Nashville Bits and Pieces

[bwithers1]

Well, who knows. We live in a topsy-turvy world today in which the wealthy want to affect trashy exaggerations of stereotypes of the working classes for laughs. County radio is the dominant format of the suburbs (yes, the suburbs), and every other song today is singing about fishing with cane poles and gravel roads that clearly none of their audience members have ever experienced. But if this business does not fit in with the clientele of the Gulch, it won't last. Revolver was a nice concept on Church Street in Midtown - a combination of nightclub with live entertainment as well as high-end clothing - but it closed within a month or two.

By the way, Bar Louie is a nice enough establishment, but it is also a chain. I guess that we will have the local high-end restaurants up at McGavock (M Street), but I'd rather have some more local stuff at the south end as well. I'd even settle for a "local" chain. West End Ave is already almost entirely chain restaurants and stores. Why tourists want to go to another city to visit the same stores that are in the strip malls in every town is beyond me. In fact, West End Ave LOOKS like the the strip malls in most any city. But I'm preaching to the choir, I'm sure. Here's hoping that the Gulch continues to provide some reason why people would actually want to go there in the first place.

[barakat]

This photo shows all the commercial activity that once existed on Broadway, from 12th Avenue toward West End. How much better would Broadway be if all this still existed.

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/gallery?Site=DN&Date=20070424&Category=NEWS&ArtNo=704240820&Ref=PH&Profile=2275

[bwithers1]

Yes, it would be good to have those buildings and businesses. And I'd love to have the Vauxhall building on Broadway rather than the current Federal Courthouse. But I'm glad that the shacks with outdoor privies are gone from the north side of the Capital. The lawn descending to James Robertson Parkway leading to the Bicentennial Capital Mall is much, much, better. Let's all admit that for all its problems, sometimes the mid-Century Urban Renewal programs did get a few things right.

Edited April 3, 2012 by bwithers1

[fieldmarshaldj]

^Nothing says "Commercial activity" like the old outhouses of Hell's Half Acre.

[smeagolsfree]

Tracter Supply Looking for new HQ

http://www.bizjourna...ter-office.html

Would be nice to get this DT, but the companies are so short sighted and for some reason dont want to have their name on a building in the city they are located in. Are they ashamed to be here?

Whats the problem with all of corporate America these days and the value of prestige. They will probably stay in Brenwood in a non descript office building along with all the other snobish companies there and in Cool Springs.

[samsonh]

Tracter Supply Looking for new HQ

http://www.bizjourna...ter-office.html

Would be nice to get this DT, but the companies are so short sighted and for some reason dont want to have their name on a building in the city they are located in. Are they ashamed to be here?

Whats the problem with all of corporate America these days and the value of prestige. They will probably stay in Brenwood in a non descript office building along with all the other snobish companies there and in Cool Springs.

Errr really don't understand this attitude. These corporations stay away from downtown for a few reasons: Parking, cost, distance to homes of executives, distance to homes of employees.

It's got absoutely nothing to do with 'snobbish' companies. I mean, how can a company be snobbish anyway??

They would locate downtown if the economics of it made sense, and if it made sense for the employees of the company, and it benefited shareholders. So what downtown needs to do is make itself more competitive price wise and more accessible for the commuters.

[bwithers1]

I'm with you on the parking, but downtown could hardly make itself more accessible for commuters. The Old Hickory/Franklin Road interchange near Maryland Farms in Brentwood is already widened beyond belief and yet it is a traffic nightmare. Cool Springs is not far behind. At least with downtown/midtown there is more than one way to get most anywhere.

But you're right that there are a number of factors that go into corporate office locations. I'm not sure about "snobbiness" per se, in the sense of not wanting to be associated with Nashville for some reason, but many corporations do want the campus environment, which does have a "snobby" detachment to it.

Ultimately, accessibility for employees is a key factor. If the corporation feels that most of their employees wanted to be in a downtown location, then they would be more inclined to locate there. I can't say whether or not that would be the case for TSC.

[barakat]

Companies don't make business decisions based on "snobbish" reasons. My parent company maintains major offices downtown, as well as Cool Springs and a storage facility a couple miles out of downtown. The downtown spot is centrally located, and the entire company can park in the building's parking garage! Access could not be better. The corporate logo is on the building and we have a very visible presence downtown. The Cool Springs office is just as nice as the downtown office, but the departments housed there do different things. If the executives, employ base, rental rates, parking, etc lead a company to locate in the suburbs, the reasons should be pretty obvious.

[timmay143]

Pretty cool!

http://us1.campaign-archive2.com/?u=1d27c7d67b718fd2067d0715b&id=3576635a76

Snippet, more at the link.

This semester, the urban design studio at the University of Tennessee College of Architecture and Design, under the direction of Associate professor T. K. Davis, has worked to develop one of the most intriguing ideas in The Plan of Nashville—removal of “Spaghetti Junction” (the convergence of Ellington Parkway, I-24, Main Street, Spring Street and Dickerson Pike) in East Nashville.

Some more good news.

http://www.wsmv.com/story/17790515/asurion

Snippet:

Mayor Karl Dean said that Asurion technology will expand in Nashville, creating at least 500 jobs for the city.

The jobs will be located at the Ragland Building at the corner of Second Avenue South and Korean Veterans Boulevard.

