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

[markhollin]

Vanderbilt Children's Hospital addition (4 stories on top of existing 8) update.  More cladding and window treatments going up.

Looking SW from Pierce Ave., 1/2 block east of Medical Center Drive:

[markhollin]

Vanderbilt Divinity School addition (3 stories) update.

Looking NW from 21st Ave. South near intersection with Scarritt Place:

[markhollin]

In order to grow, Vanderbilt University wants to get cars off its campus.

"Twenty-five percent of our campus acreage is covered by parking. We do not think that’s the highest and best use of our land," Eric Kopstain, vice chancellor for the Division of Administration, said in an interview. "While we do make purchases around campus, there are no large swaths of land around campus. Every square foot of our dirt is precious."

To lessen the fast-growing university's dependence on parking, Vanderbilt has launched its own transportation demand-management program. These programs are designed to maximize existing transportation options, while reducing the amount of single-occupant vehicles on the road.

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2018/10/08/vanderbilt-wants-to-combat-its-biggest-obstacle-to.html

[smeagolsfree]

Heres the news everyone overlooked in that story.

Here's a scenario he sees in the university's future. In 2016, the university spent $13.25 million for a strip of land near the university on Broadway, which formerly housed the Midtown Noshville location. Kopstain said Vanderbilt hopes to build affordable housing on the land to accommodate roughly 600 graduate-level students by 2021. The goal is that the location's accessibility to campus, along with Hafkenschiel's outreach and education, will allow Vanderbilt to create a "car-lite neighborhood," so students living in those units won't have to rely on cars, according to Kopstain.

[markhollin]

V21 Phase II (3 stories, bank branch, restaurant) update. Brick work and cladding nearly complete.

Looking NE from intersection of 21st Ave. South and Wedgewood Ave:

Looking SE from 21st Ave. South, just north of intersection with Wedgewood Ave:

[BnaBreaker]

LOVE THAT.  LOVE IT.  More of that in Nashville, PLEASE!

[markhollin]

Vanderbilt Nursing School addition (5 stories, 30,000 sq. ft.) update.  Nearly done.

Looking west from 21st Ave. South, 1/2 block south of Scarritt Place:

[titanhog]

Music Row's UA Tower (Octagon Building) is set to become a Hilton Tapestry Collection hotel.

https://musicrow.com/2018/10/music-rows-united-artists-tower-to-become-184-room-boutique-hilton-hotel/

Nashville’s United Artists Tower, owned by Sai Ram 009 LLC and located at 50 Music Square West, is set to become a 184-room boutique upscale hotel under Tapestry Collection by Hilton Brand. Work on the 56,700-square-foot building is slated to begin at the end of this year, with an opening set for 2020.

The hotel will feature a 360-degree rooftop bar, and the owners are enthusiastic about revitalizing the property and reinforced the importance of partnering with individuals, like Hotel Equities and Tapestry Collection by Hilton, who share in their desire to provide a unique experience for visiting guests, and to pay homage to the building’s history.

Edited October 11, 2018 by titanhog

[NashvilleObserver]

9 minutes ago, titanhog said:

....the owners are enthusiastic about revitalizing the property and.....  pay homage to the building’s history.

Pay homage to the building?? By what, completely changing it?

But seriously, they might as well tear it down and start from scratch. 

[titanhog]

Just now, NashvilleObserver said:

Pay homage to the building?? By what, completely changing it?

But seriously, they might as well tear it down and start from scratch. 

I agree.  The building is a dump and has been ever since I moved here in 93.  They should tear it down and start over.  And...I'm not sure what history was actually made in that building.

[AronG]

Is this serious? Is it really possible to change a building's basic massing like that without tearing it down?

[donNdonelson2]

Miley Cyrus is going to ride in on a wrecking ball! 

[Jamie Hall]

Turning an octagon into a square is a pretty neat trick. Can't wait to see how this happens.

[PillowTalk4]

I might be in the minority, but I think that building is iconic for Music Row.  It may need an overhaul so that it's not an eyesore as some say it is.  I don't know, I've not visited the Music Row area in quite some time when I return home to Nashville to visit family and friends.    It seems to me that the building could have been revitalized as an office suites building that could attract small music companies, song writers, etc..   What's left on Music Row that warrants it still being called Music Row?

