it's just dave

I'll be in NC's Outer Banks for my nephew's wedding so won't be able to make this one.

So true, producer, I hope to get a season pass even if I can't afford to live there right away. Maybe I can at least flume zoom down the Ghost Ballet much to the chagrin of the New Metallians living on the east bank in New MetalsTowne. But, as we all know, with season passes (discounted for UP registrants, unless banned) all things are possible, even for us "regular folk." Gee, if only they'd let me in the big new skycraper on that little bitty plot of land downtown so I wouldn't feel so excluded from the whole of Nashville's public realm.

Seems there's some long awaited news on at least part of the PSC Metals site. The way California's Mark's family is buying land in Nashville's core, we're sure, before long, to see some pretty dramatic use plans for those sites. With PSC, this might the first step in realizing a dream all Nashvillians have had for way too long now. First steps are good. http://tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/articl...NESS02/70425017

Don't everybody get all freaky about this. It has something to do with the maintenance levels. I didn't hear all T said about it, but it come up and didn't seem much like a big deal. I was still too busy sneaking donuts to listen too carefully. This is no biggie.

We now have a new fence, new pretty pictures, and a sales center. Start date? Anybody's guess. I'm gonna give it an 8, just because I know TG REALLY believes in this project. It just seems to me that not all those folks with their big yards and multi-million dollar houses are gonna want to stay there after the kids grow up and mow grass. There's thousands of these big-butt houses all over and we're only talking 400 condos? The math says he'll make it. At least many of us are pulling for ol' Tony.

jc, the Fuddrucker's site will be a commercial building with a new TGI Fridays, Jason's Deli and some other stuff. There's a thread on this somewhere. And at Jim Reed, they're building a new facility for the Hyundai dearlership.

I'm sure all of us are quite aware of the actual, hard, cut and dry facts of this project. It may or may not be built. But, squashing dreams and enthusiasm with trite, although true, essentials reality isn't in the best interest of creative and productive thought. See Plan of Nashville. All these parental sounding factoids to return the balance to the scale of fantasy vs. reality is quite devisive. Let the dreamers dream, the cheerleaders cheer, the realists be real. What if you kindergarten teaches slapped your hands for being excited over your little crude crayon drawings when you were four years old? Architects and engineers would probably be driving buses. Everybody loosen up and let everybody, on their own terms, enjoy this process without so much push as to who's right and who's wrong. And to keep it along the lines of the forum's philosophy on urban issues: What about the tower's impact on the street plantings? OMG, do you think the streetscape will suffer with no petunias because of a lack of sunshine in the shadow of a tall building. What impact will that have on the vital street activity with the light depravation. Will it drive the homeless from the warming sun of Church Street in the winter. If it does, where will they go? You get the idea. Don't get me wrong, I enjoy all the facts and the doses of realism. Jeeper, you seem to do it right without being judgemental and assigning tags. Maybe you can teach a class in that. Much appreciated.

metro, do you ever just come in to say hello. You don't make many friends here. This project is probably not just any project to follow all the standard protocols of towers "elsewhere." This city is very unique. It's too bad we have to keep pounding that into some people's heads. Remember, we are one of the world's largest recording and music centers, immense healthcare wealth, publishing, etc. We are the home to an unbelieveable amount of private wealth. These folks are literally everywhere. It might be hard for some to believe, but take our word for it, or not. It doesn't matter to me. The very wealthy don't often make a habit of broadcasting their every move. Those who cater to the very wealthy don't make a habit of it either. Maybe Keith and Nicole have bought a place. Maybe Oprah has bought one so she won't have to be in the way when she comes home from Thanksgiving. Maybe Donna Summer's in the mood for a place downtown. Michael McDonald might not want to drive all the back to Franklin after dinner or the symphony. Maybe Martha Ingram just wants to look down at the Schermerhorn after the concert. Maybe the hundreds of recording artists who come here to record (sorry to disappoint, but not all country with homes in the Nashville 'burbs) might want a place for their frequent visits instead of schlocking up in some hotel. Does it really matter? Maybe Tim and Faith might want to spend a little of their $100 million way plus income on a cozy little crash pad away from the kids. Maybe Alan Jackson doesn't want to turn on all the lights in that 30,000 sq ft. house and just wants to to take a nap. Nashville doesn't work the way other places work. My guess is that a large platter of crow will be overnighted to NC once this thing breaks ground. I certainly hope so. If not, I'll shoot my own crow. I've heard it's good deep-fried. And besides, I'm constantly confused why moderation insists on throwing water into the faces of the few folks in Nashville who actually get excited over this probable new building. What's that all about, anyway. I'd love to hear an explanation, or a analysis probed more deeply than the hole for Siggy. Let the guys have fun. This isn't The Times. Maybe it's time to go outside and get some air.

Almost commonplace? Just for fun, I did a realtor.com search for 4 areas, and here's what I came up with as current listings. My starting price was $1,000,000 minimum. And they went way up from there. Belle Meade: 46 properties $1m and up Green Hills (37215): 66 properties $1m and up ...and hold on to your hats: Brentwood: 112 properties $1m and up Franklin: 97 properties $1m and up. So, in just those 4 areas, today, there are 321 mostly single family homes for sale which start at $1,000,000. The most expensive I found in Brentwood was this cute little 21,000 sq. footer with 28 rooms on the pond for $7.9m. Sorry, but I don't want to vaccum a 40x20 living room. Lordy. Governor's Club...natch.

