Vanderbilt University Tower and West End Dorms, 20 stories/6 stories, 340 units

[markhollin]

Carmichael Tower 3 demo continues.

Looking SW from intersection of West End Ave. and 24th Ave:

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[markhollin]

New tower up to the 16th floor.  Carmichael Tower 3 now has two floors shaved off the top, plus a lot of the outer walls being ripped. Stone trim work on spires of NW corner turret underway.

Looking south from West End Ave., 1/2 block west of 24th Ave:

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[markhollin]

New tower starting 17th floor.  Carmichael Tower 3 now has about 30% scraped away. Stone trim work on spires of NW corner turret continues.

Looking west from 24th Ave. South, 1/2 block south of West End Ave:

 

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Looking east from 14th floor of 2525 West End Ave:

[markhollin]

New tower's 17th floor nearing completion.  Carmichael Tower 3 now has about 50% scraped away. Stone trim work on spires of NW corner turret continues.

Looking west from 24th Ave. South, 1/2 block south of West End Ave:

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Looking north along 24th Ave. South, 1/2 block south of West End Ave:




Looking east from 14th floor of 2525 West End Ave:

[erdichia]

Some of my favorite new construction in the city. I am still amazed that brand new buildings can look a hundred years old. I know it can’t be cheap, but I appreciate it.

[archilove]

They didn't go cheap on this one and it perfectly expresses the idea of an exclusive, quality  academic institution. Nashville and West End are the lucky beneficiaries.

[CaptainJilliams]

This certainly will be the signature building in this neighborhood. Love it.

[markhollin]

New tower still on 17th floor.  Carmichael 3 is 95% demolished/mostly rubble. 8 story tower at SE corner of West End Ave. and 25th Ave. South is now fully adorned in brick/stonework.

Looking SW from intersection of West End Ave. and 24th Ave:

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What is left of Carmichael 3.  Looking east along West End Ave., 1/2 block west of 24th Ave:

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Looking east from 14th floor of 2525 West End Ave:

[MidTenn1]

This 'college' will be named after Nick Zeppos. A video of the announcement here...

[markhollin]

Starting 19th level. Carmichael Tower 3 now completely razed, most rubble removed.

Looking SW from intersection of West End Ave. and 24th Ave:

Looking west from 24th Ave. South, 1/2 block south of West End Ave:

Looking west from 24th Ave. South, 1/4 block south of West End Ave:

[GregH]

Blasting for the new building in that spot is tentatively scheduled to start the week of February 17th. 

[NashWellington11]

On 1/31/2020 at 9:27 PM, PHofKS said:

This 'college' will be named after Nick Zeppos. A video of the announcement here...

This also means E. Gordon Gee is still the only Vanderbilt chancellor to have NOTHING named for him on campus. Ironically, Gee is the one who kicked off the seemingly never-ending construction on campus that has been ongoing for the past 15+ years. 

When the Vandy board hired Gee away from Princeton he assured them that Vandy would be his last job. Vandy had only had 6 chancellors over its 125 years before him. When Gee left for Ohio State after only 7 years the board was not happy. Especially after all of the controversies caused by his wife and the $6 million renovation of the chancellor's mansion (which Zeppos never moved into). 

[MLBrumby]

As an alum it pains me to say this... I’m convinced the BOT is either too stupid/backward or is deliberately undermining the university’s future.  I can not figure out nearly all the decisions the VU BoT makes....regarding their campus plan.... athletics... and the fact their curriculum is still largely aimed at everyone going on to grad school...especially Engineering which I feel is missing a golden opportunity to develop Tech curricula that the new companies moving to Nashville are seeking. I have a unique perspective as I can compare to a similar (competitor) school as an alum of duke. Over the past 15 years it seems Vandy can’t get anything right.... meanwhile even Belmont is coming up with new majors and a modern curriculum that serves the community.  Seems all Vandy wants to do is buy more property and build fancy dorms.

[uberkarnie]

On 2/5/2020 at 12:20 PM, MLBrumby said:

As an alum it pains me to say this... I’m convinced the BOT is either too stupid/backward or is deliberately undermining the university’s future.  I can not figure out nearly all the decisions the VU BoT makes....regarding their campus plan.... athletics... and the fact their curriculum is still largely aimed at everyone going on to grad school...especially Engineering which I feel is missing a golden opportunity to develop Tech curricula that the new companies moving to Nashville are seeking. I have a unique perspective as I can compare to a similar (competitor) school as an alum of duke. Over the past 15 years it seems Vandy can’t get anything right.... meanwhile even Belmont is coming up with new majors and a modern curriculum that serves the community.  Seems all Vandy wants to do is buy more property and build fancy dorms.

Is this . . . serious?

