Nashville College & University Expansion

[jmtunafish]

I love that Belmont is thriving.  I don't think many Nashvillians realize just how fortunate we are to have several outstanding private universities in the city.  

[Neigeville2]

On 8/22/2018 at 12:21 PM, henburg said:

The building does look great, though I do wish that it could've been built somewhere else. Everybody loves the Thai restaurant there, and those homes have a lot of potential as well. 

 

On 8/22/2018 at 2:42 PM, Bos2Nash said:

Those really are some nice residential structures that are being taken out by this. I would much rather see this put on the lot that is at the corner of Bernard Ave and 15th (granted the footprint would be much smaller.

Also, from the rendering, I feel like the streetscape would need to be much softer than this or at least communicate better communicate with the patio/plaza space for the eating options. The end that will be close to the residential homes needs to speak more towards a residential streetscape.

Yeah, I am super disappointed with the location.  I hope that design is tentative and something will be built instead that retains the more intimate feeling the street has now.  I have always admired those old brick houses.

[Mr_Bond]

On 8/20/2018 at 11:57 AM, markhollin said:

Fisk University has received a $3 million the gift that will fund the construction of the future Roland G. Parrish Center for Career Planning and Development. The facility will house classrooms, conference rooms, meeting spaces and innovation spaces. 

More behind the Nashville Post paywall here:

https://www.nashvillepost.com/business/education/higher-education/article/21018720/fisk-lands-3m-gift-one-of-largest-in-school-history

 

I'm happy for Fisk!  The institution has an amazing history and deserves more support from donors, alumnus, and our community.

[Tennessine]

On 8/20/2018 at 5:17 PM, Nathan_in_the_UK said:

That's entirely one of reasons I respect Vandy more than my own alma mater of UT. It's an academic institution that has some student athletics, not a minor league football team with an attached school.

For what type of university it is, UT is doing pretty well in academics.

I'm a current student in Chem E. Our department is respectable. We are #60 among public and private universities nationwide. Nuclear Engineering is #7 the last time I checked. For a large, in-state, public school in a traditionally poor state, that's pretty impressive. And they don't admit any idiots to the College of Engineering. Average ACT is a 31. They set the bar high for applicants.

 The business program is also commendable. Haslam College of Business has the second best Supply Chain Mgmt. program in the world. Accounting and finance are strong departments here too.

Architecture is good, and the School of Music is well-funded and draws in musicians from around the country.

Best program in the nation for Forensic Anthropology. And a great medical school.

Of course you could respect Vanderbilt more. Vanderbilt is a top 15 university. Tennessee is like 80-something. But that doesn't mean UT isn't punching above its class in academics because of the dedication toward its <bad> football team.

As far as athletics go, UT is still strong across the board. Sure, they are trash at football, but it's the holistic approach that counts when you evaluate SEC universities. 

Edited August 31, 2018 by nativetenn

[samsonh]

Big tree where Belmont building would go was taken down this week.

[Pdt2f]

^^I don’t think the issue with UT is that they have a bad football program, I think the issue is that they’re bad despite the insane amount of reasources they sink into it. 

[Tennessine]

On another note, Belmont has one of the most beautiful campuses I have ever seen. The buildings there are impeccable. It's as if I could eat off the ground there. I'm so glad to see how well it is doing. Makes me proud to be from a city with a great emphasis on colleges. Athens of the South 

Fisk University is a gem. Knoxville doesn't have any historically black colleges like that. It's a shame what happened to Knoxville College. UT has a monopoly-like presence in the Knoxville MSA. Private schools are hard to come across. Maryville College and Carson-Newman University are the only two I can think of in the region.

Edited September 1, 2018 by nativetenn

[Nathan_in_DC]

On 8/31/2018 at 10:43 PM, Pdt2f said:

^^I don’t think the issue with UT is that they have a bad football program, I think the issue is that they’re bad despite the insane amount of reasources they sink into it. 

Precisely. 

[smeagolsfree]

One of the issues, IMO from someone that niether follows or really cares about UT sports is the fact that if a coach does not have a winning season the the fans and the alumni want whoever the coach is gone. That really messes up your recruiting efforts and makes it bad for the next 4 years.

The UT fans are probably the most impatient group of people on the planet.

I know I will get hate mail on this one.

[Pdt2f]

4 hours ago, smeagolsfree said:

One of the issues, IMO from someone that niether follows or really cares about UT sports is the fact that if a coach does not have a winning season the the fans and the alumni want whoever the coach is gone. That really messes up your recruiting efforts and makes it bad for the next 4 years.

The UT fans are probably the most impatient group of people on the planet.

I know I will get hate mail on this one.

Eh, they just got done with a combined 8 years with two terrible coaches so I think there’s institutional patience. There’s just not institutional competence. 

[smeagolsfree]

It seems as if this is the third or maybe the fourth coach during that time span.

[Pdt2f]

1 hour ago, smeagolsfree said:

It seems as if this is the third or maybe the fourth coach during that time span.

Seems that way. From 2010 to 2017 it was just Dooley and Jones. 

[markhollin]

Lipscomb University's Shinn Center (2 stories) update.

Looking east from Belmont Blvd, near intersection with Green Hills Dr:

[bigeasy]

On 8/31/2018 at 3:13 PM, nativetenn said:

I'm a current student in Chem E. Our department is respectable.

You should post some photos of all of the construction on campus sometime. I was at the ETSU game this past weekend and was amazed by all of the buildings going up. There has to be over $1billion in construction happening around the campus with the new dorms, Student Union, streetscaping, etc. It is becoming quite a nice campus.

