are picky and hard to get but I think WeHo could be real candidate for one considering the soccer stadium and race track are there and that a lot of the new developments WeHo is getting consistently have ground level retail/commercial space which should help draw a lot of people in from both in and outside the neighborhood. Either way really excited for WeHo and the potential it holds for the future. Fingers crossed!

[Jamie Hall]

On 1/29/2021 at 6:29 PM, UrbanWes03 said:

I really hope Nashville gains an urban Target soon. 

Yep, I've been banging this drum for a while, too. There a few neighborhoods in Nashville that seem prime locations for an urban-style Target. I'm a little surprised it hasn't already happened.

[markhollin]

This project is in limbo now. 

Metro Councilmember Colby Sledge, in whose District 17 the property sits, told the Post Tuesday he received an email from the company president Friday morning noting A.J. Capital would no longer be negotiating with the neighborhood organization, South Nashville Action Partners (SNAP).

“So I informed them I would be withdrawing their rezoning application,” Sledge said.

A.J. Capital had been slated to appear before the Metro Council on May 4 for a second reading and public hearing related to the rezoning needed for the project — to offer residential, retail and office space and to include the Merritt Mansion being physically repositioned on the site.

Sledge said an A.J. Capital representative reached out with him this past weekend, noting the company would attempt to resume dialogue with SNAP.

“But, I made sure the practical effect of the zoning application withdrawal is that it kills their rezoning,” he said. “And that the company would have to restart the entire zoning application process.”

Sledge said A.J. Capital had been seeking a comprehensive rezoning that would have allowed a significant amount of mixed-use space, primarily commercial and retail.

“So now, at least for the short term, that's not going to happen,” he said. “And if they want to re-engage with the neighborhood, there's going to be a whole new set of parameters regarding that. That's where things stand right now.”

More behind the Nashville Post paywall here:

https://www.nashvillepost.com/business/development/weho-project-involving-mansion-faces-uncertainty/article_3882f04c-a77d-11eb-9a69-afc71d41b5a8.html

[downtownresident]

I wonder what the full story is here. If I’m remembering correctly, the WeHo neighborhood groups were supportive of the project and re-zoning. 
 

Without context, this seems short sited on both AJ Capital, and councilman Sledge’s end. 

[DMilner]

I had work and missed the SNAP meeting about this project, but I do believe this is because SNAP/residents and AJ had disagreements during said meeting. What I’ve heard so far is affordable housing was a main sticking point. Poking around for some answers. 

Edited April 28, 2021 by DMilner

[smeagolsfree]

AJ is not wanting to work with SNAP and Colby is pulling his support. That is what it boils down to. It seems to be a tit for tat. This is all hear say!!!!!!!

Below is my impression of the public persona of AJ Cap.

Pretty much the same thing with the Exit/In. AJ is not communicating with anyone effectively and it is seemingly their way or the highway. They do not do good it seems when communicating with the public and the media to get their side of the story out so they always end up looking like the bad boy. They have not done a good job either with the local TV stations communicating they are a local company now instead of a Chicago based company.

I do not know who they use for PR, but I would surely fire them and hire a new person or company.

[Melrose]

On 4/28/2021 at 6:56 AM, smeagolsfree said:

AJ is not wanting to work with SNAP and Colby is pulling his support. That is what it boils down to. It seems to be a tit for tat. This is all hear say!!!!!!!

Below is my impression of the public persona of AJ Cap.

Pretty much the same thing with the Exit/In. AJ is not communicating with anyone effectively and it is seemingly their way or the highway. They do not do good it seems when communicating with the public and the media to get their side of the story out so they always end up looking like the bad boy. They have not done a good job either with the local TV stations communicating they are a local company now instead of a Chicago based company.

I do not know who they use for PR, but I would surely fire them and hire a new person or company.

Agree completely with this impression.  Having attended a couple different public forums with AJ, they really lack some common sense about how to cultivate public support.  For example, at a neighborhood forum about the Soho House/May Hosiery project,  there were a couple particular questions from the neighborhood where AJ could have responded immediately with "yes's", these would have been low hanging fruit commitments that would have cost them no money and little effort to meet.  (And to be fair to AJ,  this was as to just a few questions, certainly not all, there were definitely some oddball asks as there always are in community meetings).   But they couldn't even clear that bar,  there was tons of equivocation.  I've also heard rumblings that AJ's manner has even rubbed some of the other neighborhood business owners the wrong way.

If you just look around Wedgewood-Houston,  it is pretty obvious Councilman Sledge is readily working with a ton of developers and I've heard plenty of good, substantive dialogue raised by SNAP and neighbors at community meetings, which more often than not has culminated in support for many proposed projects in the neighborhood.  With all of that in mind,  it seems like AJ must be really dropping the ball to find themselves at this point with this project....

[nashvylle]

This project looks to be back on for a first reading: 

 

[downtownresident]

Glad to see that they seem to have come to some sort of resolution. According to Colby's newsletter, there seems to have been a tentative community agreement reached. Any members of the WeHo community have any details to share? 

[smeagolsfree]

I saw this, but if Colby is against it the chances of it getting past Council is slim due to council courtesy!!!!

[downtownresident]

1 minute ago, smeagolsfree said:

I saw this, but if Colby is against it the chances of it getting past Council is slim due to council courtesy!!!!

Colby is who filed the new bill. I’m hopeful that some sort of deal was worked out. 

[smeagolsfree]

Well then it will pass.

[DMilner]

AJ reached a tentative community agreement; trying to get details from Colby.