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

[FrankNash]

Two signs, one in the lobby and one outside the building. Other than that it's just tacky. We all know this.

[titanhog]

I have to drive up from Smyrna to Music Row quite often, but I've gotten where I usually go 24 to 440 over to Hillsboro/21st.  For some reason, I just like missing the DT loop.

 

Well...the other day, for the first time in a while, I drove the loop south loop and came upon the Gulch area...and it hit me how dense that area up to Music Row and Midtown looks...even before many of the upcoming projects have been completed.  I can't imagine how this place is going to look in a year or two.

[Bezoar]

It would appear this project is currently underway: http://www.nashville.gov/Public-Works/Capital-Projects/11th-Avenue-Complete-Street-Project.aspx

Personally quite excited for this, as I commute through here when I take a bike to work. It's a little trecherous as it is right now.

[farm_boy]

^ Thanks for the info

[nashmoney]

NY investor continues buying spree near Gulch

 

http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/real-estate/2014/10/06/ny-investor-continues-buying-spree-near-gulch/16816749/

 

This is the same group that owns the Voorhees building and surrounding properties.

 

Looking forward to seeing what their plans are for these properties. Glad to hear they are trying to keep as much of the existing structures as possible.

[UTgrad09]

That could be a really cool retail spot to complement the Gulch (with office on top).

[Jamie Hall]

It would appear this project is currently underway: http://www.nashville.gov/Public-Works/Capital-Projects/11th-Avenue-Complete-Street-Project.aspx

Personally quite excited for this, as I commute through here when I take a bike to work. It's a little trecherous as it is right now.

I work in the Gannett building, so I'm very excited to see this project happen. This will really help connect the new North Gulch area with the original Gulch area and clean up some pretty ugly space.

[BnaBreaker]

NY investor continues buying spree near Gulch

 

http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/real-estate/2014/10/06/ny-investor-continues-buying-spree-near-gulch/16816749/

 

This is the same group that owns the Voorhees building and surrounding properties.

 

Looking forward to seeing what their plans are for these properties. Glad to hear they are trying to keep as much of the existing structures as possible.

 

This is great to hear.  I wish we had less investors and developers from places like Brentwood and Orlando, and much more from large cities like New York that understand the value of historic architecture and the positive impact that embracing it can have on a community. 

[bwithers1]

This is great to hear.  I wish we had less investors and developers from places like Brentwood and Orlando, and much more from large cities like New York that understand the value of historic architecture and the positive impact that embracing it can have on a community. 

Copy that.  These are some of the few buildings in Nashville that resemble the actual industrial buildings in places like Chicago and New York that have become successful loft conversions.  A new condo building with exposed ductwork may be called a "loft," but it just isn't the same thing.  

[nashmoney]

Gulch-to-SoBro pedestrian bridge takes big step

 

http://www.tennessean.com/story/news/politics/2014/10/07/gulch-sobro-pedestrian-bridge/16893045/

 

This is pretty much a done deal. Dean has made it sound to good for "his" council members to vote against. I pretty sure this will pass the last vote.

 

With the owner of cummins station planning a mixed use campus for the property he owns near the bridge, plus the Westin and Turnberry projects, I think this bridge will be used more than we think, especially if there are way-finding signs directing people to the bridge and listing the restaurants, retailers, and entertainment in the Gulch.

 

From the article:

A soaring 200-foot tower, visible across downtown, would anchor the bridge on the SoBro end, with 30 multi-strand stay cables connecting the bridge to the tower. The bridge, 30 feet wide, would be accessible to bicyclists and pedestrians via staircases, ramps and glass elevators. It also would feature bands of raised park space along its entire surface.

[nashmoney]

Germantown site eyed for 80-unit apartment building

 

http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2014/10/07/developer-considers-unit-apartment-building-germantown/16875501/

 

3rd ave N and Madison near Christie cookie

[bwithers1]

Yes, this was an interesting event to watch from the Council chambers at last night's meeting.  This item was on second reading, but was not a public hearing item.  Nevertheless, most of the audience in the chamber at that point was there for that item, it seemed.  Particularly evident was a group of real estate professionals and others, including John Brittle, who wore name badges identifying themselves with a group called Connect Nashville, if I read the stickers correctly.

 

During the Council's debate, CM Gilmore asked Finance Director Rich Riebling to explain the financing of the bridge.  Mr. Reibling again stated that he "wished that he had thought of the TIF funding plan" the first time, but also noted that when the original bill, which did not use the TIF funding, was tabled indefinitely, that design work on the bridge stopped.  He pointed out that since that time, a property owner at the eastern terminus of the bridge (the Cummins Station owner) has begun working on plans for a large development, and so some aspects of the bridge may need to be redesigned. He also emphasized that the TIF funds from 7 properties in the Arts District redevelopment district would pay for this brige, and that it seemed appropriate that the properties who would most benefit from this project would pay for it.

 

CM Gilmore then thanked the rest of the Council "for bringing attention to the need to increase walkability in Nashville" (code for highlighting the district CMs' struggles to get sidewalks for their own constituents and refusing to go along until that countywide connectivity need is addressed) and pointed out that as a result of these negotiations, Mayor Dean will be including a significant increase in the sidewalk fund in next year's budget. 

 

It was pretty obvious that the Council was able to use approval of this bridge as a negotiating tool to get sidewalk/connectivity funding in the rest of the county, and in my own view, that kind of negiating is exactly what the Council should be doing. One East Nashville CM joked to me that he had to "vote for the Yellow Brick Road" in order to get votes for his own bills.  But such is politics.

