Nashville Bits and Pieces

[donNdonelson]

This is a rendering of a project in Dallas, that is at or near completion, to cover a portion of the Woodall Rogers Freeway with a park that adjoins the Arts District.

[donNdonelson]

Here is some information regarding the funding of the park being build atop the Woodall Rodgers Freeway in Dallas.

The Park, expected to complete in late 2012, is funded through a public, private partnership, including more than $37 million in private donations, $20 million in bond funds from the City of Dallas, $20 million in highway funds from the state and federal government through the Texas Department of Transportation and $16.7 million in federal stimulus funds. The Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation will continue its capital campaign and privately manage, operate and program the park.

from McCarthy.com dated 11-15-11

[Shuzilla]

BnaBreaker, I saw that highway cap project in Columbus last year when I visited the convention center (the building complex in the lower right corner of the first picture). I had no idea it spanned the interstate!

Scarcity of land downtown dictates high property values. "Constructing" new land parcels atop highways should produce more valuable real estate than the construction cost. No public money should be necessary.

Edited June 28, 2012 by Shuzilla

[East Side Urbanite]

I will be traveling to Columbus soon and plan to check the cap. Just viewed on Google Streetview. Very nice.

WW

[built_ford_tough]

http://featuresblogs...y-offers-m.html

The above is a nice article that I bookmarked from the Chicago Tribune that was written last year about various highway cap projects across the country. Chicago is studying a highway cap of the portion of I-94 that passes right by The Loop. Check out the Columbus, OH freeway cap that the article references. It's a simple but fantastic concept, that continues the street wall with buildings on either side (one story buildings, mind you, because of the weight issue) rather than a park. Anyway, I think these projects in general are absolutely phenomenal and vital for rebuilding certain neighborhoods that have had their connectivity and continuity completely destroyed by freeway construction over the years.

This type of project would be huge for The Gulch. I'm just being unfairly cynical when I say this, but I still am used to Nashville not having leaders who have the foresight to actually do something ground-breaking and progressive like this. But, who knows. I honestly have no idea what the price tag on this Gulch proposal would be, and I'm sure the city would find some way to bungle it and make construction costs double or triple beyond the projection, but it really doesn't seem to me like this should cost an exorbitant amount of money by any means. Someone above compared the project to Boston's "Big Dig", but it's nothing like that because the expressway is already below grade, which means there is no digging to speak of going on, beyond digging holes to plant the park tress in. In Boston they were putting an elevated highway that was right smack dab in the middle of a very urban neighborhood, into an underground tunnel. All this Gulch concept would take is really just building a park on top of some reinforced base that covers the freeway. Surely that can't be that costly, can it? The highway cap project in Columbus, which is significantly smaller in area than this project would be but still close enough that it should give us a general idea, only cost $10 million to complete. For a project that would have such a dramatic impact, that is surely doable.

For reference, here is an aerial of the Columbus highway cap project, now complete:

Here is the project at street level. To go from a basic highway overpass with a chain link fence on either side to this is pretty incredible, I think.

I'm in school at Ohio State, and literally if you didn't already know that the cap had been built you would never know that you were over top of 670. It's a fantastic job, and the businesses that are in the cap are very high end. It's done a great job of connecting the convention center, DT, and the Arena District to the Short North (which is a fantastic area in its own right without those areas).

[Nathan_in_DC]

Here is some information regarding the funding of the park being build atop the Woodall Rodgers Freeway in Dallas.

The Park, expected to complete in late 2012, is funded through a public, private partnership, including more than $37 million in private donations, $20 million in bond funds from the City of Dallas, $20 million in highway funds from the state and federal government through the Texas Department of Transportation and $16.7 million in federal stimulus funds. The Woodall Rodgers Park Foundation will continue its capital campaign and privately manage, operate and program the park.

from McCarthy.com dated 11-15-11

Wow, a lot of that funding has to be for continued operation, because I can't imagine it would cost that much to cap the freeway and build the park. Good to see all that money being put towards such an ambitions non-highway-centric use, though!

[smeagolsfree]

More hotels may be in the works for SoBro. From the NBJ

http://www.bizjourna...sobro-area.html

[FrankNash]

Does anyone know what the height of the new Hilton Garden Inn @ 3 ave. south will be. The lot size is very small for a 200 room hotel especially with parking included. I hope we get a little bump up at the bottom of rolling mill hill!

