West End Summit update

[Richard Lawson]

maybe it would clarify if i say that i respect his vision and his attempts to make this project a reality. I respect his effort in other words. My respect is not for solely those that get projects done.

[Midtown]

The respect thing is interesting. Palmer doesn't have a tremendous amount among experienced real estate pros here. That's from folks who have a much better development track record.

[mempho]

I'm glad to see Mr. Lawson actually taking the time to share his view points with all of us on here. Sometimes I get the feeling that I'm just a good ole boy on here getting excited about stuff that I'll never be able to afford, so it's nice to see that someone who is really in the know is discussing w/us. Though most of you can see that I'm from Memphis by my screen name; I share energy for both cities, having lived in both...

It seems to me that our two cities get to caught up in putting the cart ahead of the horse. What I mean by that is...we spend so much time trying to get our NHL, NFL and NBA teams, and trying to build our skyscrapers so that we can look like a Dallas or Atlanta, that we have forgotten that those cities used to be where ours are today....around 1.5 million and needing to improve school systems and infrastructure and poverty. Those cities, some where along the way figured it out and that is why they are where they are today. If we do not stop waisting so much time trying to look like our big sisters and start fixing our real problems, then all of these areas like professional sports and tall buildings are going to start to rust and canker and lose their luster and they will eventually fade away. Every tom dick and harry town in America is starting to pop up 30, 40 and 50 story buildings. It doesn't change an thing about education and poverty though. It just shields them a little more. Don't get me wrong, I love tall buildings and professional sports, I watch the Titans, the Preds and the Grizz. But those things don't make a world class city. Its the generation that we are raising today that will do that, if we render them up the way we are supposed to.

[producer2]

Mempho,

Can't disagree with you more. Davidson County school system is the most well funded system in the State of TN and in the top 10% of all school districts in the Southeast. Throwing more taxpayer money at it does not make it a better system. Maybe we should look at how the system is run, etc. but money is not the issue. Creating revenue in the city core is vital to growth. Building a new downtown FREE public library a World Class symphony hall, an amazing museum, a spectacular Country Music Hall of Fame, increasing your downtown residents by over 400% in the next 3 years, and embarking on the largest project the city has ever seen (the new convention center) that will bring with it a slew of related businesses and jobs ALONG with building a new stadium and arena and attracting pro sports teams to occupy those facilities, well those things are what does make you a world class city. If Nashville can accomplish as much in the next 10 years as it has in the past 10, it will be in great shape in terms of keeping a tax base that is one of the most palatable in the US.

[Flowers]

^ good debate but it seems like we need a new thread.

[Richard Lawson]

You should have included that comment in your article.

MT

[mempho]

Mempho,

Can't disagree with you more. Davidson County school system is the most well funded system in the State of TN and in the top 10% of all school districts in the Southeast. Throwing more taxpayer money at it does not make it a better system. Maybe we should look at how the system is run, etc. but money is not the issue. Creating revenue in the city core is vital to growth. Building a new downtown FREE public library a World Class symphony hall, an amazing museum, a spectacular Country Music Hall of Fame, increasing your downtown residents by over 400% in the next 3 years, and embarking on the largest project the city has ever seen (the new convention center) that will bring with it a slew of related businesses and jobs ALONG with building a new stadium and arena and attracting pro sports teams to occupy those facilities, well those things are what does make you a world class city. If Nashville can accomplish as much in the next 10 years as it has in the past 10, it will be in great shape in terms of keeping a tax base that is one of the most palatable in the US.

[Rural King]

Lets not stray off topic please. We will be way off topic before anyone knows it.

Thanks in advance!

PS - I can split the off topic discussion in this thread into a new topic if the parties involved would like. The only stipulation would be that the current civil discourse is maintained in the new thread.

[producer2]

rural king,

I leave that to your discretion, sorry it got off topic.

[Rural King]

^ No worries, I just needed to interject before we went to far astray as a subject like that is likely to do.

On WES: How good do people think the chances are in the current environment that the project could start construction in 08? I think it's a real possibility, but it may be later in the year if it happens.

[troyboytn]

Because of my work, I have had to relocated from two cities I love and called home...Nashville and Atlanta. I have used these Nashville forums in the past few years for news on what is going on. Atlanta is a true international city which Nashville and Charlotte can not be compared to in most cases. What Nashville is truly lacking is corperate leadership. Remembering the days when Nashville was larger than Charlotte, a man named Hugh McColl (along with his board of directors) had a vision which single handedly catapulted Charlotte ahead of Nashville with what is now Bank of America. Now with the lack of that corperate vision, Nashville has a chance to catch back up with the visions of local developers....WHO NEED YOUR SUPPORT, not your naysaying. Mr. Giarantana and Mr. Palmer have these visions that could at least in theory, along with furthur downtown/midtown development bring more people and jobs to the entire area. I for one support them both. GO NASHVILLE!

