Novare Eyeing Nashville for Twelve Hotel/Condo

[smeagolsfree]

The Nashville Business Journal is reporting that Novare along with Tony Giarratana is eyeing Nashville for its new Twelve Hotel/Condo location."Next up is regional expansion" according to the NBJ. "There is no specific site yet", said Giarratana. "It would likely be similar to the 26 floor Atlantic Station". Look for the entire post as it is available on-line.

Just wanted to get this posted to see what you think. I started a thread three or so weeks ago about this may be Tony Giarratana's next move. This just adds a little spice to the discussion.

[it's just dave]

This excites me. Hope we find out something soon on this.

[smeagolsfree]

I wonder if this may be the mysterious project going in the Gulch on CHurch adn 11th. It may be part of a bigger project down there. All we can do is speculate.

[cheeriokid61]

I hope they do something a little different than the one in Atlanta. Hopefully they will build something more modern and a little taller, and in a better location, preferably downtown.

[designspace]

^ That's the problem though, Novare's projects show very little design creativity. Okay, I've been wanting to say this for a while and I've held my tongue, but I think their designs are bad and actually look dated. They seem stuck in the 1990's (and design has made great strides in the past decade). Take a look at their Spire building in Atlanta. Bad facade, bad floorplans, tacky lobby, etc etc etc. Almost every Novare project seems like a mere copy of a previous one (of course, with the prerequisite minor cosmetic modification).

Unfortunately it looks like Novare has its sights on Nashville (Viridian, Icon, and this Twelve hotel/condo)... Tony G. seems like quite a visionary and I truly applaud his efforts, though I wish he would team with architectural and development firms that are equallly visionary.

Nashville deserves better. I'd much rather see more modern, innovative designs (eg., think 5th & Main) rather than another Novare clone!!!

[ATLBrain]

I agree with you for the most part. I must admit that Viridian appears to be their best looking one so far. I like the glass.

[smeagolsfree]

This is the rendering of the Atlantic Tower in Atlanta. The Nashville project would be similar to this.

[Lexy]

I like Novare and feel that what they bring to the table is something that is not seen often in Nashville.

Now.

In case you have never really seen a pic of Vancouver, B.C., it looks like every building is identical in design not height. I surely hope that this same tactic is not applied to Nashville. I highly doubt it is, but just in case. Residential towers can only be so creative before they look stupid. They still have to look livable (i.e. Marina [stork] Tower). That thing just scares me when I see a pic of it. Believe it or not, there are some limits to how flashy a tower can be as a residence. I think that Nashville is far from that threshold. Still I share the same sentiment about the designs we have seen recently in both Atlanta and Nashville. Some challenge to creativity never hurts. I just hope Nashville provides that challenge.

Personally, I am an ICON kinda guy. Not too flashy, not too plain either.

[BnaBreaker]

I'm certainly all for good architectual design. I don't want some mammoth prisonesque eyesore being built. However, I personally don't really care a whole lot about building design. I like flashy skyscrapers, and I like nice skylines, and I think both of those things are positive...but I think some of us get way too carried away with those things sometimes. I'm not talking about anyone on this forum necessarily, but just in general, many of us get kind of wooed by the flashy more materialistic external things like how the skyline looks in a postcard. What I personally care about is how a building fits in with its surroundings, how it adds to the urban fabric of the neighborhood, how it interacts with the street it is on, whether or not it provides a variety of different housing opportunities for different incomes...these are all REAL things that are vital to a city's vibrancy and success and while it is fun to obsess over the design of a building I think we should definitely be more focused on its function. Not every building has to be an architectual wonder. Infact, in most of the world's greatest cities, very few of the urban buildings are designed to be 'eye-poppers'. Most cities are around the world are more concerned with the functionality of the development, and I think and hope that is what our leaders in Nashville are concerned with. It seems sometimes as though some folks simply get caught up in the trendiness of it all and forget somewhat that these developments actually do need to function in the city, and aren't just eye-candy.

Okay, I'm done with my pointless rant. Thanks for obliging me. lol

And again, i'm not directing this at anyone in this forum. It's just a general rant. As for this development...can't wait to see what is in store!

[cheeriokid61]

That's a very good point that I hadn't thought about. If a building is proposed and it isn't completely gorgeous, then I'll be disappointed, even if it is a much needed building. When I think about it, some of the very best skylines, like New York, have a handful of great skyscrapers, and many more unexceptional buildings. If fact, some skylines made out of all great buildings, ie Shanghai, look fake and quite ugly, IMO.