The facts are consistent with Gaylord's announcement except the 105-acre site. The expansion will use a 12-acre plot adjacent to the existing hotel. The 105-acre property is across Briely Parkway and development plans haven't been revealed except to say the area will be developed with a year-round entertainment project. Curious to hear what they have in mind.

Okay, let's all get lasik and have a big Urban Planet ballroom dance at Ming's place in 2010. I think it's great that Tony's confident enough to discourage flipping. Hopefully, the lights will come on quicker that way.

I've been hearing a lot of talk about Kohl's around the building out here. But that's all, just hearing it doesn' t make it so.

Here's and interesting little tib-bit from the NBJ. The story was about Eakin's SunTrust building downtown, but toward the end of the article was this: "Eakin Partners will soon bet more money on downtown Nashville's resurgence. The company's next project will be redeveloping 1201 Demonbreun St., a site now occupied by a tire store and bordered by Interstate 40 and 12th Street. "It's going to be a mixed-use project and is three times the size of SunTrust Plaza, but we're still figuring out the configuration we'll use," says Eakin. ---- Three times larger is almost a million sq. feet at Demonbreun and 12th. Now that should be something to watch for. SunTrust is supposed to wrap up in December, so maybe they'll start actually talking about this new one before long. Sure will look better than the tire store. So, with the new hotel at 13th and McGavock, this Eakin project, the Gulch...wonder how much longer Deja Vu will survive in that location. Sounds like a new spot for them will be in their future. That lot they're sitting on is pretty pricey real estate.

I drive that way pretty often when I go to Sam Ridley from Ingram Blvd. I noticed that huge expanse of land that looked like it had just been nuked. Hard to believe the changes out there in the past few years and it's only getting started. It'll be handy for me because I can hit Target, Home Depot and Lowes all before hitting the highway home. I'm eternally grateful I live in Nashville, and even more eternally grateful not to have all that around where I live, but we are at least finally getting our little Inglewood Home Depot (and I hear it'll be all brick and cool looking). Nothing else big, please, but at least that's someplace I want. I can't keep up with Rutherford anymore. Even though I used to live there, it's a foreign place to me now. And in a couple of more years, holy moly.

It's funny, geek, I was just thinking this morning on the way to work that I was almost gonna miss the Grand Prix aspect of Briley, all that twisting and turning is almost fun.

I hope Briley's parkway status is never changed. That's the only thing that keeps the large trucks from taking over. I love Briley for that reason more than anything. It's really turning into one helluva nice ride.

While driving Briley Parkway today and passing the Two Rivers exit, it was really good to see a large crane across the river in Shelby Bottoms. Lots of plants and animals, but no development in site....except this big ol' crane. Nice. They're finally getting started on that beautiful 700-ft long pedestrian bridge to connect the Shelby Bottoms Greenway to the Stones River leg via the under-the-8-lane tunnel. Very cool. About a 12-month project, I believe. I've been waiting for this, it'll be a stunner to see whether driving the parkway, cruising the river, or walking the greenway. I'm so glad it'll be so visible from Briley. I'll see if I can scare up a pic. I've seen one, but just don't recall when or where.

Not only does it play better off the Ryman, it'll play better with the Church of Christ next door, the Presbyterian church, St. Cloud Corner, the west side of the new SunTrust, possibly what will happen at the NCC, and other older structures around as well. It seems to provide more depth and interest at street level. With 5th Avenue's new loft and art gallery projects, I think the project's taken a turn for the better in term of street-friendliness. I try to envision standing on the plaza at Fifth Third and looking around and get the sense that connectivity with it surroundings played a big part in the changes. It looks friendlier, more inviting and less like a giant anomaly to what should be, in every respect, a huge player in the synergy of Church St. Good job, Charles. It only gets better and better. I agree with you on the cabanas, they tend to break a certain flow.

I really like the idea of developments happening around the rail line(s). It's very difficult to get people out of their cars, and even if they live in surburban areas, they can commute downtown via rail, and do the 'burb dance to their hearts content after they get home...and not wear out their expensive cars just driving to work and back. You're right, heckles, this is a start. Hopefully, developers will also see it that way and begin to refine their directions with this future in mind. It makes such good sense.

I'm not going to be able to make it, but the presentation is Monday, Oct. 9th. You haven't missed it yet, Chris.

The first was the unveiling of the new model. I got the notice about that some months ago, and then this one. Maybe I'm just not invited to all the parties anymore.

Is this a UP table in the works? Hope so.

Hmmmm, I just got an invitation to a special preview of Signature Tower. Lunch will be provided. Nashville City Club. 20th floor, SunTrust Building. October 9th. Will I miss this? No. Will I geek out? Gosh, I hope not. Oh dear. What to wear, what to wear....? Lady Celeste, if you're out there anywhere...HELP!

When did this become a 70-story building? Did I miss something? Floors 65-70 are listed on the floorplans.

I'll be anxious to see what the final count is. I hope people, even those who rode out of curiosity, realize the importance of this. I hope people will be pioneers in this new venture. Sure wish I could do it.