H20 Urban Waterfront District

[Hankster]

I have to get up to go to work and sometimes do not get in till 8:30pm, so I have to jump on the scoops while I still can.

I too am excited about this project, however remain a bit worried because of financing with so many of the other high profile projects that are delayed.

I share your worry. It seems to me they will have to sell hundreds of condos before they'll be able to get financing, just like all the other projects. Has a sales office even opened yet?

[smeagolsfree]

I share your worry. It seems to me they will have to sell hundreds of condos before they'll be able to get financing, just like all the other projects. Has a sales office even opened yet?

As far as I know Hank, It has not.

[GID]

I share your worry. It seems to me they will have to sell hundreds of condos before they'll be able to get financing, just like all the other projects. Has a sales office even opened yet?

The issue H2O is having with local realtors is, the developors wants the realtors to be under the H2O banner, ie - no realtor advertisements (the name "ReMax" could not appear anywhere) and the $ they are offering is very very low. I would think they would be better served (if H2O sticks to this approach) is to just hire a few realtors and put them on site.

Not sure if "X" number have to be presold or not, the story sounds like they will move dirt within a year.

I assume they have to do environmental studies, traffic, etc, etc.

[Hankster]

The issue H2O is having with local realtors is, the developors wants the realtors to be under the H2O banner, ie - no realtor advertisements (the name "ReMax" could not appear anywhere) and the $ they are offering is very very low. I would think they would be better served (if H2O sticks to this approach) is to just hire a few realtors and put them on site.

Not sure if "X" number have to be presold or not, the story sounds like they will move dirt within a year.

I assume they have to do environmental studies, traffic, etc, etc.

Pardon my ignorance, but I still don't understand where is the money coming to build this development.

[GID]

Ground breaking in 10 months, at least 250M to be spent, 800 residents to be included.

Per the developers Metro was very much in agreement w. all they proposed.

I am for this.

Some may wonder why I do not want May Town but am for this. The area of MTC is rural and undeveloped - a blank canvas if you may (no pun) The H2O area is developed all around and this development is very "green" oriented and will increase the view some have of Charlotte Pike (it is not just crime anymore )

[Shuzilla]

Ground breaking in 10 months, at least 250M to be spent, 800 residents to be included.

Per the developers Metro was very much in agreement w. all they proposed.

I am for this.

Me too, because I can walk to it. If I had the financing, I'd buy up the Downy Center and surrounding property and follow H2O with a redevelopment of Davidson Road into a proper gateway to West Meade. I'm hoping that H2O succeeds and, in spirit, jumps across Charlotte. That would make a for a nice Charlotte/Davidson intersection!

Have you noticed that almost every property on Charlotte out of town from Brookmeade Elementary to the top of the hill is for sale? There is a great opportunity to transform that end of town in conjunction with the growth of suburbs out Charlotte/70N. Now that RE has cooled, maybe the planning commission needs to look into an NDO for the whole area before it gets cluttered.

[GID]

I do like Drews Mkt though, keeps me from going to Walmart (yuck).

The bad thing is, the Apts that are being built just up River Rd are low income housing - I hope this does not start a downward trend

I too could walk to H2O - although I would get hit on River Rd first.

[SixteenToOne]

I do like Drews Mkt though, keeps me from going to Walmart (yuck).

The bad thing is, the Apts that are being built just up River Rd are low income housing - I hope this does not start a downward trend

I too could walk to H2O - although I would get hit on River Rd first.

I noticed those apartments recently but had no idea what they were. How many are there and when are they slated to be done? Seems like an odd place to put low income housing... i.e. pretty far out from transportation hub.

[GID]

If memory serves me, 200 units. Married folks cannot make more than 30k and singles no more than 18k.

They should be done w. in six months, I would assume.

Another reason I am for the H2O - it kind of counters having low income housing close by.

[oh1o]

If memory serves me, 200 units. Married folks cannot make more than 30k and singles no more than 18k.

They should be done w. in six months, I would assume.

Another reason I am for the H2O - it kind of counters having low income housing close by.

Talk about sprawl. Everyone complains about May Town Center creating it, but low income housing this far away from the urban core is ridiculous. Well, I guess they won't be driving as I assume they'll be walking back and forth to Wal-Mart all day.

[bwithers1]

Talk about sprawl. Everyone complains about May Town Center creating it, but low income housing this far away from the urban core is ridiculous. Well, I guess they won't be driving as I assume they'll be walking back and forth to Wal-Mart all day.

Precisly. Just like the low income homes on Hamilton Church Road in Antioch walking down to that Wal-Mart just above Murphreesboro Road. I seriously worry about people walking down that road, which is very curvy and poorly lit and has little or no sidewalks in the worst parts. Gotta love the infrastructure in this town.

[smeagolsfree]

Talk about sprawl. Everyone complains about May Town Center creating it, but low income housing this far away from the urban core is ridiculous. Well, I guess they won't be driving as I assume they'll be walking back and forth to Wal-Mart all day.

Welcome to the forum oh1o. Look forward to more post.

[smeagolsfree]

This is from the Tennessean this week.

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar.../807040321/1475

Land is purchased for the H2O site. I hope this moves forward and their financing is ready to go.

[titanhog]

This is from the Tennessean this week.

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar.../807040321/1475

Land is purchased for the H2O site. I hope this moves forward and their financing is ready to go.

Last night, I was talking on the phone and had my tv muted and I looked up and the news was showing drawings of this project with what looked like a canal with boats traveling down it...sidewalks on both sides with shops and condos...very European looking. I didn't realize this project would look like that. I'm impressed.

[GID]

Last night, I was talking on the phone and had my tv muted and I looked up and the news was showing drawings of this project with what looked like a canal with boats traveling down it...sidewalks on both sides with shops and condos...very European looking. I didn't realize this project would look like that. I'm impressed.

