Project You Are Looking Forward To?

[MTSUBlueraider86]

Outside of the MCC and the MCC Hotel, what project from the following list do you feel will happen first?

1) The Lionstone Project

2) The Eakin Twin Towers

3) The Marriott Project next to Hotel Hutton

4) The Federal Courthouse

5) The River Bank Project including the Nabrico Building rehab

6) West End Summit...okay, stop laughing!

7) Pine Street Lofts

8) Griffin Plaza...more laughter!

9) Signature Tower in some form...okay, desperation here!

10) The Westin...very far fetched

11) Rolling Mill Hill Projects

12) Medical Mart

13) African American Museum

14) A Second Convention Center Hotel

14 to choose from. William and I had our weekly coffee and I stated I thought the most important project out of all of these was the Federal Courthouse for the following reasons:

1) Activation of the western fringe of the CBD.

2) A continuation of the 8th Avenue Street Project emanating from the MCC connecting Sobro, Downtown and Nobro.

3) Street activation for Church Street in a very unutilized area of downtown which would tie into Union Street and the Capital area.

4) It will eliminate a large amount of dead space occupied by surface parking lots.

Thoughts?

BR86

[Nashvillain]

I think the Riverfront adventure play park phase 1 whatever will get under way first. Isn't it about to get underway? In addition, I think activating the riverfront will be a huge "game-changer", to use cliche corporate-speak, for Nashville. I think it will go a long way in making downtown a place for families and not just a place to 1. work 2. drink 3. buy country-western souvenirs. I think this will be crucial if the in-town area is ever to become a viable place to live and especially to be considered a place to have a family.

As far as the others, I don't know which are viable or have a snowball's chance in hell of actually being built, but my personal wish list would have to include Griffin Plaza and Eakins to continue the build out of the Gulch. There needs to be more peoples and retails on the streets. Speaking of which, aside from the economy, why has Velocity tanked so hard? Besides the fact that it's an ugly piece of crap, that is. Anyone have thoughts on that? Shouldn't they, (I think the unsold units are now back in the hands of the original project lender) convert the condos to rentals?

And a project that's not on your list but is potentially a good thing is Bristol's new Germantown building (provided it doesn't look like a steaming pile like Velocity or Bristol on Broadway and actually looks, at least cool like 1700 Midtown). I envision a future where Nashville's important pikes and boulevards (let's start with Jefferson, Broadway/West End, 31st has potential, Dickerson, Charlotte and Nolensville) actually look like urban boulevards and not suburban junk malls.

PS, I love VY.

[MTSUBlueraider86]

Velocity was actually sold last week and now some of it, if not the remaining units, may become apartments. I had a real estate agent tell me that units that were selling for 350K are now 250K. I like the building, but I do not like stick frame construction. If I move into the city, it is going to be in a steel frame or concrete/steel caisson construction. Stick frame, especially in multi-unit buildings is open to fire more so then steel and concrete and will last longer. The floors in Velocity were not level due to being wood. The only concrete area is the first floor and the second floor above the retail space. I though building stick frame was a mistake. That is why I would not want to live in The Enclave off 440E or Bristol on Broadway. You are right, Velocity has its problems and I think that is why they are not selling as well while ICON is 85% sold and Terrazzo is about the same. Another concrete and steel building i like is 1101 18th Avenue South near Scarritt Bennett College.

BR86

[East Side Urbanite]

Outside of the MCC and the MCC Hotel, what project from the following list do you feel will happen first?

These five have a strong chance of actually happening:

1. Riverfront redevelopment (including Adventure Play Park and NABRICO Building rehab)

2. Vista Germantown

3. Omni Hotel

4. Patel mixed-use project at 18th and West End

5. Medical Mart

I agree with BR86 about the Federal Courthouse and how significant and symbolic it could be for downtown.

[MidTenn1]

These five have a strong chance of actually happening:

1. Riverfront redevelopment (including Adventure Play Park and NABRICO Building rehab)

2. Vista Germantown

3. Omni Hotel

4. Patel mixed-use project at 18th and West End

5. Medical Mart

I would also add in the possibility of another downtown/SoBro office building (30 to 40 floors) with Lockheed Martin looking for major office space.

[MTSUBlueraider86]

Lockheed Martin having their own office tower downtown would be nice. I would like to see it in the CBD for the apex effect.

Of course, having L&M on the building would be cool!

I am sure the L&C would love to be near the L&M Building!

Seriously, this would be a great project, I just don't know how much space they would need but to see their logo lit up at night would be cool.

BR86

[MidTenn1]

So, in summary, .....

[East Side Urbanite]

So, in summary, .....

Good art work, PHofKS. I like it.

WW

[MTSUBlueraider86]

The graphic puts things in perspective. In 2013 it could all look like that.

BR86

[dmillsphoto]

So, in summary, .....

Best city planning artwork ever. Period.

[MidTenn1]

Best city planning artwork ever. Period.

Thanks. I have a lot of time on my hands now (retired) so I enjoy doing things like this.

[MTSUBlueraider86]

I Like the shape you chose for the Peabody! I hope it would look like that instead of the Nashville box motif!

BR86

[MidTenn1]

I Like the shape you chose for the Peabody! I hope it would look like that instead of the Nashville box motif!

BR86

Actually, that was supposedly an actual proposal by Peabody for the primary hotel project. I found it on their architect's web site (don't ask me where it is now).

[MTSUBlueraider86]

That is a very modern and stunning building. It reminds me of the architecture in Europe like London, Brussels, Paris, Amsterdam, Berlin, etc...