 

CM Steve Glover of Hermitage rose in opposition to the bill stating that he supports infrastructure spending to retain and attract business investment, but at the same time his district is right on the county line and he sees businesses and residents leave Davidson County for Mt. Juliet every day.  The rest of his quote is included in the Tennessean article.  His point that districts other than 19 would benefit from some of these projects struck a nerve with most of the non-Real Estate audience members, who groaned in agreement with CM Glover's assessment. 

 

Vice Mayor Diane Neighbors called for a vote and there was a pretty good group of Nays, although audibly they seemed less numerous than the Ayes.  The Vice Mayor did not call for a machine vote.  I would expect there to be a machine vote for the 3rd reading.  I expect the bill will pass third reading, but I also expect that some of the CMs will want to go on record as opposing this one even if their vote bloc is not sufficient to overturn the bill. 

Edited October 8, 2014 by bwithers1

[nashmoney]

Another Germantown annoucement. This one at 2nd Ave N and Madison

 

From WW at the Post

 

Ohio developer targets Germantown for mixed-use project

 

This is near the oval shaped project near the bridge that is supposed to have a mixed use development

 

**Edit** After looking at this on Gmaps, this would be next to the Concrete ready mix place and across from a Truck depot lot. Doesn't that ready mix place cause a lot of dust and noise?

Edited October 8, 2014 by nashmoney

[barakat]

It appears 505CST has legs.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/blog/real-estate/2014/10/giarratana-seeks-metro-aid-to-build-nashvilles.html

[bwithers1]

That's a lot of activity!  I had a chance meeting with the Germantown Neighborhood Association president on Monday night and he was talking about how much the Germantown neighborhood development is migrating from its 1980s roots along 6th Ave N toward the industrial areas closer to the river.  They may well have been meeting on these projects that very night! 

 

It appears that both of those sites are outside of the Germantown HPZ district, and possibly also outside of the MDHA Phillips-Jackson Redevelopment District.  That could mean minimal design review.  So neighborhood participation in the SP process will be important.

Edited October 8, 2014 by bwithers1

[titanhog]

It appears 505CST has legs.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/blog/real-estate/2014/10/giarratana-seeks-metro-aid-to-build-nashvilles.html

Is that the current design?  I can't remember.

[smeagolsfree]

I do check on things while gone. I found that one on the Planning Com. Agenda last week as well as the Embrey project starting as well.

[fieldmarshaldj]

^That's when it was 38 floors and 600+ feet, now revised at 60 floors and approx. 750 feet.

[calebbink]

It appears 505CST has legs.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/blog/real-estate/2014/10/giarratana-seeks-metro-aid-to-build-nashvilles.html

 

So if this is the same lot they're building the parking garage at...will we see a new rendering considering there's less land to build on?

Also, if this project ACTUALLY happens and the tower is ACTUALLY 60 stories...

 

I might cry.

[UTgrad09]

So if this is the same lot they're building the parking garage at...will we see a new rendering considering there's less land to build on?

Also, if this project ACTUALLY happens and the tower is ACTUALLY 60 stories...

 

I might cry.

 

I don't imagine the rendering would have to change much. In the residential rendering, the tower seemed to take up less than 1/3 of the lot....which is about what Tony retained. 

 

I don't know when MDHA started discussing the parking garage with him...but it may have struck him that he could sell exactly the amount of land he would need in order to still build the residential tower.

 

 

I honestly had my doubts about this (as I discussed in a forum meet a little while back. I hope I'm dead wrong.

[donNdonelson2]

I believe the rendering in the article linked below is what we now MIGHT see rise from the corner of Church Street and 5th Avenue, right?

 

https://www.nashvillepost.com/blogs/postbusiness/2014/6/19/giarratanas_505_cst_to_be_residential_tower

 

It sure would be nice to see that corner with something other than a surface lot after all this time!

[BnaBreaker]

I believe the rendering in the article linked below is what we now MIGHT see rise from the corner of Church Street and 5th Avenue, right?

 

https://www.nashvillepost.com/blogs/postbusiness/2014/6/19/giarratanas_505_cst_to_be_residential_tower

 

It sure would be nice to see that corner with something other than a surface lot after all this time!

 

I believe so, yes.

[CandyAisles]

Not understanding why Metro would plop down $12.5 million for this project.

[nashmoney]

Here is the article for Embrey ballpark site

 

Permits issued for Sulphur Dell apartment building project

 

It would be nice to have a little pedestrian bridge across Jefferson, similiar to the one they have in Knoxville across Cumberland Ave at UT. Would definitely help with folks trying to get from Germantown to Sulphur Dell and vice versa, whether its for the ballpark, farmer's market, or bicentenial mall. Definitely not a priority, but just something that would make a better pedestrian connection in my opinion. Cars tend to speed up once they cross over Rosa Parks heading to East Nash, which makes for a dangerous crossing.

 

However, I do not think there is an open plot of land availalbe for this, since all have been spoken for with residential projects.

 

Edited October 9, 2014 by nashmoney

[Nashville Cliff]

Here is the article for Embrey ballpark site

 

Permits issued for Sulphur Dell apartment building project

 

It would be nice to have a little pedestrian bridge across Jefferson, similiar to the one they have in Knoxville across Cumberland Ave at UT. Would definitely help with folks trying to get from Germantown to Sulphur Dell, whether its for the ballpark, farmer's market, or bicentenial mall. Definitely not a priority, but just something that would make a better pedestrian connection in my opinion. Cars tend to speed up once they cross over Rosa Parks heading to East Nash, which makes for a dangerous crossing.

 

However, I do not think there is an open plot of land availalbe for this, since all have been spoken for with residential projects.

 

 

I applaud the intent, but I think it would be better to put more signalized crosswalks, thus allowing people to cross safely while also slowing down the traffic.  Not everyone can navigate a bridge (especially with stairs) and then they are left to fend with the unrestrained traffic.