500 Lafayette (27 stories, 350 residential units, street level retail/office, internal garage)

[markhollin]

An approximate 20 story, 350 unit residential tower with internal garage is being planned for the trapezoidal 1.17 acre lot at 500 Lafayette St. (bordered by Rep. John Lewis Way/5th Ave. South on the east, and Lea St. on the north). A new LLC consortium of developers Steve Armistead, Brad Bars, Jared Bradley, and Tim Morris have purchased the property for $15.9 million. The previous owner, Ashok Patel, had paid $8.1 million for it 4 years ago.  Czann's Microbrewery had been operating at the site up until a year ago, and is now situated in The Nations. 

No word yet on architect, engineering firm, start date, or renderings.

More behind the Nashville Post paywall here:

https://www.nashvillepost.com/business/development/residential-tower-eyed-for-sobro-site-last-home-to-brewery/article_603a105a-6e7b-11ec-91af-b3b68d33e622.html


And at NBJ here:

https://www.nashvillepost.com/politics/metro/metro-awards-smart-parking-contract/article_4403686e-6cd7-11ec-bea5-db1966d0957f.html

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

[smeagolsfree]

I am unsure but I think this will be 14 stories. I just spoke to WW and I am unsure if he left that out of the story or if he got that confused with the Patterson project. These things are hitting fast and furious and there are more coming.

I am also trying to determine if the adjacent properties are going to be involved as core drilling was done there as well. This group has other properties under contract in the area!!!

I have the correct parameters live on the map now as far as which properties were bought

[smeagolsfree]

WW, did have the projects confused and the height is yet TBD.

[nashville born]

Just curious as to why some of theses long time projects like Circle South, NY, Hensler, etc. have yet to start in earnest?

[smeagolsfree]

Circle South may have something to do with the major sewer project that has to be done. I know that is the issue with Station District because that is the same sewer project.

Stand by on Nashville Yards. Work is progressing behind the scenes and under the radar so to speak. The same with the Hensler Project. If anything, NY is way ahead of where I thought it would be after the change in plans, How Many Times! We on the board, are extremely impatient and time tends to stand still here. We here about these projects before anyone else and that is why it seems to us, they take forever. We here about them when the fist survey is done, when the first water/sewer permit is done, and that means maybe a year or so before the property has even been bought. Sometimes it takes a year to make it through Metro planning.

Some of these projects may take 2 or 3 years' worth of planning and engineering work before the first shovel ever goes into the ground and that is after it does make it through planning.

Bos2Nash or Candy Ailes may know better than I do the timeline it takes on a project from idea to first shovel and I welcome their thoughts.

[nashville born]

38 minutes ago, smeagolsfree said:

Circle South may have something to do with the major sewer project that has to be done. I know that is the issue with Station District because that is the same sewer project.

Stand by on Nashville Yards. Work is progressing behind the scenes and under the radar so to speak. The same with the Hensler Project. If anything, NY is way ahead of where I thought it would be after the change in plans, How Many Times! We on the board, are extremely impatient and time tends to stand still here. We here about these projects before anyone else and that is why it seems to us, they take forever. We here about them when the fist survey is done, when the first water/sewer permit is done, and that means maybe a year or so before the property has even been bought. Sometimes it takes a year to make it through Metro planning.

Some of these projects may take 2 or 3 years' worth of planning and engineering work before the first shovel ever goes into the ground and that is after it does make it through planning.

Bos2Nash or Candy Ailes may know better than I do the timeline it takes on a project from idea to first shovel and I welcome their thoughts.

Thanks for that, Smeags.  Excellent points and excellent adjusting of my perspective.  

[smeagolsfree]

Glad to help and I am still looking forward to comments for further clarification too. I do think the larger and more complicated the project, the longer the wait time too.

BTW, as for this site without looking I think they can go either 26 or 28 including bonus height at this particular location being on Lafayette. The bonus height is different in this sub district on Lafayette.

[MLBrumby]

Weird looking little building there. Anyone know what business was there originally? 

[smeagolsfree]

It was the Nashville Film Institute at one time on the corner and behind it was Czanns Brewing, but I have no idea what was in the building originally.

[nebularec]

On 1/6/2022 at 8:45 AM, smeagolsfree said:

I am unsure but I think this will be 14 stories. I just spoke to WW and I am unsure if he left that out of the story or if he got that confused with the Patterson project. These things are hitting fast and furious and there are more coming.

I am also trying to determine if the adjacent properties are going to be involved as core drilling was done there as well. This group has other properties under contract in the area!!!

I have the correct parameters live on the map now as far as which properties were bought

The adjacent properties are not involved.  M2 Development Partners had them both under contract and terminated in early December.

[markhollin]

14 hours ago, nebularec said:

The adjacent properties are not involved.  M2 Development Partners had them both under contract and terminated in early December.

Thanks for the info, nebularec....and welcome to the forum!  : )

[smeagolsfree]

16 hours ago, nebularec said:

The adjacent properties are not involved.  M2 Development Partners had them both under contract and terminated in early December.

