BROADWEST (former West End Summit), 36 story Conrad Hilton Hotel/condo tower, 22 story/510,000 sq. ft. office tower, 4 story/125,000 sq. ft. retail/office, 1 acre plaza, 2,500 car garage, $490 million

[UTgrad09]

Well, initially I figured it was a joke too.  But somewhere between the 10th and 50th time that line was trotted out there, I begin to assume that it actually wasn't a joke, because that's way too long to commit to a joke, especially one that wasn't really that funny to begin with.

As someone familiar with the interwebs and trolling, no, this is nothing. There have been far more elaborate and long lasting trolls. Some people just don't have anything better to do.

[BnaBreaker]

As someone familiar with the interwebs and trolling, no, this is nothing. There have been far more elaborate and long lasting trolls. Some people just don't have anything better to do.

 

Haha, wow...that's pretty weird.  Well, then I guess I was duped!  If this person is just a troll though with nothing legitimate to add to anything, why isn't he/she just banned, I wonder?  Not that it really matters since he/she rarely posts...just sayin. 

[UTgrad09]

Haha, wow...that's pretty weird.  Well, then I guess I was duped!  If this person is just a troll though with nothing legitimate to add to anything, why isn't he/she just banned, I wonder?  Not that it really matters since he/she rarely posts...just sayin.

She? Women don't exist on the internet.

[nashvillwill]

She? Women don't exist on the internet.

Haha! I just bust out laughing on a crowded train!

[BnaBreaker]

She? Women don't exist on the internet.

 

Lol!  Touche!

[TheRaglander]

They DO exists on the internet but 9 times out of 10 it requires a credit card to communicate with them.

[smeagolsfree]

WES to top 300 million now.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2013/02/15/west-end-summit-pricetag-now-300.html?ana=e_du_pub&s=article_du&ed=2013-02-15&u=ml+EifejNKTk6m0nrsqtJGA6+Y

[NashRugger]

Concord Hospitality? Hmm, they don't have any high-end properties in their entire portfolio covering over a dozen states and two Canadian provinces.

[smeagolsfree]

Here is the company website for Concord Hosp.

 

 

http://www.concordhotels.com/portfolio

[chris holman]

Another article on the hotel http://m.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2013/02/08/hiltons-ray-waters-welcomes-new.html

[timmay143]

Another article on the hotel http://m.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2013/02/08/hiltons-ray-waters-welcomes-new.html

 

It ends with

 

"We had a brand new investor in town this week," he said, adding that discussions continue on a Lower Broadway site, as well as two other developments.

[smeagolsfree]

All I will say is just sit back and enjoy the ride. With the amount of attention Nashville is garnering right now, and the fact that you have rising gas prices and the demographic trends that are happening now that I heard about today; Nashville may be on the verge of a MAJOR boom. I can only hope. What we hear about on here, is just a fraction of what is churning underneath the surface. Hotels and apartments are really all we are hearing about right now, but I would lay money there could be other things announced soon. Maybe office or condo/mixed use. I happen to know of a project or two. You hear a lot of things but sometimes they do not pan out. There is a lot of real estate being looked at right now. If we are the "IT" city, then the WORLD has taken notice and these are not just local investors but major companies and private investors from all over.

[MLBrumby]

Good find. I've been doing some business in Memphis lately, and I've heard that Peabody is really interested in downtown... to the tune of a huge flagship building. Don't know specifics.

[BnaBreaker]

All I will say is just sit back and enjoy the ride. With the amount of attention Nashville is garnering right now, and the fact that you have rising gas prices and the demographic trends that are happening now that I heard about today; Nashville may be on the verge of a MAJOR boom. I can only hope. What we hear about on here, is just a fraction of what is churning underneath the surface. Hotels and apartments are really all we are hearing about right now, but I would lay money there could be other things announced soon. Maybe office or condo/mixed use. I happen to know of a project or two. You hear a lot of things but sometimes they do not pan out. There is a lot of real estate being looked at right now. If we are the "IT" city, then the WORLD has taken notice and these are not just local investors but major companies and private investors from all over.