Check out www.skyscrapercity.com and www.skyscraperpage.com for some amazing pictures of similar towers in Europe and the UK. Thanks for posting the pic!

BR86

[East Side Urbanite]

The rendering PHofKS found on the HKS site is interesting in that both Peabody wanted to use HKS and Omni will.

Make me wonder: Maybe Peabody is determined to have a Nashville presence.

[MTSUBlueraider86]

I count 31 floors in that rendering with a restaurant on top. The building looks 450-500 feet! It would be an amazing addition.

BR86

[James Owen]

Orlando

The rendering PHofKS found on the HKS site is interesting in that both Peabody wanted to use HKS and Omni will.

Make me wonder: Maybe Peabody is determined to have a Nashville presence.

Even so, that's still years down the road due to current economic conditions. On top of that, they just finished a multi-million dollar expansion project of their hotel property in Orlando recently.

[MTSUBlueraider86]

If they get the deal they want, they will come. Its only a matter of time.

BR86

[East Side Urbanite]

If they get the deal they want, they will come. Its only a matter of time.

BR86

Agreed. Peabody will have a Nashville presence, even though James Owens makes a good point. I still see Peabody here within five to 10 years.

WW

[MTSUBlueraider86]

I would like to see them sooner than 5-10 years, but who knows. I want the new architecture to be built before I am too old to enjoy it. Of Course, I want them to find life on Mars before I am too old. Its hard to say which one I want first. I guess mt relatives from Mars could stay at the Peabody!

BR86

[MidTenn1]

One huge, 800 pound gorila in the room, obstacle to development of SoBro is the deadly, horrible I-40 with 2nd Ave and 4th Ave interchange which is squeezed in tightly between the I-40 with I-65 and the I-40 with I-24 interchanges.

I know many years ago, TDOT even wanted to shut down all the 2nd and 4th Avenue ramps because the interchange area was one of the deadliest in the USA. There are too many decision points requiring much weaving, quick merging, restricted movements, etc. Some cosmetic improvements have been made over the years, including the re-routing of I-65 to avoid the area. But it is still very dangerous. And mobility through the area is limited by the inadequate street system which is cluttered with one-way streets and angular thoroughfares (Murfreesboro Road) which break up the grid system and create 5 and 6 legged intersections with limited vehicular storage. This area cannot support any additional traffic generators, especially ball parks or monster hotel development.

One solution would be to run KVB, westward to the Demonbruen Street interchage with I-40. And me, personally, I would make a drastic (expensive)overhaul to the interchange with grade separated, directional ramps. It would require extensive modification to the local street system, also. The City would have to funnel money from greenways and bicycle lanes, but funds are limited and priorities must be determined.

If this subject is worthy of it's own thread, feel free to cut and paste this reply as needed.

[MTSUBlueraider86]

Good Post PHofKS. The same could be said for trying to exit Shelby Avenue from 24 west (which used to be 265). Now I just drive through downtown and take KVB to East Nashville and come out on Shelby rather than fool with the traffic from the interstate. We will see how much commentary this post gets before I move it. This thread is pretty general. Eventually some threads may be combined.

In regards to your initial comment, I think there does need to be a safe alternative to exit to downtown long before one gets to the section you are talking about. I think there could be an exit running through the PCS Metals yard off 40. One would simply have a ramp going under the main overpass and connecting to an exit ramp going over the river coming out on 1st and Broad.

That would take some engineering and also requiring PCS metals to move.

BR86

[nashwatcher]

Good post. Investment in infrastructure improvements downtown makes sense, especially considering all the future development that's planned...and it would be wise to plan it out now, while the street grids can still be improved upon...

quote name='PHofKS' timestamp='1287247485' post='1127708']

One huge, 800 pound gorila in the room, obstacle to development of SoBro is the deadly, horrible I-40 with 2nd Ave and 4th Ave interchange which is squeezed in tightly between the I-40 with I-65 and the I-40 with I-24 interchanges.

I know many years ago, TDOT even wanted to shut down all the 2nd and 4th Avenue ramps because the interchange area was one of the deadliest in the USA. There are too many decision points requiring much weaving, quick merging, restricted movements, etc. Some cosmetic improvements have been made over the years, including the re-routing of I-65 to avoid the area. But it is still very dangerous. And mobility through the area is limited by the inadequate street system which is cluttered with one-way streets and angular thoroughfares (Murfreesboro Road) which break up the grid system and create 5 and 6 legged intersections with limited vehicular storage. This area cannot support any additional traffic generators, especially ball parks or monster hotel development.

One solution would be to run KVB, westward to the Demonbruen Street interchage with I-40. And me, personally, I would make a drastic (expensive)overhaul to the interchange with grade separated, directional ramps. It would require extensive modification to the local street system, also. The City would have to funnel money from greenways and bicycle lanes, but funds are limited and priorities must be determined.

If this subject is worthy of it's own thread, feel free to cut and paste this reply as needed.

[MTSUBlueraider86]

Nashville, like many cities, is in desperate need for jobs. My wife and I are still working multiple part times jobs. We lost our full time jobs over two years ago. Unfortunately, infrastructure jobs are only going to employ engineers, architects, construction workers etc...Hopefully the MCC, MCC Hotel, and the Medical Mart will spark a few thousand jobs that will employ a variety of disciplines. I am for any project right now that employs some people! We need jobs immediately so I am ready for some projects to start and some to finish up and open!

We have to remember that Nashville needs to be at full time employment for it to fully enjoy all of these projects.

Okay, I'll moderate myself and end it there!

BR86

[MTSUBlueraider86]

Buchanon Point may be a project that we can look forward to if the claim of 13,500 new jobs is indeed accurate.

BR96