West End Summit news

[smeagolsfree]

I was downtown this morning and happen to talk to one of the supervisors for the stone company doing the work on the symphony hall. He said their company had either submitted a bid or are bidding on the West End Summit towers. They have worked with the architect before. He also said they do alot of the federal courthouses as well but didnt know anything about the new courthouse downtown. They just finished the Federal courthouse in Tampa not long ago.

[cheeriokid61]

Are they planning to change the design of the WES?

[smeagolsfree]

No, I do'nt think so. What this may signal is this project is a go. More than likely sooner rather than later. The way the last article read in the tennesseean (in june) was that there would be a major anouncement in the next six months. When const. companies bid on a project, that "usually" means they are going to start construction soon.

[cheeriokid61]

Ohhhhh, this is a constuction company. I didn't know that.

[Rural King]

West End Summit getting a real green light would be a very cool and postitive development IMO. The only drawback is that it might dimish the odds of the Sig Tower, but I'd rather have a sure bet with the WES then a "maybe" with the Sig.

[it's just dave]

Personally, I like the idea of an impressive secondary skyline and this would certainly add some focal points. If Buckhead can do it on their scale, why can't we do it on ours? With so many condos being built in the West End/Midtown area now, it's just making the entire urban built environment very dense. That seems to me what's important to most on the other forums even though I consider our group a bit more pragmatic and a bit more reserved. I'm wondering though what impact the conversion of the Midtown office building to a boutique hotel will have on the signing of a hotel operator for Summit. Perhaps none, but with the conversion of the Union Station Hotel to boutique, the Hermitage's 5-Star boutique style, the inclusion of a boutique hotel in the plans for Sig, it seems we'll have our share. But when one examines the area, you have the university communities with Vanderbilt, Lipscomb, Belmont (all private), the music industry, and the huge business sector in that area, perhaps we can easily absorb all this. Downtown is equipped to handle conventions, tourists, and business. Seems to be that if we didn't have the large car dealerships, downtown Nashville would appear very large. We just have to see that connectivity happen eventually. Standing on the hillside at the Capitol and looking west, the area already appears to be a city larger than many who post on the forums, including Huntsville, Asheville, even Montgomery and almost Chattanooga. Midtown is a force to be reckoned with...or soon will be. Downtown's core is shaping up nicely as well. With the Gulch in the middle...lordy, lordy, lots of stuff.

[Onyte9]

I hope were no just geting our hopes up, but with this kind of news it seems like maybe its just a matter of time. You are right Dave, the Mid-town area is shapping up nicely. Ive also looked at it from different areas in the city and thought to myself its starting to look better than some of the citys that post here on the forums. WES will be a great addition and I dont think it will put the Sig T in jeporday. I think the Signature will be headed towards more resadential and less office space. This stuff is exciting!

[smeagolsfree]

As far as other Hotels coming to the area, I would say keep your eye on Peabody and also Weston. Weston is doing a lot of new large properties such as Huntsville, D.C. on the virginia side ,I cant think of the city without looking at the thread. I believe they have or are going to have a property in Memphis. Nashville would be a prime canidate for them. Peabody is also still interested in the Nashville market as well. With the economy picking up, a Ritz could be in the works again since they cancelled that project after 911. We will just have to wait and see what happens. This is all speculation ofcourse.

[it's just dave]

I'm holding out for the next big one to be a W. I would hope that's the kind of personality Nashville has/. I've stayed at Ritz-Cartlon several times and sure, they're very nice. But the W has a much more modern, hip appeal to it. I would imagine the Peabody will come eventually, and that's Ritz enough for me. I love hotels, so whatever we get in the luxury brand will be fine.

[cheeriokid61]

I agree. A "W" is much more appealing to me then a Ritz. I went to the website, and they don't have many hotels, and what they do have are all located in large tourism cities such as NYC, Atlanta, Chicago, and San Diego. I would love a W hotel. They are very nice and add a very modern and hip hotel the market.

These are all the hotels Nashville needs:

W

Ritz-Carlton

Peabody

Westin (or something similar, like Omni, etc.)

That's it. We don't want an overload.

[doormanpoet]

I do not think West End Summit is going to happen. Sorry folks, I don't. Alex S. Palmer has not done a good public relations campaign, and MDHA wants the tallest buildings in the Central Business District thats why there is a moratorium on height in the Sobro Area. The Department Of Traffic is concerned about West End traffic and a lack of sufficient arteries out of West End going west. There will be several emminent domain lawsuits coming up such as one between the Dominican Sisters and the city for the right to put a road between St. Thomas Hospital and the Aquinas College. The sisters will not sell and the city needs that land to build an access road to get traffic flowing through Belle Meade.

I believe Signature Tower will happen regardless because the real estate market is different on West End than it is downtown. I am predicting Signature Tower will break ground in early spring 2006. I am looking for an announcement in the next couple of months.

[Onyte9]

If I had to choose I would have to take the ST but both would be much better.

[Rural King]

Standing on the hillside at the Capitol and looking west, the area already appears to be a city larger than many who post on the forums, including Huntsville, Asheville, even Montgomery and almost Chattanooga. Midtown is a force to be reckoned with...or soon will be. Downtown's core is shaping up nicely as well. With the Gulch in the middle...lordy, lordy, lots of stuff.

<{POST_SNAPBACK}>

I thought I'd show some distance shots of West End from downtown to illustrate to some degree what Dave is talking about. I wish my camera was a tad better at distance shots, but its a very small compact camera, thus thats not its strong point.

From atop Snodgrass.

From the base of Snodgrass.

[Onyte9]

Those are some great looking photos. The Midtown area is pretty dense. The WES would improve the area drasticly though.

[cheeriokid61]

It's weird to imagine a 450 foot building that sticks 150 feet above the rest of the buildings. Hmmm. It's allright. I kind of like it. Where would it go in those pics?

[Rural King]

It would be two blocks up from Palmer Plaza and on the right hand side of the West End, ie in the picture slightly closer and to the right of where Palmer stands.

Palmer is on West End and 18th, while WES would be on West End and 16th.

Thanks to this article for the exact street location details:

West End Summit in works

By William Williams, [email protected]

June 13, 2003

[smeagolsfree]

I dont think Palmer will just let that lot sit empty. He has invested a lot of money in that block by removing a half dozen or so structures. He has come through with his properties in Burton Hills and in Brentwood. It may not be as large as the renderings show. Who Knows.

[doormanpoet]

Just think, this could have been a stadium for the sounds! Right next to the interstate! I think a nice retail center with a large movie theater would be great. People in the downtown hotels want things to do. They could also put an outdoor music venue there too. A few 5 to 8 story condo's there would be great too. I just know the MDHA want the tall towers in the CBD. Ron you could be right. Maybe Palmer is going to build the two towers. I just don't want things to get out of hand like Atlanta where 600 foot towers are way out in Buckhead when Atlanta has as many if not more surface parking lots in the CBD like we do.

I would not mind WES if downtown Nashville did not have so much dead space and surface parking lots.