donNdonelson

WOW, I was unaware of the situation covered in this article! Looks like East Nashville would, indeed, have a Publix right now, but for the unwillingness of the city planners to work with the developer to get the project done. Too bad!

Publix does urban store locations in many cities. I've shopped in Publix stores near downtown Tampa, Atlanta and Greenville, SC and they are very busy locations for the chain. My guess is that their studies of the numbers do not make financial sense for East Nashville at this time. There WAS talk of a Publix being included in a development that was proposed for the Music Row Roundabout area.

Sorry, I am doing something wrong and have not been able to attach the pic...but there is the oxblue webcam where you can see both the convention center and the omni/country music hall of fame expansion construction as they continue to grow! http://oxblue.com/open/clarkconstruction/nashvilleconventioncenter

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!

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

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.

My point is that the name would not seem so completely inappropriate if it were in a less trendy/hip/up and coming location...but seems remarkably TACKY and out of place in the gulch. I was not raising a question as to whether or not the neighborhood is, indeed, "up and coming." (I think the Gulch is becoming a beautiful part of the city)

May as well go ahead and call it "Klassy Kocktails and Kouture" so we can get the whole KKK imagery going...if you want to project a backward, hicksville image, that is!!! This is a seriously STUPID name for a business in what is supposed to be an up-and-coming neighborhood!

A "May Town-type" development is in the works for Donelson already...north of I-40 between Donelson Pike and Stewarts Ferry Pike. I am in full support of that project (and I live VERY nearby) AND I support the May Town project in Bells Bend also. Well planned and executed, both these projects can contribute to the form and function of our community.

The building that stood at the corner of Church Street and Fifth Ave. was home of the Cain-Sloan Department Store and was not a historic structure. The historic Castner-Knott building still stands at the corner of Church Street and Capital Ave. and is fully renovated and home to Morton's Steak House and office space.

As for the James Robertson Apartments.....that is a MDHA section 8 building and I think it very unlikely that it would ever be handed over to private development.

As happy as I was to see the new public library built downtown, I was saddened that it meant the move of Watkins College of Art out to Metro Center. It was a great shot of young energy to see those art students coming and going to classes. I whole heartedly agree that that youthful energy is a great addition to a downtown. Maybe some of the local institutions will see a need to add a downtown campus for an urban studies institute or some such program. We can dream, eh?

I am in Portland right now and have really enjoyed riding the great streetcar system. Many times my thoughts have wandered to how this system could be adapted and function in the Nashville area. I've pictured a route that circulates from downtown to Baptist hospital, Vanderbilt, Hillsboro Village back through Midtown and the Gulch and returning to the center of the city. Another that might work well right away would be a line from downtown into East Nashville. If the connections could be close to the current Music City Star station it could improve ridership on the commuter line. (I've also dreamed that Nashville could have the beautiful canopy of green trees that Portland has, but the climate and soil conditions here are more suited to that ammenity.)

I think the May Town Center development is a true win-win situation for Metro Nashville. It provides space for concentrated, planned and quality growth AND secures the conservation of over 800 acres of the land FOREVER. Suburban sprawl deeper and deeper into rural Middle Tennessee is a much less desirable alternative.

The footprint for the new Music City Center does include the parcel where the Greyhound station is situated, so YES, the bus station WILL be moving.

I'm out of town on an extended business trip and am curious about the progress of construction on the Hutton Hotel on West End. Any pics would be appreciated!!