CenterHill

Agree with you. I also run and bike on the greenway and have no issues with the homeless camper guy. Sure I’m aware he’s there, but he doesn’t bother anyone on the greenway. Same with campers along the Cumberland greenway along the riverfront. Some people are bothered by this, I guess, but the greenway here along the CSX tracks is a great amenity for downtown residents and workers. The reason for my asking is simply that I’d hate to lose it. So, good to hear the intent is to retain the greenway even if it ends up being relocated slightly. Thanks, all.

Who owns the strip of land the greenway runs through between Eleven Eleven and CSX? I’d hate to lose this greenway segment.

Yes. And one massive magnolia

There are several reasons for that. Permission, mods, to remain on this topic. Memphis is blessed with Mississippi delta alluvial soil, unlike Nashville which sits on a limestone shelf and has shallow, rocky and, let’s just say it, poor soil. I grew up in Missouri on the Mississippi River about 2 hours north of Memphis with soil similar to Memphis. It makes for some of the best crop land soil in the country and all plants, including trees, thrive in it. Many year ago, I gave my mother recommendations for some of the same trees and shrubs I was planting here in Nashville and she planted them in her yard there along the Mississippi. Today those trees are twice or three times the size of mine here in Nashville. The first answer is - it’s the soil. But the second reason is Memphis, and by that I mean people - homeowners, property owners, developers - in Memphis respect their grand heritage trees, of which there are many. Massive beautiful oaks - red oaks, shumard oaks, willow oaks, white oaks - fill the mid-town neighborhoods, along with tulip poplars, elms, pecans, walnuts and the largest river birches I’ve ever seen. Property owners and developers recognize them as an asset to the property value, rather than an impediment. One of my biggest issues with Nashville is we don’t respect trees, never have. Developers here clear cut lots and forested parcels on a whim, then don’t replant trees or they replant tiny trees (redbuds seem to be developers’ go-to) and usually the wrong species of trees for middle Tennessee (why all the Japanese Zelkovas?). A few years ago, the Virgin Hotel was an antebellum home in a grove of large old oaks. To the comment that other cities have better urban forests. Yeah, but overall Davidson County’s urban tree cover is still pretty dense, although getting less so as infill removes so many historic trees. We have waaay too many hackberries (see bad soil), but we’re still pretty dense. The inner loop, however, is the exception - severely lacking in urban parks and any sort of vibrant street tree environment. Nashville has an office of “Urban Forester”, but it is largely a ceremonial position, underfunded and ineffective. The whole infrastructure for urban street trees in the inner loop is inadequate. The main reason, imo, is the well size for street trees is too small. Probably written into Metro sidewalk codes 60 years ago. The 3’x3’ cuts with a new tree planted in essentially gravel on bedrock just doesn’t allow the tree to grow. Not enough water, air and nutrients can feed the roots. Look at the trees planted in the larger tree beds along Church St. and more recently the west side of Fifth between Church and Union. Trees in those larger beds are much larger and healthier than their counterparts planted at the same time in the small sidewalk cuts. And not to mention, once a sidewalk tree goes in, that’s the end. Metro is in charge of the street trees, but provides no maintenance, feeding, watering, mulching, pruning, etc. You’re on your own, son, good luck. Hell, we cut down trees in our downtown because birds(!) nest in them (looking at you, Church Street Park and Schermerhorn). Anyway, this is from years of study and observation on these matters, and apologies for a bit of a rant on Nashville’s dendrological efforts. Yes, I love walking around Memphis and admiring their amazing trees. And, btw, if you really want to see an amazing urban forest, visit Seattle.

Correct

Right. Metro schools use these fields for their boys and girls soccer games. Many/most metro middle and high schools don’t have regulation size soccer pitches on their campuses. This just seems so on brand for Metro to want to take away some of the few decent athletic fields from MNPS.

Wow, that’s wild.

Long live the Springwater!

Lordy. That's going to win somebody a "Project of the Year" award at the next Asphalt Pavers Convention

The ivy looks great. Love it.

"Money So they say Is the root of all evil today."

Not that 505 was designed with this in mind, but in retrospect I'm sure it turned out to be a plus for the condo owners once 505 management decided to convert the apartment portion to STRs (Stay Alfred).

Hurling is already very popular here among the bachelorettes. Agree it’s wild to watch

I figured that was inevitable with the construction. I do hope the greenway will reopen/be rebuilt when Peabody Union opens. Now if we could just re-design the segment through Ascend so it would not have to remain permanently closed.

The exterior upgrades, even if just paint, are an improvement. Is it an actual hotel or STRs?

Same. I love it. I think the final result when OneHotel is complete will look incredible. I'd like to see more "living walls" incorporated into downtown architecture.

I was by there on Friday. The trees are English Oaks. Good choice for a street tree and they’ll retain their columnar form. There are several of these planted on the 3rd Ave side of Parkway Towers downtown that have been there for 40-50 years. The city does zero maintenance on them and they’ve not only survived but have thrived.

I seriously doubt they planted lombardy poplars. Those fell out of favor years ago, for the reasons you mention. It’s hard to tell from those photos but I think more likely they are elms or willow oaks. I’ll look next time I’m by there.

Awesome. I'll be there tomorrow night

Is that fill material, brought in to raise the overall level of the site?

Does it involve Haven and the meteor?

Ha. I had a similar reaction. Does posting your name on this project win you more business or lose you business?

So it’s the new owner undertaking the excavation? And new owner hasn’t pulled permits either? I’m a little confused

Good lord. The partial excavation and removal of vegetation, allegedly done without permits or financing, is criminally irresponsible. The runoff from each heavy rain is going to create serious environmental issues for adjacent property owners. I do hope Metro nails this person and requires some sort of mitigation to stabilize the site.

Airbnb have figured out it’s not hard to get state legislators to override Metro council. They will not stop until they have unrestricted access in all neighborhoods.