Nashville Bits and Pieces

[UTgrad09]

Not sure if this is old news or not.

Driving by Bridgestone Arena tonight, they had a very nice and colorful lighting scheme on the outside of the arena. It was kinda a multicolored pulsing light display. It was very nice looking and made the bland walls of the arena awfully attractive for what they are. Maybe I've been missing this (I don't get out at night much), or maybe it's something new.

 

If you're talking about the Demonbreun/5th side of the arena (I assume so), then yes, they completed a ~$7 million exterior renovation. Nothing fancy, they just dressed up the back entrance a little bit, since it now faces the MCC (and therefore will probably become a much more visible and used part of the arena). They added a restaurant/bar on the west side of the back entrance, where there was a blank wall before. They redid the steps and ramps. They added the LED display that you noticed, and they added some...not sure what to call them exactly...decorative screens? to the garage.

 

All in all, it's a nice improvement, though it seemed to disappoint some people in terms of scale.

[nashvillwill]

I knew about the new entrance, restaurant and LED screen. But this was a wall to wall lighting system I hadn't previously noticed. It's lights the place up so well that you can see it blocks away, and it looks very nice. It runs the length of Demonbreun and wraps about a 1/4 of the way down 5th&6th.

Maybe it's been there since the renovation, and I just hadn't noticed. Maybe I only noticed because of the "pulsing" light. Either way, it looks nice. Granted, it's still a bland gray wall in the daylight, but it's a decent way to visually improve it at night

[titanhog]

Would have been nice if they had built in retail / restaurant space all down Demonbreun when building the arena...but I guess they didn't foresee the growth in SoBro.  Wonder if there is a way to do that now?  I'm assuming it would take a portion of the garage?

[nashvillwill]

Would have been nice if they had built in retail / restaurant space all down Demonbreun when building the arena...but I guess they didn't foresee the growth in SoBro.  Wonder if there is a way to do that now?  I'm assuming it would take a portion of the garage?

 

Yeah, i don't think that would be possible with the slope of the garage and the 6th entrance as close to demonbreun as it is. But kudos to them for at least adding the restaurant space by the back entrance. Also, the new pro shop should help a little.

 

I am curious as what is going to happen to the old police precinct. Anyone know what the plans are for that space? It will be a challenging space as it is kind of a dead zone.

Edited August 14, 2014 by nashvillwill

[CenterHill]

Would have been nice if they had built in retail / restaurant space all down Demonbreun when building the arena...but I guess they didn't foresee the growth in SoBro.  Wonder if there is a way to do that now?  I'm assuming it would take a portion of the garage?

 

That's a story that has played out again and again downtown.   Developers will choose not to create active, or at least attractive, street frontage on streets that at the time seem underused.    When Bridgestone was built, Demonbreun was nothing but a sea of parking and a grimey Greyhound station.    The decision to put Bridgestone's loading, parking and dead wall space along Demonbreun was deliberate, but short sighted.     Same was true with the old convention center, which didn't even include an entrance on lower Broad because the visitors bureau didn't want convention goers to wander out into the seedy bars and honky tonks.     Same story with TPAC's Union St. side and the downtown library garage (f/k/a Church St. Center garage) on 6th/Commerce/7th.    More recently the Hyatt Place and even the Omni (4th Ave) have contributed large dead zones.  

 

Of course, it's not just developers.    The lack of zoning or guidelines to require street level commercial or pedestrian spaces is at the heart of it.   This is why it's so frustrating (to us on this board, at least) when renderings come out for things like the old convention center redevelopment, and frankly some of Tony's mid-town projects, that perpetuate the blank wall/dead street problem, when they could so easily fix it with leaseable retail.   

[Paramount747]

Oh the suspense! :-) 

I know what three of them are!!

Edited August 14, 2014 by Urban Architecture

[MLBrumby]

Can't you guys at least say if it is a new tall one!?

[Paramount747]

Can't you guys at least say if it is a new tall one!?

The three I know about are not tall. One could be a high rise, but nothing spectacular at all.

[volsfanwill]

Saw that too. That is a big chunk of land, suddenly available.

 

It's relation to downtown...(approximately)

 

 

The Campus..(unsure of actual boundaries).

 

 

From Google street view...some of the major buildings

 

 

A is the oldest building. I'm not sure what use it would have to a developer. B & C are more contemporary and could be office space, hotel or even residential. The big publishing building would be a difficult re-use. It has air rights over CSX and who knows what restrictions there are.

 

Edit; Didn't catch the CBD thread reference. If you want to move this post, please do.

A could be converted to apartments or condos, and b obviously could continue to be an office building, C is too short, bulldoze that and build something tall.     500' or bust!

[Vrtigo]

A could be converted to apartments or condos, and b obviously could continue to be an office building, C is too short, bulldoze that and build something tall.     500' or bust!

 

Agreed. If they can reuse the Cordell-Hull, they sure as hell can reuse A. C is very Maryland Farms-esque and ultimately very forgettable. Does provide some variety though, I guess.

