[The Transportation and Mass Transit Megathread]

I think that's a fair enough take. Again, I will definitely support the proposal and I've already signed the petition. I don't want to see this effort tanked just because some of us feel that West Nashville is underserved. I just want to see a bit more analysis of what factored into the decision-making process for routes. The preliminary plans sort of gave us an expectation that it would go further down Charlotte Pike, but I will suck it up and deal with it if extending it further there makes less sense right now. 

It appears that there will be public meetings for each corridor. So, I will address my concerns at that time. 

[The Transportation and Mass Transit Megathread]

1 hour ago, Pdt2f said:

Does the density of Charlotte between 440 and White Bridge warrant a light rail? It's mostly single family homes, with a few apartment complexes scattered in around 40th-46th avenues. Traffic issues in that stretch aren't too bad, and it's kind of built up so there's not much stock behind wanting to spur additional development. The lack of high density, the lack of developable space, the lack of office space that commuters are trying to reach, the lack of bad traffic issues, and the relative lack of large numbers of lower income residents who need access to public transit makes it kind of unnecessary to me to add rail just for symmetry or whatever. 

There seems to be a fair number of used car lots, light industrial, older retail, and other underdeveloped lots ripe for redevelopment along  and near the Charlotte corridor to my eye. Personally, I would like to see that entire shopping center at Morrow Road redeveloped at some point.  I also think that traffic situation can be problematic particularly when there's an accident or construction along I-40.  

That said, I understand if the current density and bus ridership make the corridor a less attractive option than the proposed longer lines in other corridors. I simply would like to see it compared to the density, single-family homes, etc. in other areas so I have a better understanding of why the area will be underserved in this plan.

[The Transportation and Mass Transit Megathread]

Is the current density of the Charlotte Pike corridor to White Bridge that much lower than the far reaches of the light rail lines through other corridors? I would love to see a comparison. 

I will support the plan regardless, but I am a bit disappointed to see that West Nashville will be so underserved given the current growth taking place along Charlotte Pike. I don't see the value in extending it to Nashville West at the moment, but not extending it to White Bridge seems like a missed opportunity to me and is somewhat visually jarring even just looking at the map. 

For me personally, it's a bit disheartening to have pushed for a better transit system for years and committed to living in a close-in Nashville neighborhood only to see that the first major viable plan will essentially ignore your burgeoning area.  So, I'll be supporting a line that will likely end up being impractical for me to frequently use unless I move. 

[Buckingham Gulch Tower 38 Floors, 450+ ft., 345 residential units, 4,900 sq. ft. retail]

Start of proposed Gulch project placed on indefinite hold

Quote

Indianapolis-based Buckingham Cos. has put on indefinite hold its development of a 38-story mixed-use tower in The Gulch, Nashville Business Journal reports.

The triangle-shaped parking lot on which the tower had been eyed is located at the southwest corner of the intersection of Division Street and 12th Avenue South.

In mid-October 2015, Buckingham won approval from the Metro Board of Zoning Appeals. That permission was valid up to two years shelf life but has since lapsed, NBJ reports. The company did not seek to obtain building permits during the timespan.

The project met with some opposition, as some residents of Terrazzo, Icon and Twelve Twelve argued the tower would block their views. Buckingham undertook sunlight studies and agreed to various conditions and changes so as to work with the opposition.

 

[Ritz Carlton Hotel /Residential (46 stories & 32 stories, 240 rooms, 150 condos, 185 apts,), 560 capacity garage]

Since we're not really getting much of a crown, I think it would help if the glass was a different tint than the blue that's been so common in the recent SoBro towers. Is there a reason why so many of these towers have a similar tint? 

[Bridgestone HQ 30 stories - 460' | Retail.U/C]

It looked like they were testing the Predators color scheme and Christmas colors (green and red) for a brief period last night. 

I know we were initially a little worried about the lighting scheme, but I must say that I was quite impressed with how great the lighting looked from Ascend Amphitheater last night. 

[505 CST - 545 feet - 45 Floors]

I saw the lights changing colors on one of the corners last night from a concert at Ascend Amphitheater. It looked like they were alternating between red, white, and blue. 

[Inside 440 - Berry Hill, Midtown, Vanderbilt, 12S, WeHo, Fairgrounds, etc.]

That looks fantastic! It would be a welcomed addition to West End Avenue.

 

[Four Seasons Hotel and Residences, 40 stories, 542', $400 million]

5 hours ago, smeagolsfree said:

Moving forward.

[Nashville Yards, 15 acres/4 million sq. ft./ $1 billion, Phase I: Grand Hyatt Hotel (25 stories), Phase II: Amazon (26 & 22 stories), Phase III: AEG District (4 K theater, 34 & 35 story apts); Phase IV: Pinnacle Tower (35 stories), Amazon 3 (43)]

Yes, we seem to be on the path to building good core density without much height. This proposal looks great, but I definitely hoped we would get a tall tower or two from this one. 

[IKEA to Nashville]

I'm very happy to see that IKEA chose Davidson County as well. This is great news for the Antioch area. 

[Repurposed/revitalized historical buildings in Nashville]

On 4/30/2017 at 7:26 AM, markhollin said:

114 2nd Ave. South was featured here on March 17th.  Here is an update on the interior of the soon-to-be-opened Headquarters Beercade in the 107 year-old structure:

http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2017/04/28/see-inside-headquarters-beercade-downtown-nashville/100707368/

 

 

This looks great. I would love to see more entertainment options like this downtown. 