Titanhog

They have a website up, h2odistrict.com, that has a very good overview of the proposed buildings.

[grapa]

The web site is impressive. It only mentions boat houses, doesn't sound like a full marina is attemped. It does seem a little congested in that area with such a conglomeration of different property use.

[GID]

The web site is impressive. It only mentions boat houses, doesn't sound like a full marina is attemped. It does seem a little congested in that area with such a conglomeration of different property use.

No marina - retail on the first floors then condos above, the last to be built will be the homes w. boathouses below. I think there are to be 400 residences.

--- The funeral home has broke ground on their new building (moved dirt anyway) and there are many stakes w. orange flags on the H2O propety, so it appears they have done their site work and maybe close(er) to breaking ground

[grapa]

Why are we not hearing more about this project in the news? The image looks good on their site but shouldn't we be hearing more about the progress?

[BnaBreaker]

I honestly don't understand projects like this and May Town Center. Don't get me wrong. By all indications they both look like real, high quality urbanism, and I support them both in principle. But the one thing I haven't been able to wrap my head around yet is, why on earth are these projects being built so far from the urban core? It makes no sense to me. I understand that the developer may not want to have to pay for demolition and might want the entire neighborhood to be their creation, but it seems to me that these developments will be hurt significantly in the long run by not being within walking distance of, well, anything.

It's better than sprawl, yes, but how good is it if everyone that doesn't live there still has to drive to get there? If slightly retooled, these would both make fantastic neighborhood infill projects that could significantly rebuild some of the neighborhood and block-by-block connectivity that has been lost over the years. Imagine if these were constructed in SoBro and on the East Bank, instead of in the middle of a forest and a farm, respectively.

So, to simplify what I'm saying, basically I'm asking, if the developers want to build an urban neighborhood, why on earth wouldn't the first basic step be to find a build site that is actual in an urban area? Building May Town Center in Bells Bend is like creating a forest preserve in West End.

[Shuzilla]

But the one thing I haven't been able to wrap my head around yet is, why on earth are these projects being built so far from the urban core? It makes no sense to me.

The majority of people in Davidson County haven't lived in the urban core for decades. Shopping is largely done in the suburbs as well. Office buildings are popping up in places that are already established suburban centers, which I think is a trend that has only just begun. It's smart to put work where people live and for retail to locate where people are on nights and weekends, especially in consideration of rising fuel costs.

I think the question is, why would a developer spend so much more money for land downtown only to serve a smaller population (many of whom don't have personal transportation), deal with parking issues, try to compete with similar urban spaces that are less "Disney", and watch 50,000 people drive away at 5:00 every evening? It's been said before on this site: more people need to live downtown for retail to return in a significant way.

...it seems to me that these developments will be hurt significantly in the long run by not being within walking distance of, well, anything.

If you are referring to the curtailing of personal transportation due to energy costs, then downtown is far more at risk without a good transit system to bring people in from the suburbs. That's why I think employment opportunities locating five or more miles from the urban core, say around the Briley/White Bridge/Woodmont/Thompson Lane belt, is a fledgling trend. If so, the majority of Nashvillians would be within five or so miles of a mixed-use urban center and would be much less dependent on downtown for employment.

Unfortunately, as was posted earlier about trends in London, a good transit system may also encourage migration from the urban core in the short term because it increases accessibility to the 'burbs and eliminates the negative aspects of commuting. In fact, I wonder if a transit system that can get to and from downtown in a fraction of the time it takes to drive would be a greater threat to the vibrance of downtown than the emergence of a May Town.

So, to simplify what I'm saying, basically I'm asking, if the developers want to build an urban neighborhood, why on earth wouldn't the first basic step be to find a build site that is actual in an urban area?

I think that with both H2O and May Town the property owners and developers are more interested in maximizing the potential of a particular site than with urban design. For example, if 25% of the value of such properties is the land value, and since H2O is valued at $250 million, the land that cost $5 million is worth $62.5 million if H2O is developed as planned. I think there is a combination of urban cool and yesteryear romance perceived in new-urbanist style developments that help marketing these high-density developments to suburbanites and makes them look really good in brochures.

Myself, I live only a twenty-minute stroll from the H2O site, and I welcome the development. My neighborhood is rapidly churning from homesteaders who have lived here since they built their homes to young families with several children. I think H2O offers good living space for people who want to live in this neighborhood but haven't the need for an acre of land. Short of sewer projects and occasional paving, our tax dollars don't get much amenities out here; no neighborhood parks or public pools. No library. No Gateway Bridges. Hell, not even Nashville West is enough to get Charlotte Pike five-laned, which should have happened twenty years ago. Liveability out here comes from private-sector amenities, so I don't want Nashville to adopt a narrow-minded development policy that discorages an H2O or a May Town because that's what downtown proponents want.

[smeagolsfree]

I think the projects are not as far out as you think. Both of these projects are about 5 miles from DT. That is really not far at all. The availability of affordable land plays into the equation as well. I dont consider this the suburbs by any means. I guess it may be a matter of perspective.

[grapa]

Can we then agree that all land within a 5 mile radius of downtown is useable for and fit into what we think a downtown skyline could look like?

[GID]

Re-zoning signs have been posted infront of the Funeral home and vacant lot next door. I tried to go slow inorder to read the changes, all I could read (call me old) was SP

Special purpose?

[barakat]

Specific Plan

[smeagolsfree]

According to the Tennessean, this project is still moving forward. I am amazed to say the least with the current economic conditions. I sure hope it gets done and this project bucks the trend of what is happening nationwide. It will say a lot for Nashville as well.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20081205.../812050364/1553