[Mr_Bond]

12 hours ago, titanhog said:

I agree.  The building is a dump and has been ever since I moved here in 93.  They should tear it down and start over.  And...I'm not sure what history was actually made in that building.

I've got a friend in the music biz who worked there for several years.  I'll ask him about the history.

While in B-school at Vandy, one of Johnny Cash's daughters cut my hair on the 1st floor of that building.  That's history but not exactly legacy.

[Nash_12South]

Keeping the building as is might not be practical. It looks to have a small footprint. Are there currently two fire stairs? Are the restrooms ADA? Those alone take up a lot of space. How energy efficient is it?

Tearing it down must have been more expensive than working with what's there.

I do agree that there is no paying homage to the old building. It will be totally new.

[titanhog]

16 minutes ago, Nash_12South said:

Keeping the building as is might not be practical. It looks to have a small footprint. Are there currently two fire stairs? Are the restrooms ADA? Those alone take up a lot of space. How energy efficient is it?

Tearing it down must have been more expensive than working with what's there.

I do agree that there is no paying homage to the old building. It will be totally new.

All I remember is that it seemed like the rooms were kinda oddly shaped...and every time I went in an office, it just felt kinda "sweaty"...like the windows were more of a magnifying glass than a window.  And...the underground garage was hideous.  You could barely turn a car around in there.  Felt like an underground cork screw with a decline / incline that wasn't quite normal for a parking garage.

[UTgrad09]

3 hours ago, Jamie Hall said:

Turning an octagon into a square is a pretty neat trick. Can't wait to see how this happens.

Add 4 triangles.

[dmillsphoto]

35 minutes ago, UTgrad09 said:

Add 4 triangles.

[markhollin]

Nashville Post coverage of the UA Tower conversion to Tapestry by Hilton Hotel (behind the paywall):

https://www.nashvillepost.com/business/development/article/21026966/years-end-start-eyed-for-united-artists-tower-update

[markhollin]

More info on the Tapestry by Hilton Hotel conversion of the UA Tower at 50 Music Square West:

http://newsroom.hilton.com/tapestry/news/hotel-equities-and-tapestry-collection-by-hilton-unveil-plans-for-iconic-united-artists-tower-on-music-row

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2018/10/12/high-end-hilton-brand-set-to-overhaul-funky-music.html?ana=twt

A slightly different angle on the rendering:

 

[BnaBreaker]

1 hour ago, markhollin said:

More info on the Tapestry by Hilton Hotel conversion of the UA Tower at 50 Music Square West:

http://newsroom.hilton.com/tapestry/news/hotel-equities-and-tapestry-collection-by-hilton-unveil-plans-for-iconic-united-artists-tower-on-music-row

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2018/10/12/high-end-hilton-brand-set-to-overhaul-funky-music.html?ana=twt

A slightly different angle on the rendering:

 

I like it the way it is already.  Is it going to win any beauty contests? No.  But we are taking a building that is one-of-a-kind and turning into something that there are multiples of in every big city in the country, including Nashville.  It's okay to stand out!

[CenterHill]

3 hours ago, markhollin said:

More info on the Tapestry by Hilton Hotel conversion of the UA Tower at 50 Music Square West:

http://newsroom.hilton.com/tapestry/news/hotel-equities-and-tapestry-collection-by-hilton-unveil-plans-for-iconic-united-artists-tower-on-music-row

“During initial conversations about the project, we were impressed with the passion and enthusiasm the owners displayed in regard to preserving the unique and important history of the building. ”

"The hotel will provide sleek and trendy guest rooms and spectacular views of Nashville from its 360-degree rooftop bar."

 

Are we sure we're looking at the right rendering? 

 

[Mr_Bond]

16 hours ago, CenterHill said:

“During initial conversations about the project, we were impressed with the passion and enthusiasm the owners displayed in regard to preserving the unique and important history of the building. ”

"The hotel will provide sleek and trendy guest rooms and spectacular views of Nashville from its 360-degree rooftop bar."

 

Are we sure we're looking at the right rendering? 

 

Perhaps elements of the UA tower will be included throughout the design and common areas.  The white roof panels look a bit like they were taken from an octagonal building.  There's more behind this that they haven't shown us yet.

[donNdonelson2]

Note they do NOT say they are preserving and updating the actual building, but that they are “preserving the unique and important history of the building. ” “History” says to me, “here comes the wrecking ball!” (And I’m okay with that.)