[dmillsphoto]

Does anyone know what the height of the new Hilton Garden Inn @ 3 ave. south will be. The lot size is very small for a 200 room hotel especially with parking included. I hope we get a little bump up at the bottom of rolling mill hill!

No idea. I wouldn't guess more than 120', unfortunately. As with Hyatt at around 176' and 250 rooms, this lot is a bit larger and can also support underground parking.

[timmay143]

A few things:

A piece from the Nashville Scene on HHM

http://www.nashvillescene.com/nashville/onetime-retail-hub-hickory-hollow-mall-looks-bleak-now-but-hope-persists-for-its-future/Content?oid=2911917

A piece from the Nashville Business Journal (wow, I had a hard time spelling business there) on SoBro and the hotel boom

http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/print-edition/2012/06/29/hoteliers-circle-nashvilles-sobro-area.html

[MTSUBlueraider86]

it will be interesting to see what actually happens after the Omni and Hyatt are open. We know proposals are a dime a dozen. Most never happen as we have seen for decades in Nashville.

One thing is for sure: The Sheraton, Doubletree, Renaissance, Best Western, Marriott Courtyard, Hilton, and other older properties in downtown better get their collective acts together if they want to stay open. The Renaissance and Hilton will be fine, but the others could be in trouble.

[smeagolsfree]

SWH Residential Partners is planning a 5 story residential building on Rolling Mill Hill accordign to William Willaim's at the post. It will be next to the smoke stack and will be 100 units.

We knew there would be another building but did not know who would develop it. Baker Barrios Architects is the design team. Construction to start by March.

[nashvylle]

do we know if the building will be facing the street?

[arkitekte]

I hate to ask since I'm not able to contribute much, but could anyone go take a few photos of the MCC, Omni, Hyatt, and any other construction that is going on right now? Thanks in advance!

[dmillsphoto]

A quick hit - article from the NBJ yesterday released the initial leases for the 7000 Meridian in Cool Springs. M*Modal is most notable, as they were just sold to a JPMorgan Chase subsidiary today for $1.1B. A couple others that totals something like 22% leased are also on board. So that means the other 88%, as previously joked, will go to CHS.

[FrankNash]

My understanding is that risk management at CHS will be moving to the building behind CHS in the fall. Im not sure the name of the building but it is lit with blue lights at night. Also, Wayne Smith said he did'nt want to pay the rent on the new building next door. I think he could be persuaded to move into one bigger space one day.

[smeagolsfree]

Height on the Hilton Garden will 11 stories.

[dmillsphoto]

Height on the Hilton Garden will 11 stories.

That would put the hotel about 135'. Should put it well above anything on that block. Will be hidden by Rolling Mill Hill from the east side, however.

[East Side Urbanite]

Of note, main vehicular entrance for Hilton will be off Almond. Developer will not ask Metro to do a curb cut within the KVB median (which essentially severs Almond). DMills is likely correct on the approximately 135-feet-tall estimate.

WW

[barakat]

WW - The one rendering that was published made the building appear to be sort of on a pedestal, with no street activaction. Is that how the building will be built?

Of note, main vehicular entrance for Hilton will be off Almond. Developer will not ask Metro to do a curb cut within the KVB median (which essentially severs Almond). DMills is likely correct on the approximately 135-feet-tall estimate.

WW

[timmay143]

This may not be anything new, but 5th Ave N block to get a remake.

http://www.newschannel5.com/story/18960882/downtown-block-gets-makeover-to-help-promote-the-arts

[Nashvillain]

That's great news timmay143. I was always struck by the crumbling and decrepit state of 5th ave. versus it's relatively bustling activity. This is a long overdue streetscape improvement.

[e-dub]

ah, hah! i wondered what that sign was when i walked past it en route to the hg hill. my plan was to sell the unit i'm at now to buy into the kress, but it looks like those places are set to appreciate a fair bit... hopefully not out of reach, lol. exciting stuff!

eric b

[smeagolsfree]

Talked to someone at Nashville City Center and they said work is supposed to start soon on the parking garage but it is going to be five levels below grade. Now this is just hearsay but I think it is reliable.

[donNdonelson]

I hate to ask since I'm not able to contribute much, but could anyone go take a few photos of the MCC, Omni, Hyatt, and any other construction that is going on right now? Thanks in advance!

Here's a pic of MCC I snapped on Friday night (7-6-12). Not the best pic, but it does give an impression of the sheer mass of the building!