 

WOW...reading that had me feeling giddy like a twelve year old girl about to go to a Justin Bieber concert!!!!  I can't wait to see what the future has in store for our amazing city!

[MLBrumby]

I've known this since I came to NV 23 years ago.  Nashville is a vibe!  You either catch it, or you don't.

[smeagolsfree]

This is the wrong thread for this, but I will say that I was talking to a couple from Smart Growth America who were there with the guest speaker at today's event and we were talking about the vibe of Nashville vs. Charlotte or Austin and they said those two cities were in a way sterile compared to Nashville and especially Charlotte. Not to detract from the success of Charlotte and Austin, they are great cities, its just the vibe here is much different and in a good way.

 

This is an outsiders take that have been to all three cities.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Good find. I've been doing some business in Memphis lately, and I've heard that Peabody is really interested in downtown... to the tune of a huge flagship building. Don't know specifics.

 

If they come, are we getting the duckies for the lobby ?

[MidTenn1]

All I will say is just sit back and enjoy the ride. With the amount of attention Nashville is garnering right now, and the fact that you have rising gas prices and the demographic trends that are happening now that I heard about today; Nashville may be on the verge of a MAJOR boom. I can only hope. What we hear about on here, is just a fraction of what is churning underneath the surface. Hotels and apartments are really all we are hearing about right now, but I would lay money there could be other things announced soon. Maybe office or condo/mixed use. I happen to know of a project or two. You hear a lot of things but sometimes they do not pan out. There is a lot of real estate being looked at right now. If we are the "IT" city, then the WORLD has taken notice and these are not just local investors but major companies and private investors from all over.

 

I have mixed feelings about this. Sorry to be a Debbie Downer, but how much growth is too much? We always said we didn't want to be another Atlanta, but are we becoming one? The metro area could reach close to 3.5 million by 2030 with the city itself being over a million. Is this what we want? Growth for growth's sake. Will Nashville cease to be Nashville?

 

I was going to start a thread on this subject, but felt compelled to jump in here and make a statement.

Edited February 17, 2013 by PHofKS

[MLBrumby]

Look at the bright side, development of boom towns has evolved since Atlanta started its half-century sprawl.  Not to say that sprawl has ended (au contraire), but even the worst of the worst cities for sprawl are seeing new buildings and people in their cores.  Atlanta and Dallas both come to mind.  Let's hope that Nashville can/has learned from their mistakes. After all, isn't that what the "slower growth" proponents have been warning us against for decades now?  I don't expect Nashville to grow at quite the rate that Atlanta saw over the past 40  years (I think it's realistic to see 2.4million to 2.7 million by 2030), but you have to give props to Atlanta in one big area... rail transit.  Granted, they made plenty of mistakes, and in typical Atlanta fashion, they went for the most expensive rail system they could have dreamed up... but they had the growth to sustain it.  Dallas was behind the curve with their transit, but opted for a sensible combo of commuter and LRT through high density areas.  Once they committed to it, they caught up quickly.  I look at Nashville's lack of a plan and incessant studying of the matter and consultants' fees and find it baffling.  That's where PHofKS has a good point... that Nashville will ignore all the opportunities that would prevent worse spraw.

Edited February 17, 2013 by MLBrumby

[BnaBreaker]

I have mixed feelings about this. Sorry to be a Debbie Downer, but how much growth is too much? We always said we didn't want to be another Atlanta, but are we becoming one? The metro area could reach close to 3.5 million by 2030 with the city itself being over a million. Is this what we want? Growth for growth's sake. Will Nashville cease to be Nashville?

 

I was going to start a thread on this subject, but felt compelled to jump in here and make a statement.

 

I understand what you're saying for sure, but that growth doesn't have to come in the form of sprawl.  As long as it is responsible growth what's the problem?

[UTgrad09]

I have mixed feelings about this. Sorry to be a Debbie Downer, but how much growth is too much? We always said we didn't want to be another Atlanta, but are we becoming one? The metro area could reach close to 3.5 million by 2030 with the city itself being over a million. Is this what we want? Growth for growth's sake. Will Nashville cease to be Nashville?