"I am grateful to Asurion for its continued investment in Davidson County and am especially pleased that it plans to bring a large number of high-quality jobs to the SoBro area," Dean said. "This area south of downtown is fast becoming a dynamic part of our city with new development spurred by the under-construction Music City Center and the Korean Veterans Boulevard extension. Asurion's expansion not only speaks to the vitality of that part of Nashville but to our overall strength and vibrancy as a city."

Asurion will keep its corporate headquarters at Grassmere Park in Nashville and establish a technology products office in SoBro's Ragland Building to support growth in its headquarter and North America operations.

[Nathan_in_DC]

Wow, 500 jobs in downtown just like that? That's pretty impressive. Wonder if that'll have an impact on MCS ridership.

[smeagolsfree]

Anyone want to make any wagers as far as where Pillsbury Law will go now. the last I heard was that was almost a done deal with Ragland. New building or existing building. They will have to have an existing building to start with , but who knows they may bid their tiem and wait on something to be built.

Comments, thoughts, critisims?

[Nathan_in_DC]

I was wondering the same. No way Ragland is big enough to hold two companies that size. Hopefully they will stay downtown and take up some of the vacant office space.

[bwithers1]

I was wondering the same. No way Ragland is big enough to hold two companies that size. Hopefully they will stay downtown and take up some of the vacant office space.

What is the SF of the Ragland building? Those seem to be pretty good size floor plates stacked over several stories.

If PIllsbury is looking for a place to go right now, I think that both the AT&T building and the former AmSouth building have vacancy.

[MLBrumby]

Pretty sure it's 92,000, not including utility and lobby space... over five floors.

Edited April 27, 2012 by MLBrumby

[Nathan_in_DC]

Hmm, for some reason I was thinking it was smaller than that. Maybe they could fit in that space, then.

[NashRugger]

What is the SF of the Ragland building? Those seem to be pretty good size floor plates stacked over several stories.

If PIllsbury is looking for a place to go right now, I think that both the AT&T building and the former AmSouth building have vacancy.

If I was going downtown, I'd go with 333 Commerce, AT&T Tower. It is Class A space in one of the nation's most easily identifiable structures and pretty much near the epicenter of downtown. I'm sorry, but the Regions Center is all Class B and is in need of a serious exterior update from top to bottom. That's probably the biggest reason why it is over 60% vacant.

[dmillsphoto]

http://nashvillepost.com/news/2012/4/27/pillsbury_winthrop_talking_to_att_officials

If they are in talks with an existing tenant it sounds like the downtown vanancy rate would remain the same, unless the current tenant relocates to another space downtown.

[Nathan_in_DC]

Couldn't agree with you more about the Regions Center. It's way too 1960s/70s brutalist, and just looks like it'd be depressing on the inside.

[MidTenn1]

There is an interesting project starting up at Belmont. Not necessarily because of its size, but mostly because of its location and impact on the skyline.

It will serve as a home to the Arts and Sciences School and the College of Religious Studies. However its significance comes not just from its prominent location on some high ground on Wedgewood, but also with the addition of a Cupola which will display an architecturally impressive and significant dome. The Dome will rise above the trees and tower over the surrounding area and with its hillside location, it should be prominent from as far away as downtown.

It is Belmont's way of saying, 'Here we are and we are important.'

Much like Vanderbilt is doing with the new Kissam Center on West End, Belmont is increasing its visibility and presence with a landmark structure.

Edited May 5, 2012 by PHofKS

[BnaBreaker]

Wow...that's a gorgeous building! Well done Belmont. It'd be great if it was right on Wedgewood, but I'm pleased either way.

[MidTenn1]

Actually, it is at the corner of Wedgewood and 15th. It is not at the highest part of the hill, but still rising above Music Row and Hillsboro Village.

Here is a link with more information.

Edited May 5, 2012 by PHofKS

[samsonh]

Yep it will be basically right on wedgewood. It seems like this building will be closer to the street than the other buildigs fronting Wedgewood, but I'm not certain. I live very close to this and hope that this building, along with Core's new apartment building and Note will set a standard for new construction in the area.

I also want the city to begin construction on the Midtown Hills precinct. The stretch of 12th from Wedgewood to the Gulch is still quite shady and hopefully that will clean the area up. I think you would see a boom from 16th to 12th on the north side of Wedgewood once it is completed.

[fieldmarshaldj]

^That looks more like a neo-classical county courthouse. I'd rather see such a lovely structure in the CBD.

[timmay143]

Image from NC5 story. Wow, didn't realize this will be their biggest project to date.

http://www.newschann...ademic-building

The new 188,000-square-foot academic center will be located on the corner of Wedgewood and 15th Avenues. The $77 million dollar project will house the school's department of College of Arts and Sciences as well as the School of Religion.

The new center will hold numerous classrooms and teaching spaces as well as 280-seat chapel, a dining venue state-of the-art laboratories and conference room space.

School officials said that the construction of the new facility will also create jobs for hundreds in Middle Tennessee.

The new building will be the biggest project in Belmont history. Before this project, the Curb Event Center was the largest project in the school's history. It is slated to open in fall 2014.

Edited May 6, 2012 by timmay143

[smeagolsfree]

This is going to have a huge impact on that corner for sure as well as being a very attractive building. William is the man that broke this one. we knew there was going to be a new acadimic building there but I didnt think it would happen this soon.