[5th & Broadway | 501 Commerce | NMAAM | 34 story apt, 26 story office, + 183,000 sq. ft. of Retail]

This is such an exciting and transformative project for Nashville. I don't remember when I've been so excited about a major project. 

[5th & Broadway | 501 Commerce | NMAAM | 34 story apt, 26 story office, + 183,000 sq. ft. of Retail]

[Bridgestone HQ 30 stories - 460' | Retail.U/C]

^ They really need to put up the railing on the roof to cover up the HVAC units. That would help tremendously. 

[Inner Loop - CBD, Downtown, East Bank, Germantown, Gulch, Rutledge]

^ Very excited about this as well. My partner has worked for the Morales family for years. They do excellent work, treat people well, and care about Nashville's history and progress.

[Inner Loop - CBD, Downtown, East Bank, Germantown, Gulch, Rutledge]

It's so depressing to see all the beautiful structures that we've lost! 

Regarding Walgreens, I agree with Bna here. I'm perfectly cool with a Walgreens around Lower Broadway as I'm sure it will be a lucrative and practical addition. I'm not sure why they're so adamant about it being right on Lower Broadway especially with so much new construction underway and planned around KVB. I suppose they think the visibility on Lower Broadway would be unmatched. 

If Walgreens wants a location on Lower Broadway, I would like to see the city demand that the store be top-of-the-line similar to Walgreens located at by The Venetian on the Las Vegas Strip. I believe I posted about that store when I was last in Vegas and the Trail West location was still being debated. That store was far nicer and more comprehensive than a run-of-the-mill Walgreens. We should certainly demand something more unique and polished if such a large chain drugstore is seeking a marquee location in the heart of our entertainment district. 

[505 CST - 545 feet - 45 Floors]

This is definitely excellent news! My fingers are crossed that some sort of lighting component is added as well.

[Nashville Bits and Pieces]

Sounds like a perfect fit for either Fifth + Broadway or the Mainland Cos. proposal for the roundabout. 

[Inner Loop - CBD, Downtown, East Bank, Germantown, Gulch, Rutledge]

2 hours ago, titanhog said:

What do you have to do to make that land viable for development again?

The land would have to be remediated to ensure against high concentrations of dangerous chemicals such arsenic, lead, etc. The property could very well be designated as a  Superfund site under CERCLA.

[133 KVB (two 49 story towers of 574’ & 512’ featuring condos, apartments, hotel, ground level retail, public park & 8 levels of parking)]

53 minutes ago, Vrtigo said:

I feel your sentiment here and agree that the whole guitar thing is kinda tacky, but unless I'm missing something, nobody has actually built one yet. We've seen several proposals riffing on the idea, but none have ever come to fruition. It's not like the city is overflowing with them already, right?

Personally, I feel like there's room for one here somewhere so that the whole developer community can get the whole gaudy idea out of their systems.

Meh. I don't want even one of those types of buildings and, to be perfectly frank, I want less downtown development with entertainment components focused primarily on catering to same idealized country music tourism mystique. We need to strive for a better balance and broader reach with our entertainment options downtown. It's becoming increasingly cringe-worthy as we see the "Nashvegas" schtick amped up on Lower Broadway and environs. Sick of these new, celebrity-driven honky tonks that basically seem like more glossy caricatures of other honky tonks. Sick of Second Avenue's continued evolution into an extension of instead of an alternative to Lower Broadway like it once felt. It creates this pervasive image that Nashville is strictly for country music whether it's true or not. 

I'm fine with most of that stuff on Lower Broadway, but think it's crucial to the long-term appeal of Nashville to have a broader vision than the current hyperfocus on catering to the same kind of tourists. For me, we cannot get Fifth + Broadway built fast enough and I'm waiting with bated breath to see if they'll ruin it with some unnecessary theme tying it to Lower Broadway. I have long craved a downtown with an array of entertainment options that's truly more representative of all Nashville has to offer instead of the feel of some SEC school frat party on steroids. That will be one of our first opportunities. 

[133 KVB (two 49 story towers of 574’ & 512’ featuring condos, apartments, hotel, ground level retail, public park & 8 levels of parking)]

Love the idea of a massive, 40-story complex on KVB. However, I loathe these preliminary renderings. It's time for Nashville to move beyond large buildings with the overly kitschy, heavy-handed guitar themes. I'm fine with more subtle nods to the city's musical heritage like we've seen in the MCC and proposed Embassy Suites/Curio. I also love the idea of more retail (as long as it's not aimed strictly at tourists!). It's going to be a hard "hell to the no" on a giant guitars on buildings for me, though.  

[Nashville Bits and Pieces]

I love Toronto! I haven't been there in quite some time. It's definitely a city that I want to get back to soon. 

[Nashville Yards, 15 acres/4 million sq. ft./ $1 billion, Phase I: Grand Hyatt Hotel (25 stories), Phase II: Amazon (26 & 22 stories), Phase III: AEG District (4 K theater, 34 & 35 story apts); Phase IV: Pinnacle Tower (35 stories), Amazon 3 (43)]

[Embassy Suites (30 stories, 500 rooms), 1 Hotel (18 stories, 221 rooms)]

With these towers alongs with JW Marriott, Bridgestone, Westin, and Cambria nearby, I think the First Baptist Church property fronting Demonbreun looks increasingly ripe for a tall proposal. I would love to see a tower taller than 505 there anchoring the SoBro skyline.