Deepdish53

EB Blvd is going to raise up to the current grade of the KVB bridge where it's shown to intersect. There will be minor bridge modifications to allow for an intersection, but no major rebuild of the KVB bridge. Additionally, Bob was discussing the temporary condition where Fallon is planning to develop their adjacent parcels prior to the rest of the central waterfront developing. They will be responsible for constructing the portion of the boulevard (from KVB to Victory) that fronts their parcels. Other development further along the boulevard will be responsible for constructing their portions of the boulevard.

Not sure when exactly this year it's starting, but I know that Southwest is going to be doing daily non-stop flights to Cancun. I've got Thursday and Wednesday flights booked through them direct to Cancun in early March so they'll at least be in service by then.

Just as an FYI - it looks like the Hilton hotel is now accepting reservations starting on February 26. Not sure if I missed any announcements about an opening date, but it seems like it might be late February.

Connecting this stretch of 3rd avenue would be a huge improvement for connectivity from WeHo into downtown, but unfortunately I don't believe it's feasible. It would involve reconstructing the interstate, its associated ramps, Lafayette St, and the ramp intersections with 4th and 2nd streets, as well as the construction of a new bridge to support 3rd avenue. Not to mention if the interstate is raised to provide enough clearance for another bridge underneath it, the limits of construction to get back down to the existing interstate could possibly extend to the two T-interchanges to I-65 and I-24 on either side (as well as the pedestrian bridge that extends from Academy Place). It isn't unreasonable to assume all three of those major structures would need to be rebuilt in some way to meet interstate standards for vertical geometry. Outside of complete removal of the highway (which is an idea others on the board have floated) I doubt there would be a good justification for spending hundreds of millions of dollars to reconnect 3rd avenue.

A traditional roundabout would certainly have numerous problems keeping it from being a realistic option (as you've laid out), but I do wonder if a dumbbell roundabout design (typically used with highway interchanges) would be possible. I haven't worked with them enough to know the ideal distance between the connecting roundabouts, but it seems like this could be a good candidate to have two smaller diameter roundabouts that would help with the offsets for deflection without having to alter the approaches too much. Ultimately I think grade would still be the constraint keeping it from being a feasible option, but it seems like a more reasonable option geometrically and could be worth exploring.

Metro has the East Bank Infrastructure RFQ out right now that includes preliminary design of the rebuild of James Robertson (with the goal being to essentially remove the viaduct cutting through the EB). That's definitely the plan and something that Metro is recognizing as a priority.

Based on some other comments it seems that this will still be tied up in litigation for another month or two, but I just wanted to double check and make sure nothing had moved on this front. Major demo started on Monday and these two buildings are now almost completely scraped off the lot.

Not sure how permanent it is, but I'd assume if this is the fix for the traffic situation until Donelson Pike can get relocated and the traffic flow within BNA can get reworked then the signage will probably be there for a good while. For what it's worth, it seems like this may be a good fix if folks start using this system. Exit 216B ends up looping you in to the left side of traffic at the choke point, while Exit 216A brings you in on the right side. One of the major contributing factors to why 216A is currently backing up on the interstate consistently is people are parked in their cars at arrivals waiting for folks. The resulting line of cars blocks all three lanes of traffic because cars are going from the right side to the left, which means people can't get to departures which is relatively free flowing in comparison. If 216B is marked for arrivals, that long line of folks behind parked cars can be kept to the left side of the choke point (and ultimately spill out on to Donelson Pike instead of I-24 if necessary), keeping the right side clear for folks coming in from 216A to go to departures.

For what it’s worth, I’ve heard anecdotally from a few folks that I know who work in downtown Nashville office buildings that they’re starting to see more folks in their buildings and more build-outs of office space seem to be happening in their buildings than in the last couple of years. I know that Peabody Plaza has the last couple floors currently being built out right now and will officially be fully leased by the end of the year (sans the one remaining retail space right at the corner of Hermitage and KVB). Wouldn’t surprise me if we’re doing a little better than the national average on office occupancy with the number of people who have relocated here since the pandemic.

I think the illusion is that the columns are no longer sloped but the actual concrete floorplate is still sloping. My guess is that the columns will step back slightly with each floor while the floorplate will continue to open up that V angle as it rises. Probably done from a design perspective to avoid having the columns in question get too close to the columns outside of them as the V widens - you'd have some pretty narrow spaces as you got close to the top if that were the case.

Failed to get a picture, but this morning crews were moving the crane pieces from the Society Nashville property back to this one and reassembling it.

These should essentially work like check dams that will help reduce the velocity of the water in the drainage swales. Rather than having the water enter the swale and immediately flow to the end, they'll pond up in little pools where it's more likely to be absorbed by the soil and greatly reduces the chance of erosion. Seattle is the first place that came to mind that does this pretty frequently with their road design.

You have to think that part of what went into Nashville being chosen as their next hub (as opposed to Atlanta or Charlotte) is geography and how close they are to much of the midwest and south. Part of the reason In-N-Out has never expanded past their west coast and Texas/Colorado locations is they refuse to put stores any further than ~800 miles from their distribution hubs - any further than that and they're unable to guarantee their food to be as fresh as it is. They didn't have any presence in Texas until they opened a Dallas distribution center about a decade ago. Setting up shop in Nashville means they can open up locations all through the central and eastern United States, even if they still can't reach places like the northeast.

Did a little digging and found the build out plans for the space facing Hermitage - looks like the retail space is still going to be unfinished. Instead, AI Corporate Interiors is just building out an office space in part of the first floor. I've attached the full set of plans for anybody who's interested. 1598821208_FullSetPlans.pdf

This is from the list of projects that TDOT released a month or two ago that don’t have any funding but that they surmised could be built using the private-public partnership idea that they just came out with. I think there was a lot of discussion on the document in the Transportation and Mass Transit thread. Regardless - this is a recent proposal, but it’s one without a funding source and one that I can’t imagine will have any real momentum any time soon.