[nashvylle]

that is a terrific post troyboytn!! i couldn't agree more. That's why i get so ticked off at the negative media that has come up lately making fun of the developes' efforts to truly redefine our city. The projects the local developers could build don't come around everyday, i believe Signature Tower is a once in a lifetime opportunity. So to all the media critics out there reading this- PLEASE SUPPORT OUR DEVELOPERS!!!

[grouthaus]

We also need a Nashville Chamber of Commerce that does not stand in our city's way of attracting and retaining corporate leaders to Davidson County. The debacle over Verizon's Cool Springs relocation is a prime example; Nashville didn't even know that this was going on until after a deal was inked, and the Nashville CoC was in the middle of it the whole time. In other cities that are serious about their urban revitalization, they make sure that firms like Nissan don't go to the suburbs. Giving them tax incentives to stay in Davidson County might hurt, but losing them is absolutely killing us.

[franktown]

We also need a Nashville Chamber of Commerce that does not stand in our city's way of attracting and retaining corporate leaders to Davidson County. The debacle over Verizon's Cool Springs relocation is a prime example; Nashville didn't even know that this was going on until after a deal was inked, and the Nashville CoC was in the middle of it the whole time. In other cities that are serious about their urban revitalization, they make sure that firms like Nissan don't go to the suburbs. Giving them tax incentives to stay in Davidson County might hurt, but losing them is absolutely killing us.

[nashvylle]

i hope this attitude changes soon. all these things are great for our city and help Nashville grow.

[Richard Lawson]

The issue is that in this area there's a major resistence to the government spending any money on anything. The conservative mindset in many ways has made people assume that all taxes are bad and they never recieve a benefit from them. Whether it be the Predators or the Music City Star or the Music City Center, people complain about any city expenditures claiming that they're stealing from police and education.

[Midtown]

that is a terrific post troyboytn!! i couldn't agree more. That's why i get so ticked off at the negative media that has come up lately making fun of the developes' efforts to truly redefine our city. The projects the local developers could build don't come around everyday, i believe Signature Tower is a once in a lifetime opportunity. So to all the media critics out there reading this- PLEASE SUPPORT OUR DEVELOPERS!!!

[nashvylle]

nice poit midtown. I'm the type of person that believes optimistic people and the ones who believe in themselves are the ones that get ahead in life. There are always going to be people they are dream killers and will say you CAN'T do it. However, there were people who told Michael Jordan he would never make it in basketball, people who told barrack obama he would never make it in politics, and definitely people who told Alex Palmer that he would never even get Palmer Plaza. As long as he keeps working as hard as he can, I believe they can do it!!

[ATLBrain]

There is much to be said about optimism breeding even more optimism. I'm convinced that's all my city had in the early part of last century, and inexhaustibly promoted by city leaders. Before long, people actually believed that Atlanta was the city too busy to hate, when in fact it wasn't much different from any other similar sized city in the south. By WWII, it was the undisputed "Empire of the South". Remember that New Orleans and Birmingham were giving us a run for the money.

[epelton]

Met someone that works with one of the major realestate firms here. Said the hotel is going up without question, but office still needs some sales. Did we already know this?

[smeagolsfree]

Of course that goes contrary to what Richard Lawson had heard, as being just the opposite. I don

[nashvylle]

with the Nashville hotel market being in a state of high demand and low supply i think the hotel would come before the office. Time will tell

[smeagolsfree]

I know there has been a lot of debate over this project as to it happening or not. Well here is another tidbit from a Bovis Lend Lease person on site. The project is going up and there would probably be two tower cranes and a mobile crane. Construction will start soon after utility work is done. They were pumping water out of the pit again and that was the issue. I feel as if there was a broken water line because 16th ave has been closed for some time repairing whatever was broken.

This may have been the answer he was instructed to give if anyone asked, but he seemed very confident that construction would start very soon.

[Hankster]

I know there has been a lot of debate over this project as to it happening or not. Well here is another tidbit from a Bovis Lend Lease person on site. The project is going up and there would probably be two tower cranes and a mobile crane. Construction will start soon after utility work is done. They were pumping water out of the pit again and that was the issue. I feel as if there was a broken water line because 16th ave has been closed for some time repairing whatever was broken.

This may have been the answer he was instructed to give if anyone asked, but he seemed very confident that construction would start very soon.

[Midtown]

Look what I found on Forbes.com this morning.

Anyone heard about this one?

It looks like Palmer & Co is nearing the half-billion dollar mark for construction in 2008 ??

Anyone seen a rendering?

http://www.forbes.com/prnewswire/feeds/prn...___CLTH118.html

As for the Summit: I continue to see trucks blocking traffic and having to drive over bumps in the road getting to my office, due to re-routing water and sewer lines, and see a continuous stream of bucket trucks relocating cable TV, telephone, and electric lines, in the neighborhood. Things certainly appear to be on the move.

MT