I'd be interested to hear more details about what gives you this impression. I've spent daily time on campus the last couple of years after almost 20 years away. I assure you, the University is far more impressive in nearly every measurable way than it was in the late '90's. Vanderbilt has added new majors and encourages interdisciplinary studies so that most students now graduate with a double major or multiple minors. The campus plan has everything to do with recognizing changing dynamics in higher ed as well as responding to the new level of competition Vanderbilt faces, having raised the University profile dramatically in the last couple of decades. While Belmont is certainly doing good things and making bold changes, they also are facing some serious growing pains. I hope they keep improving, but these two institutions are not comparable. They serve dramatically different purposes. Vanderbilt has made some decisions I disagree with, but the Board is following a long range plan laid out twenty five years ago. The moves have transformed quality of life for the students (the financial aid changes alone have been unbelievably important). University leadership seems to be positioning Vanderbilt to be able to maintain and hopefully expand upon recent success. The campus plan is a big part of this, but overall it goes much deeper than fancy dorms and land banking.

[MLBrumby]

And yet, we're still tied for (what is it?)  "14th best" college in the country... and our athletic teams are not competitive in their league (except for baseball b/c the best of the best are going through the farm leagues).  Our student body size is virtually the same as when I attended over 25 years ago. And tuition is higher than our peers. I know more than two dozen recent HS grads who didn't even bother applying to Vandy. Time and time again, I heard, "Vandy doesn't accept students from Tennessee/the South"  "Vandy doesn't offer the major I want (usually computer related)" "Vandy's for the rich kids".... and to my surprise "Vandy's not very good anymore." What?  Vandy may be building an 'impressive' campus, but they're not getting the best young people that I know.   

[dxfret]

Sorry but the comments from MLBrumby  about Vanderbilt University are inaccurate on many levels. 

[NashWellington11]

2 hours ago, MLBrumby said:

Time and time again, I heard, "Vandy doesn't accept students from Tennessee/the South"  "Vandy doesn't offer the major I want (usually computer related)" "Vandy's for the rich kids".... and to my surprise "Vandy's not very good anymore." What?  Vandy may be building an 'impressive' campus, but they're not getting the best young people that I know. 

These criticisms are nothing new. I heard them from people when I was an undergrad on campus. Sounds like sour grapes to me. Vandy has become dramatically more competitive over the past decade. Its student body is increasingly diverse, impressive, and competitive.

Around 10% of Vandy undergrads are from Tennessee. Which if you look at the overall state of secondary education and college-preparedness of many other states vs. Tennessee, the university is likely holding open spots for Tennessee kids to a certain extent.

One criticism I do have is that the "Why Vanderbilt" essay is no longer mandatory for applicants. They did it to get more Common App applications which had the positive effects of increased number and quality of applications and a lower acceptance rate. However, it also had the negative effect of making applying to Vandy just another checkbox  for applicants to click so more kids are going to Vandy just because it is the highest ranked school they got into instead of students with a true connection and dream to go to Vandy.

[uberkarnie]

7 hours ago, MLBrumby said:

And yet, we're still tied for (what is it?)  "14th best" college in the country... and our athletic teams are not competitive in their league (except for baseball b/c the best of the best are going through the farm leagues).  Our student body size is virtually the same as when I attended over 25 years ago. And tuition is higher than our peers. I know more than two dozen recent HS grads who didn't even bother applying to Vandy. Time and time again, I heard, "Vandy doesn't accept students from Tennessee/the South"  "Vandy doesn't offer the major I want (usually computer related)" "Vandy's for the rich kids".... and to my surprise "Vandy's not very good anymore." What?  Vandy may be building an 'impressive' campus, but they're not getting the best young people that I know.   

In 1999 Vanderbilt had an acceptance rate of 61%. Applications have increased from 9754 in 2001 to 29500 in 2014 and 37310 in 2019. The most recent acceptance rate was 9.1%. Of the current student body, 67% receive financial aid and the average aid package is over $54000. Only 30% of graduates pursue graduate school(70% of those get into their first choice). All of these figures demonstrate that the quality of student has dramatically shifted in the last two decades. Average entrance test scores have increased over 10%. Vanderbilt doesn't have to accept all the good in-state/regional applicants anymore because they are swamped with elite applicants from all over. Yet, as NashWellington11 pointed out, Tennessee accounts for ~10% of undergrads, by far the most of any state. The South accounts for 32% of students this year. These are all expected side effects of dramatically changing the University profile in a relatively short period of time. So today, Vanderbilt is more diverse, more selective, has greater appeal, and is on average significantly more affordable than at any point in its history. Vanderbilt offers 69 majors compared to 53 at Duke, 54 at Belmont, 58 at Stanford, and 70 at Columbia.

