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

[UTgrad09]

Interesting....

[BnaBreaker]

Please tell me that the Berger Building is not one of the buildings scheduled to be torn down for this courthouse.  I'd rather have that building alone than that dated Embassy Suites looking courthouse. 

[Paramount747]

Please tell me that the Berger Building is not one of the buildings scheduled to be torn down for this courthouse.  I'd rather have that building alone than that dated Embassy Suites looking courthouse. 

These are for the fenced in property. The old sushi restaurant and the music store (which includes a parking garage on top of one or two stories), are properties that  Metro deemed unsafe are coming down. The Parking Garage, the Gold and Silver Department Store Building, and the Berger stay for now. 

 

This is not an indication of the courthouse starting. Another parking company is going to pave and line the footprint of the two buildings coming down for additional surface parking.

 

I could be wrong, but this was reported a few months ago by local print media as the two properties slated for demolition.

Edited July 8, 2014 by Urban Architecture

[bwithers1]

I'm sure that you are right about the structures coming down, WW.  And you are also correct that a demo permit does necessarily indicate that a building permit will follow.  The go-ahead for the Federal Courthouse would be front-page news.

[ariesjow]

I posted this in the Former Convention Center thread but figured I would add it here as well. I came across a blog about new projects in Nashville that includes what appears to be an updated rendering for the old CC redevelopment. No full rendering of the tower, but it looks like it may have a cleaner design. 

 

 

Edited July 8, 2014 by ariesjow

[arkitekte]

^From that rendering it looks much better; the facade of the tower especially. I understand that with the redesign and redevelopment of the existing structure there's some limits to what can realistically be done, but I'm having a hard time thinking that much storefront will be able adequately and properly address pedestrian traffic. If the amount of foot traffic to the west was at the same level that it is to the east then it probably could, but I think as of now it would feel out of place and a little sterile. If that makes sense...

[mirydi]

That does look better. One thing I noticed is that the tower portion seems to be orientated a different way to where it's not blocking out a huge chunk of the skyline like it was before. It's like they rotated it. I like it this way much better. 

Edited July 8, 2014 by mirydi

[titanhog]

MUCH better.  I could actually fall in line with that design.

[MLBrumby]

A demolition permit was pulled yesterday for "2 of 4 structures" at 719 Church Street at the Federal Courthouse site.  I am guessing that this includes the old Sears store on the corner?

 

 

More on this from the NBJ....   http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/blog/2014/07/demolition-begins-at-prime-site-for-potential-new.html

[MidTenn1]

Also, from the above mentioned blog.....

 

 

 

The project’s developer, Tony Giarratana, told AN that the tower should get underway once the garage is completed some time next year. That puts 505 Church’s opening somewhere around late 2018 or early 2019.

[mirydi]

Also, from the above mentioned blog.....

Nice find! I hope this is true.

[CenterHill]

The new CC rendering is a big improvement over the previous design!    Now we're getting somewhere.    The blank walls are gone, thank god, windows and storefronts lining both streets.    Dying to know what the Broadway side looks like.     I agree the reorientation of the tower seems to work better.     

 

I'd still lose the big "Nashville" sign.   Simply unnecessary and adds a certain tackiness to what might otherwise be a cool design facing the Ryman, imo.

[MLBrumby]

Looks like there may be a giant breezeway between the Commerce and Broadway sides of this structure. If the B'way side is even remotely like a plaza (like the first renderings suggest) then that would be pretty cool... to be able to walk from Commerce down steps/ramps to the open space at the B'way side.  If done right, then it would be a real asset to all of Lower Broad.

[East Side Urbanite]

I'm sure that you are right about the structures coming down, WW.  And you are also correct that a demo permit does necessarily indicate that a building permit will follow.  The go-ahead for the Federal Courthouse would be front-page news.

 

Correct, BW.

 

it's a step toward the a project that could still be a few years away.

 

WW

[East Side Urbanite]

The project’s developer, Tony Giarratana, told AN that the tower should get underway once the garage is completed some time next year. That puts 505 Church’s opening somewhere around late 2018 or early 2019.

 

 

I exchanged two emails with Tony today but will (to respect TG's privacy) not note what he said in the messages. I will not be writing a blog post on this for Nashville Post. I will also say let's all keep things in perspective. And Ill leave it at that. Lastly, Tony is working with purpose and focus and enjoying himself. He seems to be in good spirits about many things.

 

WW

[UTgrad09]

Also, from the above mentioned blog.....

 

"The tower"...lol...I believe that lot has something like 6 different renderings...maybe 7. I would guess due to the lot limitations, he would pursue the residential tower.

