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Convention Center shortcomings costing Nashville $$$$

smeagolsfree

By smeagolsfree
in Nashville

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Nashvillain Burg

Nashvillain

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Interesting update in the City Paper on the proposed Convention Center.

http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/index.cf...p;news_id=50974

I think the study did not fully take into account the development of retail/restaurant options in the masterplan for the Gulch though.

Especially considering the timeframe for the construction of a new convention center which I think would be something like three to four years. The Icon and Terrazzo should be completed well before that and who knows what others may be completed, under way or proposed. I'm sure the number of resturaunt options will increase by the dozens in the area following the influx of population. It constantly sucks how self-serving and near-sighted these business leaders are.

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Hankster Town

Hankster

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Thanks for the updates on the Convention Center project. It sounds no worse than I have feared. I believe it is quite possible that a site will been chosen and financing in place by early next year. However, that probably is the best we can hope for. If this does happen, it will trigger several more major projects for downdown Nashville in the next several years. The city would be buzzing with unprecedented activity.

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rocky top buzz Hamlet

rocky top buzz

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Instead of spending 300mil on a football stadium and 500mil on a convention center, why could we not have combined it all into one like the arizona cardinals new stadium? It cost about $500 million TOTAL, and man is it cool looking!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardinals_Stadium

Retractable grass? now that is out there!

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Hankster Town

Hankster

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There was a big article in yesterday's Tennessean about the Convention Center. It's looking more and more like, if built, it will be built in SoBro south of the GEC. I'm in favor of that location, too. Is there still a lot of dissenting views on that? Oh, by the way, it seems as if there is considerable support both by the business community and politically for the project. Purcell, did you read the article, too?

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Richard Lawson Hamlet

Richard Lawson

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There was a big article in yesterday's Tennessean about the Convention Center. It's looking more and more like, if built, it will be built in SoBro south of the GEC. I'm in favor of that location, too. Is there still a lot of dissenting views on that? Oh, by the way, it seems as if there is considerable support both by the business community and politically for the project. Purcell, did you read the article, too?

The Tennessean should have done separate story on the location analysis. It was as illuminating as the other study. Here's what I wrote yesterday.

http://www.nashvillepost.com/news/2006/9/6...nter_site_study

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Lexy Town

Lexy

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Just a question. Has anyone ever thought about putting it on the Eastern side of the Cumberland River?? You know, over where the scrap yard is currently. Wouldn't that make much more sense than to destroy a future neighborhood and the grid downtown??? Plus the visibility is the same and the land is bound to be cheaper.

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fieldmarshaldj Burg

fieldmarshaldj

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Just a question. Has anyone ever thought about putting it on the Eastern side of the Cumberland River?? You know, over where the scrap yard is currently. Wouldn't that make much more sense than to destroy a future neighborhood and the grid downtown??? Plus the visibility is the same and the land is bound to be cheaper.

I'm sure it has been considered, but aren't issues of ground contamination the paramount concern for that location ?

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ATLBrain Burg

ATLBrain

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Just can't help thinking that the CC on the east side then that would spur so much positive development. I think the scrap yard would still be a bit too far for walking traffic. That's why I think the V between the Shelby and G'way bridges would be ideal. Plus you don't have the contamination issue.

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jice Burg

jice

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Instead of spending 300mil on a football stadium and 500mil on a convention center, why could we not have combined it all into one like the arizona cardinals new stadium? It cost about $500 million TOTAL, and man is it cool looking!

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cardinals_Stadium

Retractable grass? now that is out there!

Wow.... the retractable grass is definitely out there... I like it. I don't see where it says this stadium is also a convention center, though? I do like that idea, though...

The Tennessean should have done separate story on the location analysis. It was as illuminating as the other study. Here's what I wrote yesterday.

http://www.nashvillepost.com/news/2006/9/6...nter_site_study

Interesting stuff... I really like the idea of raising the exhibition hall, etc., above the street. I think that was one of the concerns with the SoBro site... breaking up the street grid.

I know the big downtown mall in Indianapolis is like that... the street grid is not broken up at all, because the areas connecting portions of the mall are basically on the 2nd story... very cool.

