New Tennessee Performing Arts Center (TPAC), $600 million, 3,200 seats, 1,500 seats, 500 seats, East Bank at base of Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge

[Baronakim]

4 hours ago, nashville born said:

Agreed 100%.

The Polk tower is an architectural disaster and needs to come down IMO.  The state had to be very careful in moving around  heavy files as the offices had to balance loading carefuly to keep the suspended floors on the opposite side from shifting.  I have my suspicions that this building would not perform  well in the event of the earthquake that is inevitably going to hit Nashville.  The next big quake will not be from the west (New Madrid) but from the north end of the Reelfoot rift which is WAY overdue for a major movement.  Of course many of our concreter towers probably will not fare paticulary well either.  Steel framing IMO is the best structural framing for our seismic zones.

 

Edited August 3, 2023 by Baronakim

[Nash_12South]

1 hour ago, Baronakim said:

The Polk tower is an architectural disaster and needs to come down IMO.  The state had to be very careful in moving around  heavy files as the offices had to balance loading carefuly to keep the suspended floors on the opposite side from shifting.  I have my suspicions that this building would not perform  well in the event of the earthquake that is inevitably going to hit Nashville.  The next big quake will not be from the west (New Madrid) but from the north end of the Reelfoot rift which is WAY overdue for a major movement.  Of course many of our concreter towers probably will not fare paticulary well either.  Steel framing IMO is the best structural framing for our seismic zones.

 

I've heard similar stories about the building over the years.

[nashville born]

Here's hoping we don't lose the Polk and we don't suffer a quake of any major significance.

[Baronakim]

On 8/29/2023 at 10:26 AM, nashville born said:

Here's hoping we don't lose the Polk and we don't suffer a quake of any major significance.

The quake regretably is unavoidable.  It is a matter of time.  However Nashville would have lots of company like St. Louis, New Orleans and Chicago.  When it finally rips loose IMO there will not be a standing bridge over the Mississippi River from south of St. Paul all the way down to Vicksburg.  Pipelines too.  There is a seismic driver that delivers a gigantic quake on a fairly regular basis that completely causes the Mississippi Rive to drastically change its course quite suddenly .  IMO it is the northern sector of the Reelfoot Rift that triggers it, not the New Madrid.  The quakes there a little over 200 years ago were of insufficient intensity to relocate the river or the delta appreciably.  That is an indiator of an event quite a bit larger than the New Madrid quakes,  Here is one of the proofs that major seismic events cause massive in the river showing course changes in the delta's depositation.  The last two have been relatively milder tah the older ones..  I think the next one will be massive and is probably overdue.  I have discussed my opinions with the heads of FEMA and TEMA and they agree largely with my conclusions, but there is NOTHING we can physically do architecturally to prepare.  When it happens, it happens.  The only disaster I can see that would be conceivably worse is the eruption of the Yellowstone  caldera .

Edited September 2, 2023 by Baronakim

[markhollin]

State approves $200 million in funding for a new TPAC.

More behind the Nashville Post paywall here:

https://www.nashvillepost.com/business/development/state-approves-funding-for-tpac-move-supreme-court-upgrades/article_6286a9dc-692d-11ee-9a99-a7fa4d18a314.html


And at NBJ here:

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2023/10/13/tennessee-performing-arts-center-progresses-in-rel.html

[smeagolsfree]

William Rawn has this project on their website now along with TPAC as well. A New Performance Home - TPAC®

Tennessee Performing Arts Center | William Rawn Associates Architects (rawnarch.com)

 

I did talk to a few friends that frequent TPAC a lot and they said they were fine with the East Bank location as the Sounds Games play major havoc with a lot of the TPAC performances as well also the Capital View location would be an issue as well. I think that location was discussed at some of the UP meetings. The main thing was easy-to-use parking. Right now, 200 million from the state this past year and another 300 million coming this year. with a completion date of 2028 construction should start sometime late next year. I would think a two and half to three-year construction timeline would not be out of the question.

[nashville born]

Can't wait to see their design plans.

[markhollin]

Metro has a tentative agreement with TPAC, which has long been rumored to be in search of a new home on the East Bank, to relocate to a riverfront parcel on the southern side of the IDA.

