Jamie Hall

There should've been more effort to work with SMI long ago when the first opportunity came along. As I recall, the Formosas were chosen instead of SMI for reasons that still confound me. A massive, professionally operated complex in Nashville that includes an MLS-level stadium, a NASCAR-level short track, and several acres of vendor space has a crazy amount of potential -- a lot of cities would envy our position right now and are probably baffled to see us screwing it up.

Don't worry, the cow ghosts will likely haunt the gourmet burger joint that will inevitably occupy one of the retail spaces.

^^^ My thoughts exactly. Seems like this project is moving along slooooowly. Was there a snag, or just a lot of early foundation work required?

If I'm an out-of-town guest planning a week-long vacation in Nashville, I'd stay at the Graduate in a heartbeat. Unlike many of the nondescript, cookie-cutter chain hotels downtown, this one screams Nashville and makes its guests feel like they're part of a fun, exciting community. This hotel becomes part of the guest's Nashville experience instead of an afterthought or just a place to sleep at night.

Can't say the Macy's closing is a surprise. It's a matter of time before somebody buys the entire Rivergate property, razes it, and redevelops it into the next Providence Marketplace, The Avenue, Streets of Indian Lake, etc. Indoor shopping malls (most of them) just aren't popular these days. Neither are department stores.

I love it. It's the ultimate in fun, tacky, Southern chic.

Have they announced the retail portion yet? It's been hard to keep track of who has and hasn't.

I'm happy to see any kind of addition to the One Bellevue Place development -- I've been in that area there a few times for shopping and for lunch/dinner, and it never seems as busy as I would have expected. I worry that some of those places might be struggling.

Cheaper by comparison, but even those areas aren't as cheap as they used to be.

Now as it comes together more clearly, it does appear to be on the smaller side. Attractive building, though.

Very cool photos. I'd always heard that Lower Broadway was a lot different in the '70s and '80s, but I didn't realize it was such an eclectic mix.

I vaguely remember reading some sort of national business story months ago that said these physical Amazon stores are intended to be temporary and not necessarily long-term. I'm not 100% sure on that, but it would help explain the minimalist design.

With the level of angst and partisanship in DC these days, I'm surprised this is still an annual thing. That tree will be lucky if somebody doesn't try to turn it into kindling along the way. (Please Santa, don't let it happen in Nashville.)

It's fascinating to see how Church Street was "the" main street in downtown Nashville for much of the 1900s. How did Church Street rise to that prominence rather than Broadway in that era, considering Broadway seemed to have easier access and (probably) better access to parking? Was that intentional planning by the city or just a gradual progression?

I wondered that myself. I've been in fast-food joints in several metro CBDs, and of course they all attract a wide-ranging cast of characters from businessmen to the homeless, but that's to be expected. It would seem that a McDonald's or other fast-food spot would thrive 24/7 in downtown Nashville -- surely it would generate cash flow and afford those pricey leases easier than some of our existing boot shops and candy stores.

Those are such amazing images of a classic time for Nashville. When theater chains build modern downtown/urban theaters, has there been any instance in which they've incorporated some of the old-style decor or architecture as an homage to classic downtown theaters? Just wondering if there's a chance that the new movie theater being built as part of Nashville Yards might take that approach.

It's hard to imagine that McDonald's and Wendy's couldn't survive downtown. Surely they'd love to have those storefronts back in 2019.

I don't doubt that SMI is looking out for its best interests as a for-profit company, but I think they could bring a lot of new interest to the fairgrounds track because of their close ties to NASCAR and their history in the industry. If ever there was a time for Metro to work with a viable partner to invest in the track, this seems like a good one to explore. Also, keep in mind that NASCAR's year-end banquet is coming up in Nashville in early December. Maybe the timing is purely coincidental, but that sure would be a picture-perfect time for NASCAR and Metro officials to stand on a stage and announce that they've agreed to bring the series back to Nashville.

Should've kept the Mexican restaurant and sacrificed the Sbarro across the street, if I had my druthers. But Guy's place should be a popular addition to that section of Second Avenue.

That was my understanding, too. Reading between the lines in the media coverage months ago, it sounded like SMI was ready but had to wait and see how long Formosa would be around because his contract issues. It wouldn't surprise me if the fair board had a contract sitting on SMI's desk yesterday.

I took an out-of-town guest to Woolworth's on Fifth for lunch a few weeks ago, and we cut through The Arcade to get back to our parking garage. He had a lot of comments about how cool The Arcade was and how it's such an interesting feature for a downtown area. I (unfortunately) often forget that we have it in our own city, but I have a hunch that it's often overlooked because of the way it blends into the streetscape, which is a shame.

New rule: To appease the SOF crowd, the winning artwork must be built entirely from items purchased at the Fairgrounds' monthly flea market.

I hadn't noticed until just now that the windows also incorporate that angled design that's implemented throughout the building's exterior. So yes, it is another "box" -- but credit to the designers for putting effort and a few extra bucks into making it a more interesting box.

Talk about a poke in the eye to Davidson and Metro Nashville -- just imagine if Ingram gets a spiteful mood and takes his team to Williamson County as form of protest.

I was a critic of the exterior, but the interior does look good -- it's Floridian without the over-the-top tacky vibe that I feared. Now just replace that Starbucks with a margarita bar and I'm a customer for life.