I would rather Nashville be a New York than a Shanghai.

[Hankster]

This is the rendering of the Atlantic Tower in Atlanta. The Nashville project would be similar to this.

I think it looks a lot like the Viridian. I do hope we get a little more varity in design...something a little more cutting edge.

[lajohn]

The street level activity is definitely more important to the life of an urban area than it's look in the skyline. With that said I think that Atlantic Station building is not good design. Do you want Nashville to look like Atlanta? I'm all for new development, but it should be done correctly. There are many examples in Nashville and other cities of bad developments and ugly buildings. Tony Giarratana is doing great and bold things in Nashville, but the designers he chooses (from Atlanta) are not great. As Designspace said they are outdated already. I want to be positive, but if the design is not great, I'm not for it.

[Dale]

I think it looks a lot like the Viridian. I do hope we get a little more varity in design...something a little more cutting edge.

If it's any consolation, I seen the finished product, and it looks a darn sight better than the rendering.

[BnaBreaker]

The street level activity is definitely more important to the life of an urban area than it's look in the skyline. With that said I think that Atlantic Station building is not good design. Do you want Nashville to look like Atlanta? I'm all for new development, but it should be done correctly. There are many examples in Nashville and other cities of bad developments and ugly buildings. Tony Giarratana is doing great and bold things in Nashville, but the designers he chooses (from Atlanta) are not great. As Designspace said they are outdated already. I want to be positive, but if the design is not great, I'm not for it.

I guess i'm just different that way. This isn't a right or wrong point I suppose, just a preference point. I don't care what a building looks like as long as it isn't *UGLY*. If it functions properly, will be a positive addition to the urban fabric of Nashville, and someone is offering it to us, then I say build it! I'm more concerned about getting all those vacant lots filled up with something fullfilling rather than wait around for a "cutting edge" design. Again, i'm not at all trying to criticize anyone. I'm just telling you what I think.

[it's just dave]

I agree totally with what BNA said. Streetscapes, blending and providing spaces for people to "be" are the most important things. If you're actually INSIDE the city where we all like to be, the towers tend to get lost from the viewpoints anyway. They're mainly striking from a distance. That said, it's the people scale, the windows you walk by, the people you pass that are important. The line of sight can be just as impressive with low rises with the towers merely adding punctuation to the city's surroundings. When one is out of the car and opposed to being inside the car, everything is more alive, more intimate. Even a small building like the Cohen can capture you. The important thing is to fill the streets and hopefully future stores with residents and visitors. Residential towers have always been similar in design it seems, balconies, big windows. Afterall, they are built for the residents primarily, not the sightseer. I think Novare does an adequate job and in some instances a really good job in what they seem to be presenting to us in this effort to join the trend of the unthinkable...rebuilding our sprawling cities.

[BnaBreaker]

I agree totally with what BNA said. Streetscapes, blending and providing spaces for people to "be" are the most important things. If you're actually INSIDE the city where we all like to be, the towers tend to get lost from the viewpoints anyway. They're mainly striking from a distance. That said, it's the people scale, the windows you walk by, the people you pass that are important. The line of sight can be just as impressive with low rises with the towers merely adding punctuation to the city's surroundings. When one is out of the car and opposed to being inside the car, everything is more alive, more intimate. Even a small building like the Cohen can capture you. The important thing is to fill the streets and hopefully future stores with residents and visitors. Residential towers have always been similar in design it seems, balconies, big windows. Afterall, they are built for the residents primarily, not the sightseer. I think Novare does an adequate job and in some instances a really good job in what they seem to be presenting to us in this effort to join the trend of the unthinkable...rebuilding our sprawling cities.

EXACTLY! I couldn't have said it better myself!

[smeagolsfree]

Here is the article from the NBJ.

http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/stori.../21/story1.html

[memphian]

Nashville is lucky to have someone that wants to open more downtown-living doors for us. I personally cannot wait to move back to town and hopefully live downtown. Nashville gives off a much more urban vibe than places like Atlanta - which I am thankful for. Plus the city has an identity which is something that many other cities are still trying to discover.

[Hankster]

This is very exciting news. I look forward to sseing the plans as they develop. Seeing all the horsepower behind this project, it wouldn't surprise me at all that this one moves pretty fast.