Federal Courthouse

[doormanpoet]

On www.gsa.gov, the Federal Courthouse is still "in the site and design phase" whatever they mean by that.

I don't think we will see any action until the senate races are finished in November, and until congress goes back to session in January.

[ariesjow]

On www.gsa.gov, the Federal Courthouse is still "in the site and design phase" whatever they mean by that.

I don't think we will see any action until the senate races are finished in November, and until congress goes back to session in January.

[Hankster]

Hopefully that means it will be completely redesigned. I'm really not a fan of the current design at all.

[doormanpoet]

Just build the damn thing for gods sake! It has been 5 years now since they announced this thing.

[jcoop]

somehow since graduating from hume-fogg and joining this forum I had forgotten that one of my favorite Japanese restaraunts that we used to go to for lunch all the time, Koto, is located in this area. I almost asked them if they had plans for relocation already when I went in the other day.

[smeagolsfree]

We will have to wait and see what congress does with the budget this year. Maybe Lamar Alexander will be able to push this one through now.

I think Koto is across the street from the site and would not be affected. The only things that are on the block that are not vacant is the berger building that will not be affected and the parking garage that fronts 7th Ave.

[reednavy05]

they should build a high rise courthouse, such as Orlando's Orange County or Saint Louis' Federal IMO

[ATLBrain]

I'd like to see one of these cities with an upcoming new Federal Courthouse build something like the Federal Reserve Building in Dallas. It is my favorite Federal building put up in the last 10-15 years. I'm not a big fan of the location (on the edge of Woodall Rogers), but the building is striking. Adapting the design to a courthouse would also enable it to be much more pedestrian friendly at street level.

Unfortunately for those who would like a sharp, futuristic design, the arthitect has already been chosen by the small group of judges (led by Robert Echols). They chose Michael Graves. I'm not sure how binding their selection is. Nor do I know how binding naming the building after Bill Frist was.

http://www.emporis.com/en/wm/bu/?id=federa...s-dallas-tx-usa

[smeagolsfree]

Another delay for the Courthouse till at least 2008. I think politics is playing a major role in this. We need to get some strong Democratic leaders involved in this if we are going to see it rise. This is getting to be a bit ridiculous, as this was announced 7 years ago.

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar...40364/1006/NEWS

[ATLBrain]

I really think it's stupid to name this building for Sen. Bill Frist. What has he done to see it matierialize? Maybe with the new Congress, they'll reconsider.

[Nashvegas06]

I guess it made some sense when was in office? But don't they want until your dead? Whatever get it built!!!

[ATLBrain]

Echols says other cities "mysteriously leapfrog" over Nashville. Quite obviously, Rep. Jim Cooper has no clout in Congress. I think I may have relayed to the forum that I was among a small group of students who hosted him when I was in grad school at Duke. At the time, he had sponsored a healthcare bill. We had dinner with him at the business school before his speech. I have to tell you I have never (before or since) met a more bitterly angry man. He had just lost his run for Senate (to Frist?). Nevertheless, there was not a gracious word out of that man's mouth. Of course, the good citizens of Nashville were more than willing to give him another chance in Congress. You get the competence in government that you elect.

[MidTenn1]

I know the design for this building has been strongly criticized in this forum and elsewhere (Nashville Scene) for it's'poor' design. However, this photo of a model;

...shows the building and how it relates to the surrounding neighborhood including the Library and Bennie Dillon Building. This was an early model and the design has changed a little, but from this perspective the building does seem to relate to it's surroundings better than the street level renderings would indicate.

Still...I had greater hopes for our first Michael Graves building.

[franktown]

Hmm....I'm sure it didn't help that when appropriating funds the newly-Democratic-controlled Congress saw "Bill Frist Memorial Federal Courthouse in Nashville Tennessee," (or somthing along those lines) istead of a nice non-political name like "Nashville Federal Courhouse."

[cheeriokid61]

I find it funny that when everyone saw the model, they we were very excited, but then when the renderings came out, and it looked just like the model, we were disappointed.

But I think I'm starting to like this design. If they do the streetscape around it right, it could have look very nice from the street.

[Jeeper12]

I know Michael Graves is a talented architect but I've always thought the design was awful. So, not having to look at it for a few more years doesn''t sadden me. In fairness, I never saw the model or a decent rendering. So maybe it's better than what I've seen. I hope so.

[elguapo731]

Anything with Frist name is not going to be funded anytime soon. I'm not a big supporter of buildings being named after people who are still alive.

[nashscan]

The courthouse rendering just made me vomit my Filet O Fish meal. Can we get something slick looking or must this thing look like a suburban Embassy Suites?

[NewTowner]

The courthouse rendering just made me vomit my Filet O Fish meal. Can we get something slick looking or must this thing look like a suburban Embassy Suites?

[barakat]

I find it funny that when everyone saw the model, they we were very excited, but then when the renderings came out, and it looked just like the model, we were disappointed.

But I think I'm starting to like this design. If they do the streetscape around it right, it could have look very nice from the street.

[Hankster]

There are big differences between the model and the rendering. First, the rotunda is much larger in the rendering and the set back from the street lokks to be much greater. Does anyone know which is the more recent...the model or the rendering?

[ATLBrain]

The model was created after the rendering. And the parking lot on the back will be fenced-in with security. It is additional ground for a future expansion of the building. It is designed to be expanded with an office tower (up to 18 stories) along the back. That may never happen if the security setback requirements can't be met.

[barakat]

A review of San Francisco's new Federal Building. Yuck.

http://www.nytimes.com/2007/03/14/arts/des...xprod=permalink

[Hankster]

A review of San Francisco's new Federal Building. Yuck.

[GaTechGuy]

Hmm... After looking at the San Fran Federal Building I think I like it. The Times seems to think it was a good design. At any rate its quite a bit different than your usual design and much better than the cheap, hotel-like design we have for the courthouse. At the very least we want a design that can stand up over time and I think the San Fran Building beats the courthouse in that respect.