 

I was going to start a thread on this subject, but felt compelled to jump in here and make a statement.

 

Unless we have some sort of mega-boom, we're not going to see 3.5 million by 2030. Even 2.5 would require an addition of 900,000 to the current metro in 20 years (450,000 per Census -- we grew by 278,000 in the last Census).

 

 

That said, I understand your concerns about high growth. But could the same not have been said about Nashville at other points in history? When Nashville had 80,000 people at the turn of the 20th Century, it was a remarkably different city than what you see today. If we had not grown up, we (might) have not torn down so much of our history. But then again, we could have a terrible economy and not be an "it" city, either, and have a lot of our historic stock decaying, like in some Midwest locales. 

 

The past is nice...and it is something we should recognize and celebrate...but not dwell on. Cities constantly evolve. We will always be Nashville. Nashville is not a static idea, but a fluid one. It's not only our past that makes us Nashville, but our present and future. The people make a city, but to an extent, the city can make the people.

[dmillsphoto]

 Nashville is not a static idea, but a fluid one.

 

This single line sums it up nicely. Well put Kev.

[smeagolsfree]

Getting back to WES, any bets on when they are going to start?

My other questions are this.

 

How long do you think it will be before there is other ancillary development around the WES location?

 

What do you think it will be?

 

I do happen to know they are going to tear the Shell down but it is going to be replaced by a more modern Shell Station. That really sucks. We do not need gas stations on main streets but there is really no way around it.

[UTgrad09]

Getting back to WES, any bets on when they are going to start?

My other questions are this.

 

How long do you think it will be before there is other ancillary development around the WES location?

 

What do you think it will be?

 

I do happen to know they are going to tear the Shell down but it is going to be replaced by a more modern Shell Station. That really sucks. We do not need gas stations on main streets but there is really no way around it.

 

Well since the groundbreaking was years ago *snickers*, I'd say they've already started. 

 

Truthfully, though, I'm guessing that there might be a very minor delay as they finalize plans (the conversion of the project from 1 residential/1 office tower to 2 office towers/1 hotel tower is probably taking longer than they care to admit).

 

I wouldn't be surprised, though, if they go ahead and get the parking garage work started...I can't imagine that would change much. I do wonder how the hotel is going to interact with the connecting lobby/base of the complex. That's what I imagine would take a little more time. I'll be interested in seeing the actual final plans.

 

 

 

I don't think it will be long until there is ancillary development. In a sense, a few things are already happening (Broadway @ 17th, Metropolitan Bank, Renasant Bank, and the Patel project). As far as spurring "new" development, I don't know. I'm guessing at least a couple of modest size (like the previous mentions) projects over the next few years. 

 

I think it might be a little while before a big time (say, 20+ story) project comes along. What I am interested in seeing is if this has an effect on Hayes St and the car dealerships. I don't think Beaman is going anywhere fast. But the former Jim Reed dealership? With that changing hands to an out-of-state interest, I think it's a little more conceivable that it could go for the right price.

 

I don't know about the condition of the interior, but I would LOVE to see some adaptive reuse for the old Jim Reed warehouse between Hayes and Church.

 

If that part of Midtown gets really hot, that building becomes a very attractive piece. It could serve as a fairly large retail anchor.

 

 

As for the Shell...yes, the location is unfortunate. I'm not sure I agree with there not being a need for gas stations on main streets. Whatever the case, a modern station is much better than the ratty looking place that is currently there.

[timmay143]

Getting back to WES, any bets on when they are going to start?

My other questions are this.

 

How long do you think it will be before there is other ancillary development around the WES location?

 

What do you think it will be?

 

I do happen to know they are going to tear the Shell down but it is going to be replaced by a more modern Shell Station. That really sucks. We do not need gas stations on main streets but there is really no way around it.

I can see it starting in a few months.  Maybe May?

 

As far as spurring other development, I think we could see pretty quick responses on a few, but also over a period of time the area will naturally develop.