Parkway Towers Catches Fire

[MTSUBlueraider86]

Won't keep this thread up too long, but news of a 21 story tower on fire deserves some discussion at least temporarily.

http://www.wkrn.com/story/18643751/downtown-high-rise-fire

[East Side Urbanite]

During the course of the past 10 years of so, I've grown to like Parkway Tower. Not sure why. Glad the damage was minimal.

WW

[UTgrad09]

During the course of the past 10 years of so, I've grown to like Parkway Tower. Not sure why. Glad the damage was minimal.

WW

I'm not sure why, either.

There are a few sort of plain/ugly highrises that have grown on me over the years (I wouldn't go as far as 'like', but I don't dislike them)...such as the older gold Third National Bank building on 4th, the First American (now Regions) Center, and the James K Polk building, despite the hideous concrete block it sits on.

But the Parkway Towers....there is no element...no angle of that building that I like. I'm happy that the fire didn't cause much damage to the offices in there, but part of me wishes it had caused a little structural damage, just so they would have to blow the thing up.

I think most of the reason I loathe it is the parking garage it sits on. If the 'tower' part of the building stretched all the way down, it would still be fugly, but I could probably stomach it. But it's a fugly building on top of one of the fugliest parking garages in the city (and that's saying a lot, because we have some awful looking garages). That building, and most of what sits around it, makes me want to puke.

Of course, I also have dreams of that property and several of the blocks around it being redeveloped into mid and highrise residential, eventually connecting downtown, Sulphur Dell, and Germantown into one dense, cohesive hood. Probably won't happen any time soon, considering that's right next to the CJC, and the state really needs to consolidate their vast parking lots east of the Bicentennial Mall...but one can dream.

[NashRugger]

This, along with the Regions Center, both need an extensive exterior rehab or recladding.

[MTSUBlueraider86]

It's a fine building, and the Law Offices of Bart Durham take up most of the leased spaced. My wife had a commercial shoot up there a few months back. She said the inside was fairly nice.

[it was constructed back in 1966-1968 when footprints were small, architectural style was post modern, and 21 stories was a massive building for Nashville. This was the same era as the Suntrust Building at 201 4th Avenue North, The Andrew Jackson Tower on Union Street, and the 12 story Fidelity Federal Building on Union Street. Buildings of 150 -275 feet were major buildings in Nashville at that time. No one thought the L&C Tower would ever be surpassed at 409 feet. Then in 1970, the year the Doors released Morrison Hotel/Hard Rock Cafe, The then National Life and Casualty Tower opened at 452 feet. The height wars were now on, and these smaller high rises were all but forgotten. From then on it seemed 300 feet minimum would be the standard.]

Unfortunately it is located where there is no foreseeable development in the future. That side of the core is not zoned for residential and most of the area is surface parking lots boarded by bail bonds services.

I think the last time the building sold, it was for around 17 million. Unfortunately just like the Sheraton Hotel, it will stay a pleasant eyesore for decades to come. The only hope is the area becomes zoned for residential, and the building can be converted.