Thanks, and welcome to the forum!  Always great to have another person on the inside. I walk the streets a lot and notice core drillings and property survey markings and figured something must have changed. PM me sometime as I would like to pick you brain privately on a few items if you are up for it. 

If you have certain information on this project and another nearby project and maybe the ones on another nearby street, I would be interested in talking to you OFF THE RECORD! I know more than you probably would guess. 

[nebularec]

No problem!  I've been following the Inner Loop topic for years, and just saw this post yesterday.  I’m only familiar with these parcels, and that’s the only thing related to the adjacent properties that wasn’t already public knowledge.  I’m happy to chime in when I’m allowed.

[markhollin]

500 Lafayette will be 16 stories, including  about 350 residential units, ground level retail/office/amenity space, and an underground garage. Groundbreaking will be no later than early 2023, but maybe as early as late this year. There still needs to be various approvals from Metro before they can move forward.  These are the initial approximate renderings, but may not be the final design. 

More behind the Nashville Post paywall here:

https://www.nashvillepost.com/business/development/images-created-for-mixed-use-tower-eyed-for-sobro/article_e6beecda-8457-11ec-914a-0f150bc33d6a.html
 

[colemangaines]

SoBro's really exploding. At this point they should just put a construction fence around the whole neighborhood and put everything up all at once!

[smeagolsfree]

I am for taking down a majority of the buildings down there for sure. Most of them are pure junk!

[MLBrumby]

I like the midrise trend in that area between KVB and Division. The top floors should have unobstructed views of downtown.  I also like that this proposal fills the whole oddly-shaped parcel and the sharp angles.  Despite that I think Metro missed a huge opportunity a decade ago to realign some of those streets in the area.  That general area is extremely difficult to navigate for someone who's not used to it.  Last time I was there, the streets were poorly marked and it got a little dangerous where the rights of way become a guessing game. 

[Rick Dalton]

This looks nice. I’m a firm believer that every Flatiron style intersection should have a Flatiron style building.

[rolly]

That really pushes some height farther out. And a very tight, modern style.  Much wow!

[nashville born]

Me likey!

[nebularec]

1 hour ago, rolly said:

That really pushes some height farther out. And a very tight, modern style.  Much wow!

All property that fronts Lafayette is zoned for 12 or 16 with the bonus height program.  I'll be curious to see what changes are made over the next few months, as every 350 unit building that I'm aware of is in the 20-30 story range.

[Pdt2f]

16 hours ago, natethegreat said:

This looks nice. I’m a firm believer that every Flatiron style intersection should have a Flatiron style building.

Last time I was in New York I got plastered drunk and gave the Flatiron building a long hug and kiss. I would love similar opportunities to publicly embarrass my wife here, as well. 

I did the same to the Chrysler Building, if any developer would like to build a 1,000 foot Art Deco skyscraper here, too  

[PillowTalk4]

It's okay to me.   Oddly shaped lots present an opportunity to do something really unique.  I don't get unique in this design.  This is a lot that should be iconic for the area.

I don't mind that it is a mid-rise, but more of a nod to the Flatiron Building in NYC or one of my other favorites the Sentinel in San Francisco  would be nice for that lot.  The Sentinel holds its own even though it is right near the Transamerica Building.

To me what has been proposed will just blend in with the other glass structures.  It's lacking presence to me.   It will have a relatively flat facade with a few balconies.

 

[BnaBreaker]

18 minutes ago, PillowTalk4 said:

It's okay to me.   Oddly shaped lots present an opportunity to do something really unique.  I don't get unique in this design.  This is a lot that should be iconic for the area.

I don't mind that it is a mid-rise, but more of a nod to the Flatiron Building in NYC or one of my other favorites the Sentinel in San Francisco  would be nice for that lot.  The Sentinel holds its own even though it is right near the Transamerica Building.

To me what has been proposed will just blend in with the other glass structures.  It's lacking presence to me.   It will have a relatively flat facade with a few balconies.

 

I hear you, and I agree to a point, but at the same time, there are a lot of corner shaped lots in the world, and the vast majority of them don't feature something as remarkable as The Flatiron Building, but rather, something far more ordinary and utilitarian, and it really stands to reason that it would be the same case in Nashville.  We only see those buildings as go-to examples for corner lots because they're such unique, well-known, and extraordinarily designed structures, and I think it's a bit of an unrealistic and unfair expectation we place on architects and developers, that because a lot is shaped a certain way then their building should necessarily mirror in design and be up to the standards of some of the most iconic buildings in history.

Edited February 3, 2022 by BnaBreaker

[Baronakim]

Very, very nice.  I am surprised though that the next block up Lafayette has had no movement since the idea of using it for a  portal for an subway line to downtown.  The large grassy lots make this absolutely prime for a tower.  Rockettown and the Rescue Mission are not  sitting on a GOLD mine but a DIAMOND mine IMO.  Also, has the conversion of the old church/ architectural offices  into a Jack Daniels  showplace been abandoned or simply stalled?

Edited February 3, 2022 by Baronakim