TPAC’s parcel will be excluded from the agreement with Fallon, as it will be negotiated directly between Metro and TPAC. The building’s design will be subject to approval by the Metro Planning Department.

As a part of the agreement, TPAC will also invest in some of the surrounding infrastructure, including the re-landing of the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge, which will be structurally attached to TPAC and will extend beyond the space to deposit pedestrians almost directly next to the stadium.

A presentation slide lays out early infrastructure projects that will need to take place in order for development to proceed. Total construction estimates take into account soft costs, contingencies and year of expenditure, providing a more accurate estimate.

Metro will have to make some big upfront investments in the infrastructure of the East Bank, the full extent of which is not yet known. Aside from the infrastructure Metro itself has to pay for, Fallon, the Titans and TPAC will also be footing the bill for various infrastructure projects that will need to be completed for construction to move forward.

More behind the Nashville Post paywall here:

https://www.nashvillepost.com/politics/metro/plans-revealed-for-affordable-housing-tpac-on-the-east-bank/article_c7952ff6-b9f0-11ee-8449-e7b2d45071a0.html

[markhollin]

It appears that the sizes of the venues in the new East Bank TPAC are being scaled downward: 

• A 2,600-seat multipurpose theater (instead of 3,200 mentioned before)
• A 1,200-seat dance and opera hall (instead of 1,500 mentioned before)
  There will also be:
• A 500-seat flexible venue
• Four rehearsal studios (to be used for rehearsals, classroom space and for community events)
• TPAC administrative offices
• At least one publicly accessible exterior plaza providing public access to and from the riverfront
  
  TPAC would design and build an extension of the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge compatible with retail and cultural activities. 

  TPAC would also cover costs for:

• Street improvements along Waterside Drive and Victory Avenue
• Storm water management improvements
• Utilities not already being installed as part of Metro's agreements with the Tennessee Titans or The Fallon Company
• All designs require approval from the Metro Planning Commission, and Metro has authority to monitor construction.

• Metro would enter into a 35-year lease with TPAC with rent set at $100 per year. TPAC would have the option of two 30-year renewal terms, with rent set at 25% of the market value at that time, with annual increases.

  Under the proposed lease, TPAC would claim all revenue from operations in the center and on-site, advertising included. The center would foot the bill for operating and maintenance costs, utilities and insurance, in addition to agreeing to contribute toward operation and maintenance of the pedestrian bridge.

  Metro could host up to three civic events at the center per year and would reimburse TPAC for operating costs for those events.

  TPAC would shoulder the responsibility for securing parking for events at the center.
  
  Before beginning construction, TPAC would need to obtain Metro approval for the final design and confirm its ability to fund the full project. TPAC would need to begin construction by Sept. 30, 2027.
  
  More at  The Tennessean here:
  
  https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/davidson/2024/03/01/nashville-east-bank-proposal-tennessee-performing-arts-center-relocation-project/72762816007/

[Sean blackdog]

Today this morning from Tennessean newspaper.
 

Here we go. 

[CandyAisles]

Being scaled downward so it can be shoved into the East Bank?  Maybe it doesn't belong there?  Putting a limited use building next to another massive limited use building is going to be a struggle for activated streets in this new neighborhood.

[subkyle]

The existing facility seats 2472, so the new facility will be the same size essentially. Kind of a bummer

[CandyAisles]

2 hours ago, subkyle said:

The existing facility seats 2472, so the new facility will be the same size essentially. Kind of a bummer

Kind of really a bummer

[Luvemtall]

I’m waiting on the official rendering, hopefully it’s quality and design outweighs its size 

[CandyAisles]

16 hours ago, Luvemtall said:

I’m waiting on the official rendering, hopefully it’s quality and design outweighs its size 

I’m a big Bjarke Ingels fan (no pun intended). But I’m not thinking they (or TPAC) is going to be overly concerned with street activation. Hope I’m wrong.

[nashville born]

On 3/2/2024 at 12:23 PM, CandyAisles said:

I’m a big Bjarke Ingels fan (no pun intended). But I’m not thinking they (or TPAC) is going to be overly concerned with street activation. Hope I’m wrong.

No challenge here, just a question to garner more perspective for myself.  Isn't the function of TPAC itself tantamount to street activation?  