Edited September 14, 2018 by bigeasy

[Tennessine]

2 hours ago, bigeasy said:

You should post some photos of all of the construction on campus sometime. I was at the ETSU game this past weekend and was amazed by all of the buildings going up. There has to be over $1billion in construction happening around the campus with the new dorms, Student Union, streetscaping, etc. It is becoming quite a nice campus.

Check the UT thread, I post here and there! I can post more soon

[PillowTalk4]

Still no decent renderings of the two new dorms to be built at TSU.  However, I learned while view stream of the TSU Board of Trustees meeting on 9/20 that there will be 2 towers joined by one common lobby.  From the rendering that was briefly shown on a slide that included other buildings, thereby making it hard to focus via pause, the dorms look to be around 10 -12 stories depending on elevation.  I believe the dorms will be constructed in what is currently a surface parking lot located at 33rd Ave N and Albion Street.  Groundbreaking is scheduled for mid to late October.  Groundbreaking for the new Health Sciences Building is also scheduled for mid to late October and will be off of 37th  Ave. next to what is known as the Women's Bldg which houses the TSU Art Gallery and also has classrooms on the upper floors.

TSU announced that a new College of Engineering building is being scoped and plans/funding is awaiting approval from the TBR.  They are also looking into private support for the building as well.  TSU would like to start construction on the Engineering building between late spring and early fall of 2019.

In other development news from TSU, the university continues to discuss plans for developing portions of the agricultural land on the main campus along the Cumberland River into what is being called Cumberland Shores at TSU.  The university still has yet to announce any specific time frame for the project, and more importantly how it would be funded.  I can only assume the funding would be through private development.  Below are updated renderings of the projects vision.  

Of note in the slide above is the green space west of Hadley Park.  TSU currently does not own all of that land, though the university has acquired some of the lots and portions of it  already has TSU facilities.  I just wonder acquiring that land is part of a master plan for TSU. 

 

I'd love to see the TSU area develop.  And, while to concept for the land is to applauded.  I just wonder how TSU will be able to sell this concept to developers given that all of it is in a flood plain.  Without a levy or flood wall, there's no way to stop the area from flooding.  My preference would be to see this type of development along Jefferson Street leading into the TSU campus.  But, TSU doesn't own any of that land, and it would costly for TSu to acquire it.

Edited September 25, 2018 by PillowTalk4

[henburg]

Go TSU! That is really an impressive vision.

[MLBrumby]

Looks like a very nice plan but I wish they would plan something big for their downtown campus. 

[smeagolsfree]

Thanks for posting PillowTalk. I am pretty ignorant about what has happened on the TSU campus. I have tried to put a few things on the map, but if you know of developments over the last 18 years with the locations it would be great. I try to get as much on the map as I can as this will be our development history and a record of it.

[NashvilleObserver]

4 hours ago, MLBrumby said:

Looks like a very nice plan but I wish they would plan something big for their downtown campus. 

If they sold that downtown campus right now, does anyone know the amount of money they would make to put toward this vision?

[MidTenn1]

8 hours ago, PillowTalk4 said:

…………...

I'd love to see the TSU area develop.  And, while to concept for the land is to applauded.  I just wonder how TSU will be able to sell this concept to developers given that all of it is in a flood plain.  Without a levy or flood wall, there's no way to stop the area from flooding.  My preference would be to see this type of development along Jefferson Street leading into the TSU campus.  But, TSU doesn't own any of that land, and it would costly for TSu to acquire it.

This is an awesome proposal. I'm glad to see them thinking big.

As for the floodplain issue, in a September 5th article the Tennessean quoted Kelli Sharpe (name misspelled in the quote below), TSU Assistant VP for Public Relations and Communications....

Quote

Asked about how TSU plans to address concerns about proposed site being in the 100-year floodplain, Shape responded: "As with any development, the project developer will implement all necessary requirements and improvements for the Cumberland Project to be a success. This includes addressing all environmental issues and concerns."

 

[markhollin]

Belmont Univ. has landed 5 demo permits related to the structures facing Belmont Ave. for the new 1,700 seat Fine Arts Center. The homes/apts to be demo'd are at 2020 and 2018 Belmont Blvd.,  1519 and 1523 Bernard Ave., and 1518 Compton Ave. This does not include The International Market, which will not be vacated until July, 2019.   It will come down shortly thereafter.  A fall 2021 completion date has been set for the new event center.  R.C. Matthews will be the contractor and ESa is the architect.

More at the Nashville Post here:

https://www.nashvillepost.com/business/development/article/21027801/belmont-buildings-face-demo-for-event-center

 

[CenterHill]

Speaking of International Market, I saw that Patti Myint passed away unexpectedly last weekend.    Very sad.   

Edited October 17, 2018 by CenterHill

[MLBrumby]

Sad! I'm starting to feel like a longtime "old" Nashvillian (despite not living there in 26 years) mourning the passing of the city I once knew. 

[Mr_Bond]

58 minutes ago, markhollin said:

Belmont Univ. has landed 5 demo permits related to the structures facing Belmont Ave. for the new 1,700 seat Fine Arts Center. The homes/apts to be demo'd are at 2020 and 2018 Belmont Blvd.,  1519 and 1523 Bernard Ave., and 1518 Compton Ave. This does not include The International Market, which will not be vacated until July, 2019.   It will come down shortly thereafter.  A fall 2021 completion date has been set for the new event center.  R.C. Matthews will be the contractor and ESa is the architect.

More at the Nashville Post here:

https://www.nashvillepost.com/business/development/article/21027801/belmont-buildings-face-demo-for-event-center

 



It seems like they're knocking down a house here and another there.  Do they own all the buildings in that block (Belmont Blvd to 15th, Bernard to Compton)?