[mirydi]

^A recent article stated that after the sale of the property for the parking garage, Tony was left with 18,643 square feet to build a tower. Anybody have an idea on how much space that is or know of any towers built on a lot close to that size for comparison purposes?

Edited July 9, 2014 by mirydi

[UTgrad09]

^A recent article stated that after the sale of the property for the parking garage, Tony was left with 18,643 square feet to build a tower. Anybody have an idea on how much space that is or know of any towers built on a lot close to that size for comparison purposes?

 

Playing around with the Acme Planimeter, I can get a general idea of what the footprints are for different towers. Mind you, this isn't exact, and I am using this in plain shapes, so buildings with lots of angles will only be relatively accurate...Also, plaza space will not be included.

 

Pinnacle (tower only -- not parking garage): ~25,700

Regions/One Nashville Place/R2D2: ~17,300

Fifth Third Building/Third National Building: ~18,700

First Tennessee Building (without plaza): ~20,000

Tennessee Tower (without plaza): ~19,600

Sheraton Hotel: ~17,000

Batman Building (tower only): ~25,000

L&C Tower (full base): ~15,000

Viridian (including parking pad): ~22,000

 

So...for just a tower, 18,600 sq ft is not too little to work with. It's a little small for a *NEW* office building. It doesn't provide a big area to incorporate parking, but it can be done. I do wonder if Tony would try to piggyback parking for this (potential) building on the site he sold to MDHA. I'm not sure how that would work (lease space, or "add on" on top?).

[CenterHill]

Acme Planimeter?    Sounds way cool.    Can you make it work on the Austonian tower in Austin?      It's residential and sits atop a parking garage base but the tower itself has a pretty small footprint, maybe smaller than all of our Nashville buildings you list.  

[UTgrad09]

Acme Planimeter?    Sounds way cool.    Can you make it work on the Austonian tower in Austin?      It's residential and sits atop a parking garage base but the tower itself has a pretty small footprint, maybe smaller than all of our Nashville buildings you list.  

 

That's pretty difficult. Basically, I have to guestimate where the actual boundaries of the tower are, and it becomes increasingly difficult depending on the shape and height of the tower, and what satellite angle I am given.

 

My best guestimate is a little over 11,000 sq ft.

 

Here's the site. You can do it yourself. It just uses google maps. Right below the map, it shows the area in various metrics (square meters, hectares, square kilometers, square feet, acres, and square miles). Square feet is usually given as an exponent, so for 1.110e+4 ft sq, multiply by the exponent's number of zeros...so in this case, 1.110 x 10,000 = 11,100.

 

http://www.acme.com/planimeter/

Edited July 9, 2014 by UTgrad09

[farm_boy]

18,000+ is a great size for a residential or hotel tower. Class A office space is pushing new developments toward 30,000 floor plates. Leasing of the AT&T building is hindered by its small floor plans of ~19,494. (Don't quote me on this, but I believe the total floor plate is about 23,000). So don't expect a new office tower on 505 Church

 

http://333commercestreet.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/ATT-Updated-Insert-9-6-13.pdf

[bigeasy]

18,000+ is a great size for a residential or hotel tower. Class A office space is pushing new developments toward 30,000 floor plates. Leasing of the AT&T building is hindered by its small floor plans of ~19,494. (Don't quote me on this, but I believe the total floor plate is about 23,000). So don't expect a new office tower on 505 Church

 

http://333commercestreet.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/02/ATT-Updated-Insert-9-6-13.pdf

I like to live on the edge. 

[CenterHill]

That's pretty difficult. Basically, I have to guestimate where the actual boundaries of the tower are, and it becomes increasingly difficult depending on the shape and height of the tower, and what satellite angle I am given.

 

My best guestimate is a little over 11,000 sq ft.

 

Thanks!   About 11,000 is what I had read somewhere, but wasn't sure.    So, there's a good example of a slender residential tower (Austonian = 59 stories) on a small footprint.   

 

You mentioned parking for the 505 residents.    Too early to know how that will work.    It would consume a big chunk of the MDHA garage unless additional parking is included in the 505 design.   But I REALLY don't want the corner of 5th and Church to be fronted by a parking structure.   

[volsfanwill]

as for the broadway side of the convention center site.

with more and more people coming to visit, maybe they should build a row of smaller buildings to mimic the honky tonks on the next block, then rent them out to some more honky tonks. 

my point being, more tourist  means we may need more of them. and done right it would look much better having another block of those buildings

[smeagolsfree]

WW at the Post did find out the renderings for the CC site are current.

 

Related story below.

http://nashvillepost.com/blogs/postbusiness/2014/7/9/convention_center_site_project_reveals_updated_images