[Bos2Nash]

I wouldn't expect TPAC to have ton of street activation in the traditional sense, but I would think something like what the Ryman has done with their box office/merch store along 4th Ave would be acceptable. 

Because TPAC will be set back from the river (behind the Bridge Building) this wouldn't be possible, but some public accessible space like the Oslo Opera House (designed by Snøhetta) would be great.

There appears to be opportunity baked into the parcel for TPAC, but it will be a wait and see game for it.

I think the downgrading of the MCM being more of an "egress path" is a loss from the TPAC perspective. But who knows, maybe the design team will have something that surprises us (pretty please lol)

[CandyAisles]

3 hours ago, nashville born said:

No challenge here, just a question to garner more perspective for myself.  Isn't the function of TPAC itself tantamount to street activation?  

That was a comment on the limitations of the of the capacity effecting what types of performances we can have there.

[PillowTalk4]

I know the plan to reduce the seating capacity is a bummer to some, but the new numbers might be in response to overall market not just the site location.  Keep in mind the Pinnacle Concert Hall in Nashville Yards will seat 4,500.  TPAC for the most part has been about theatrical performances with some small concert bookings.  So, is there really a need for a 3,200 seat hall?  When you consider that single hall Broadway theaters in NYC range from 597 to 1,933 the size of the proposed TPAC theaters seem about right to me.  The Blumenthal Performing Arts Center (BPAC) in Charlotte has three halls that range from 434 to 2,118 seats.  There is a flex hall for smaller events.  Also, Charlottes doesn't have a dedicated symphony hall like Nashville's Schermerhorn Symphony Center (1,844 seating capacity).  Their symphony performs at the BPAC.  So, what is being proposed for Nashville's new TPAC appears to be scaled appropriately.

[VSRJ]

Also, the Orpheum in Memphis seats roughly 2,500 and it seems to get all the big touring shows (although I'm admittedly not well-versed in Broadway productions). Surely 28 fewer seats wouldn't have that big of an impact.

[Luvemtall]

Having a Performing Arts hall too large, starts to take away the intimacy and creativity that makes Theatre so special. It’s not a concert hall, and therefore it’s not necessary to have a “cheap seats, nose bleed section”. 

[GreenHillsBoy]

On 3/4/2024 at 2:25 PM, Bos2Nash said:

I wouldn't expect TPAC to have ton of street activation in the traditional sense, but I would think something like what the Ryman has done with their box office/merch store along 4th Ave would be acceptable. 

Because TPAC will be set back from the river (behind the Bridge Building) this wouldn't be possible, but some public accessible space like the Oslo Opera House (designed by Snøhetta) would be great.

There appears to be opportunity baked into the parcel for TPAC, but it will be a wait and see game for it.

I think the downgrading of the MCM being more of an "egress path" is a loss from the TPAC perspective. But who knows, maybe the design team will have something that surprises us (pretty please lol)

I was recently in the Oslo Opera House and it is magnificent...the ramps you see are heavily used by the public for sun bathing/picnics etc and the building is always open for use of the restrooms.  I would hope the new TPAC could be something like this or at least unique.  

 

 

Edited March 5 by GreenHillsBoy

[jjbradleyBrooklyn]

44 minutes ago, Luvemtall said:

Having a Performing Arts hall too large, starts to take away the intimacy and creativity that makes Theatre so special. It’s not a concert hall, and therefore it’s not necessary to have a “cheap seats, nose bleed section”. 

Exactly. Theaters on Broadway here in NY, seat around 1,000 people, some larger, some smaller.

And the standard seating size to be classified as a "Broadway theater," and not "off Broadway," is seating capacity greater than 500 people.

Of course, the Broadway theaters pack 'em in, having 8 typical performances every single week, with any given resident running performance at the time.

So 2500 capacity is pretty large, for a stage that will mostly have plays, musicals and some intimate musician performances.

Edited March 5 by jjbradleyBrooklyn

[Rick Dalton]

Scandanavia is a cheat code with the architecture  

[nashville born]

1 hour ago, Rick Dalton said:

Scandanavia is a cheat code with the architecture  

Another good reason why we NEED that proposal for the culinary district as proposed!