Athletics is an entirely different topic and largely unrelated to quality of education, but the last twenty years have been the most successful by far of any period in Vanderbilt athletic history. They are nationally competitive year in and year out in every sport outside of Football and Basketball. Yet, six of the nine bowls in University history came in the last 11 years. They've won five of the last eight against their biggest rival not long after ending a 22 year losing streak. Eight out of fifteen all time NCAA tournament appearances for men's basketball have come in the last 16 basketball seasons. This includes two of the six ever Sweet 16 appearances. Baseball has improved not because the talent pool has decreased, but because it has built a program that attracts elite talent away from the minor leagues. Though most elite players still go the route of the minors, the numbers of major leaguers coming out of the college ranks are at an all time high. Vanderbilt's athletic department has claimed 5 National titles in the last 13 years (UT has 3 in the same time frame). Obviously, there are issues at Vanderbilt that still need to be addressed and the last couple of seasons have been dreary for the revenue sports. If you take a step back and look at the big picture, Vanderbilt has undergone a transformation in two decades that is nothing short of remarkable and it isn't slowing down yet. Alumni should continue to apply pressure to the board and administration, there is still room for improvement; but there is so much to be proud of.

[UTgrad09]

6 hours ago, uberkarnie said:

Athletics is an entirely different topic and largely unrelated to quality of education, but the last twenty years have been the most successful by far of any period in Vanderbilt athletic history. They are nationally competitive year in and year out in every sport outside of Football and Basketball.

In other words, Vanderbilt is competitive in sports that most schools don't focus on. There are two sports that generate revenue to an athletic department. You just listed them as the ones you aren't competitive in. That's an issue.

Now, baseball aside -- Hawkins Field is a decent facility -- not so much because Vanderbilt has invested in it, but because Tim Corbin works his butt off making that the premier sport (and venue) on campus -- the athletic facilities are absolute garbage compared to even the mid tier of the SEC. Vanderbilt Stadium hasn't had a major renovation since 1983 (!!!!). Memorial Gym has it's charm, but it really, really needs an overhaul.

Quote

Yet, six of the nine bowls in University history came in the last 11 years. They've won five of the last eight against their biggest rival not long after ending a 22 year losing streak. Eight out of fifteen all time NCAA tournament appearances for men's basketball have come in the last 16 basketball seasons. This includes two of the six ever Sweet 16 appearances. Vanderbilt's athletic department has claimed 5 National titles in the last 13 years (UT has 3 in the same time frame).

Not to diminish the accomplishment, but 3 of those bowls came under James Franklin, which was a fortunate get for Vanderbilt (and likely not a hire that will be replicated). It should also be pointed out that all of this happened during a historically weak period in the SEC East. Tennessee was terrible. Florida was terrible. Georgia was average at best. MTSU would have been competitive in the East for a lot of those years. Basketball has always been Vandy's sport to brag about, and Kevin Stallings had some really good teams, but it wasn't really much of an outlier for Vanderbilt as a whole (I would say the recent struggles are more of an outlier than anything).

5 National Championships. 2 are baseball. What are the other 3? Hint: no one cares.

Quote

Obviously, there are issues at Vanderbilt that still need to be addressed and the last couple of seasons have been dreary for the revenue sports. If you take a step back and look at the big picture, Vanderbilt has undergone a transformation in two decades that is nothing short of remarkable and it isn't slowing down yet. Alumni should continue to apply pressure to the board and administration, there is still room for improvement; but there is so much to be proud of.

What are you seeing in the big picture? I'm seeing record revenues being distributed to the SEC, and literally every other school making a commitment to invest, while Vanderbilt uses it as a welfare check for their Athletic Department. Facilities are horrendously outdated and not up to par with the rest of the conference. Attendance is putrid. There is no buzz whatsoever. Your AD just got fired. And while everyone seems to like the interim/new AD, what's to say that she's not going to be handcuffed by an administration that seems to be hellbent on the status quo?

Vandy has it's hurdles. Small school, lots of out of state students, high academic standards. But it's not like schools like Duke, Stanford, and Northwestern haven't been able to overcome those challenges and simultaneously invest in athletics as well as academics.

 

 

All that said, I do like the new dorms on West End. I love the architecture, and I think they will age well. I just wish that they would pay just a tiny bit of attention to athletics from a university level...and maybe then they would be worthy of competing in the SEC. 

[UTgrad09]

delete

Edited February 13, 2020 by UTgrad09
removing quote for deleted post.

[MLBrumby]

I removed this b/c I don't want to keep things on a bitter track. It's also a Friday... an end to a very tough week for me. Have a nice weekend!

Edited February 14, 2020 by MLBrumby

[Mr_Bond]

The Vandy Tower really stands out.  How much taller will it get?  This was taken from the 4th floor of the American Center.  My apologies for the hazy weather and pic.

[markhollin]

Work continues on 19th level.  I believe the ornate 40' crown will start at this point. Also, the hole where Carmichael Tower 3 was is being excavated for underground parking.  Core drillers on site for further depth exploration along24th Ave. South.

Looking south from West End Ave., 1/2 block west of 24th Ave:

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Looking west at Carmichael Tower 3 hole from 24th Ave. South, 1/4 block south of West End Ave.

[rolly]

How much space can there be on each floor of that 20 story tower, considering there's some number of elevator shafts and stairwells. 

I guess Nashville is getting its first skinny!

[markhollin]

Still at 19th level. 

Looking SW from intersection of West End Ave. and 24th Ave:

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