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Richard Lawson Hamlet

Richard Lawson

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From the Tennessean today. The latest possible change would be to run the roads underneath the CC. This may affect the cost of the center as well. Read more:

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar...EWS05/609130411

Man where was he a week ago. I focused on that myself. It wouldn't go under the convention center underground. The CC would be built over the street. That would mean less blasting to make a big hole in the ground it seems to me. The current center's exhibit hall is mostly underground.

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bwithers1 Burg

bwithers1

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From the Tennessean today. The latest possible change would be to run the roads underneath the CC. This may affect the cost of the center as well. Read more:

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/ar...EWS05/609130411

In my humble and uninformed opinion, this whole mess about building a mammoth building over the street grid simply lends more credibility to the Gulch or East Bank options, where there either are no major streets to interrupt, or they already are at varying elevations anyway and seemingly could be easily worked into a design for a building with a huge floorplate with pedestrian entrances and shipping docks on different floors. The SoBro site seems like an exercise in fitting a square peg into a round hole.

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ATLBrain Burg

ATLBrain

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I suggest that the powers that be look at two examples of convention centers in a downtown area. I know there are dozens of other examples. But these two show the unique demands of a CC and how they turn away from the downtowns despite their designers efforts to prevent that from happening. First is New Orleans. It is actually on the river, and that's good. Also, it was put in an area that wasn't yet on the way up (now it is). So those two points are good ones (in addition to the adjacent location to the River Center shopping mall. However, when you go down that street next to the CC (Tchopotoulis --- I know I butchered the spelling) the area is dead unless there is a convention going on in all parts of the center. Most people stay in the hotels that are 2-3 blocks east of the CC and never get on the street. Instead, they use the indoor shopping mall.

The other example is San Antonio's Gonzales Center. It is actually a beautiful facility. It's also set in a parklike area. These are good things, in addition to its proximity to the Alamo, Riverwalk and several very large HQ hotels. Once again, the fact that it is a CC leaves something of a void in that section of DT. In comparison to the old Hemisfair location however, it is an improvement.

The point I'm making is that CC's are very large inward looking facilities no matter how well they're designed. I think it should go to the East Bank... or (less preferred) the gulch.

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Richard Lawson Hamlet

Richard Lawson

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I suggest that the powers that be look at two examples of convention centers in a downtown area. I know there are dozens of other examples. But these two show the unique demands of a CC and how they turn away from the downtowns despite their designers efforts to prevent that from happening. First is New Orleans. It is actually on the river, and that's good. Also, it was put in an area that wasn't yet on the way up (now it is). So those two points are good ones (in addition to the adjacent location to the River Center shopping mall. However, when you go down that street next to the CC (Tchopotoulis --- I know I butchered the spelling) the area is dead unless there is a convention going on in all parts of the center. Most people stay in the hotels that are 2-3 blocks east of the CC and never get on the street. Instead, they use the indoor shopping mall.

The other example is San Antonio's Gonzales Center. It is actually a beautiful facility. It's also set in a parklike area. These are good things, in addition to its proximity to the Alamo, Riverwalk and several very large HQ hotels. Once again, the fact that it is a CC leaves something of a void in that section of DT. In comparison to the old Hemisfair location however, it is an improvement.

The point I'm making is that CC's are very large inward looking facilities no matter how well they're designed. I think it should go to the East Bank... or (less preferred) the gulch.

So, what about the idea of wrapping the building in outward development?

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ATLBrain Burg

ATLBrain

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So, what about the idea of wrapping the building in outward development?

I think it's a very good idea. I hope the CC development team will be serious about including it if the facility goes at the Demonbreun location (and it looks like it will). However, I do wonder what will become of the surrounding retail/residential buildings when the CC needs to expand. Granted that will be many years hence. One hopes that the whole neighborhood will be developed in such a was as to no longer need the outward facing portion of the CC complex.

On a related note, I wonder where the requisite hotels would go. I personally don't like the effect that large hotels have on the street activity beyond the hotel (e.g. they sort of "ignore" the rest of the neighborhood). So with the height restrictions in that area, the hotel(s) (presumably at least 2) will have to swallow up a lot of street frontage in the vicinity of the CC. I would just rather see residential and other commercial in that area. Those are the reasons I would prefer to see the CC go elsewhere. I was interested to see that the UDC was nonetheless in favor of the Demonbreun site.

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