 

I think all of us would rather start with the parking lots and only begin replacing standing buildings if we absolutely had to.

[MLBrumby]

The article states that building C (Southern Baptist HQ) is not a part of the area being considered for sale by Lifeway.

[e-dub]

please save building a, i've always thought that was a great looking building. more residents in the western part of downtown!

[BnaBreaker]

please save building a, i've always thought that was a great looking building. more residents in the western part of downtown!

 

Agreed.  It is often forgotten about just because of where it is in downtown, but I think it's a beautiful building as well. 

[captainwjm]

please save building a, i've always thought that was a great looking building. more residents in the western part of downtown!

As I mentioned in another thread, they are only studying the idea and may remain even after a sale. 

[MLBrumby]

As I recall, Building A has a great Art Deco façade at street level... plus, I believe there is another Lifeway building next to it that is Greek revival and beautiful... with the big columns et.al.

[e-dub]

As I recall, Building A has a great Art Deco façade at street level... plus, I believe there is another Lifeway building next to it that is Greek revival and beautiful... with the big columns et.al.

building a is indeed one of our few art deco pieces. re: the one with the columns, are you sure you're not talking about this beauty?

https://www.google.com/maps/place/DevDigital/@36.160685,-86.783246,3a,90y,242.53h,108.68t/data=!3m4!1e1!3m2!1sOD3Y1O-53VJrsg1_fqnjrA!2e0!4m2!3m1!1s0x0:0xd4db82ec4192b543!6m1!1e1

[rookzie]

didn't read article, but it was "dramatized" on the local TV news Wed. evening on at least one station. Building A (known as the Sullivan Tower) shown in volsfanwill's earth view is the most historic of all the structures. To me it's the most striking of all the structures, not merely because of its elevation, but particularly because of its design. Situated on the western portion of downtown, this imposing "headhouse" structure represents one of Nashville's largest of its vestiges from the late part of the Art Deco fashion period. Its limestone facing embedded with a carved thick red granite portal surrounding the main entry. It would be a cryin' shame to not re-purpose that one of the few remaining towers of its style and footprint.

Actually the tower was erected in 1953, couple of years after I came around, so its design might more appropriately be called "post-war deco", since by that point in US commercial construction most designs had evolved from the highly or moderately detailed cornices, fascias, and entrance portals of the true Art Deco period which basically ended in the US with the advent of WW-II. The Sullivan Tower appears to represent one of those transitional designs, with early post-modern functional look, blended with classical themes of granite and marble in the lobbies and other common interior areas.

Around 1992 we lost a lesser but also no less attractive structure of the early Deco period, at the southeast corner of Sixth and Church St. ─ the Sudekum building (Tennessee Theater). It may seem unlikely that Sullivan Tower would get razed, in consideration that that particular edifice may very well be deemed an asset by a developer, because of its unique character, but then you just can't take that assumption for granted around here.

And then again, as captainwjm stated, sale of the property is only under consideration.

-==-

Edited August 15, 2014 by rookzie

[titanhog]

The area around the bars on Demonbreun across from 1515 will now be known as Demonbreun Hill.

 

http://www.musicrow.com/2014/07/industry-ink-demonbreun-hill-debuts/

[nashvillwill]

I love how these developers work;

"Hear Ye, Hear Ye. I claim this soil as my own with divine authority. Henceforth, and forever more, it shall bear the name.....Demonbreun Hill. Lo! No man shall disagree or he shall meet....my.....sword!"

[MLBrumby]

LOL... I suppose Music Row Roundabout just sounds too downmarket for those trying to sell condos there. 

[satalac]

Nope, I'm going to call it Nekkid Circle.

[rookzie]

Nope, I'm going to call it Nekkid Circle.

...that's likely what locals call it anyway. (or Nekkid "Rotary", as traffic circles are referred to in the Boston area.

-==-

[Paramount747]

Posted this in the forum meet thread. Anyone up for a mini meet, let me know.

[nashvillwill]

This is a little random, but I thought you guys may enjoy it. The Foo Fighters (a rock band, if you live in a cave) just released a new album. The cover art includes an aerial photo of a fictitious city, which includes landmark buildings from all over America. The band calls it "a musical map of America".

If you look to the bottom right, you can see the Parthenon.

Edited August 16, 2014 by nashvillwill

[UTgrad09]

This is a little random, but I thought you guys may enjoy it. The Foo Fighters (a rock band, if you live in a cave) just released a new album. The cover art includes an aerial photo of a fictitious city, which includes landmark buildings from all over America. The band calls it "a musical map of America".

If you look to the bottom right, you can see the Parthenon.

 

Aside from the pretty obvious New York, LA, Chicago, Washington, and Seattle, it also looks like Austin (Frost tower, bottom left?) and New Orleans (Superdome, bottom center) are there. I don't see Memphis or Detroit (I may be missing something), but those would definitely be two cities I would include.