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Westin on Lower Broad

QuietMike

By QuietMike
in Nashville

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prguy Unincorporated Area

prguy

Posted
Posted

I am posting the most recent elevations for the proposed Westin project for everyone to look at and comment upon.

Elevations

A couple of caveats:

At the MDHA meeting, the Barber Group was asked to approach the Historical Commission about cutting new windows

at street level on the Trail West building to improve the pedestrian experience. Those windows are not reflected in these renderings.

MDHA also requested that the street level portion of the law building, which Barber has acquired, be given over to some kind

of retail or home/office venture -- again to improve the pedestrian experience.

A couple of other items:

Metro Councilman Mike Jameson will hold a public meeting on Nov. 13 to gather community feedback on the proposed Westin Hotel.

Time: 5:30-7:30 p.m.

Location: Schermerhorn Symphony Center

One Symphony Place

Nashville, TN 37201-2031

The Metro Planning Commission

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it's just dave Burg

it's just dave

Posted
Posted

It seems the developers have done much to address many of the concerns of those who feel a negative impact of this property. We're looking at elevations and street fronts in these drawings and it appears, especially with the windows to be cut along 3rd, among other pedestrian considerations, that the street is taking on a huge part of this project. This is not an office building, it's a Westin. It will pour people onto and from the streets 7 days a week, most hours of the day.

I personally don't have a problem with the building's appearance. I see glass (which I like, personally), people, more than a $100 million in downtown investment, and a patient sensitivity to the wants of the more outspoken among us. The building will not now, or ever be the "perfect" fit inside everyone's minds, but for those who only count the bricks and mortar aspect of this project as the end-all, I suggest you look deeper into the vision for SoBro and see the people, the dollars, the prestige, the reactivation of the street, the catalystic effect this will cause and the synergy it will create with this previously ignored part or our city and realize the batting average of positives is pretty darn good. The reactivation of the waterfront, the Sounds project, Michael's not-yet-announced visions and others will prove that if one takes an overall look at this area, the bits and pieces, when all nicely fit together will be quite an amazing turnaround from the cinder block isolation zone it is today. I'll all for this. Don't think for a second I'm anti-preservation, but I'm realist on many levels.

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frankliner Whistle-Stop

frankliner

Posted
Posted

Looking at these elevations. There have been definite and marked improvements to the Broadway and 3rd Avenue sides of the building. I am still pretty disappointed with how the 2nd Avenue side looks, but it looks from this point that won't be changed. I would just like to say that having gone to that first MDHA meeting, Rick Bernhardt almost single-handedly made sure that these changes occured through his probing questions. Although I know quite a few people were unhappy with his rather pointed questioning, I think the results are without question a positive. The scale of the Broadway and 3rd Avenue side really does fit the streetscape of the rest of those corridors.

That being said, it looks like one of the better projects Nashville has moved forward and I really wish all projects that have a major impact on the built environment downtown would go through the same rigorous questioning that this project has gone through (example, the Hampton Inn which seemed to be spirited through). I think that the progression of these elevations speaks for the merits of the process.

I still can't support this project. The Richards and Richards building, with one of the last few wallpaintings downtown is too nice of a building for me to want to be torn down. Additionally I have sincere doubts about how appropriate a highrise is ON Broadway. But I digress, you-all have heard me harp on this over and over. I just wanted to reiterate that because I oppose this project, it doesn't mean I don't support the regeneration of the area as a whole, I just seem to be quite a bit more cautious about it than most of you. And most of all, I base my feelings on good faith (not some NIMBY and malicious agenda to stop "progress").

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Nashvillain Burg

Nashvillain

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They have made some progress at the street level at the behest of our civic leadership. Huzzah for communication and compromise! See, it's not so bad when these things get scrutinized and tweaked a little instead of getting the rubber stamp treatment. Developers aren't gonna clear out and move to greener pastures just because they have to get through height and historical regulations requirements and hearings, etc. in order to get their projects built. They want to build in Nashville because these are greener pastures, ya'll. Now we're a lot closer to getting a much better building than we would have gotten.

Now if someone would just ask some "pointed questions" about what the hell is going on with the "original" portions of this building. Or more accurately, what isn't going on. I bet people would be a lot less opposed to a tower on lower Broad if it was actually beautiful or at least really attractive or maybe even a slightly interesting, instead of being a bland glass and block juggerknot. I know some people are gonna come back with the ol', it's economics stupid, trope about how developers have to maximize profit and build the sh@# out of the site and can't splurge on such frivolous things as a creative architect or decoration and all that outdated cutesy pie antiquated stuff; but really, if they had come out with a "wow" design to begin with, how much of this opposition would have existed? Most people would have forgotten about historic Lower Broad and said, "Yes please, Mr. Developer," and "You can't make an omelet without breaking some eggs," and the like.

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splash Unincorporated Area

splash

Posted
Posted

Just back from Memphis where I took a little stroll around downtown and through the Beale Street entertainment district. There were some interesting parallels to what Nashville is doing.

They already have built a Hampton Inn and are working on a Westin.

I wonder what battles were fought, if any, over these proposals.

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smeagolsfree Gigalopolis

smeagolsfree

Posted
Posted

I wonder how the street level would look if the developer tried to match the brick and the architecture style from the Trail West or even from existing buildings in the area all the way around the block. Lets say the first three levels. It would do a much better job blending with Broadway. They could design a series of facades that would complement the other buildings in the area. Just a thought. What do you guys think.

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splash Unincorporated Area

splash

Posted
Posted

I wonder how the street level would look if the developer tried to match the brick and the architecture style from the Trail West or even from existing buildings in the area all the way around the block. Lets say the first three levels. It would do a much better job blending with Broadway. They could design a series of facades that would complement the other buildings in the area. Just a thought. What do you guys think.
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Hankster Town

Hankster

Posted
Posted
I wonder how the street level would look if the developer tried to match the brick and the architecture style from the Trail West or even from existing buildings in the area all the way around the block. Lets say the first three levels. It would do a much better job blending with Broadway. They could design a series of facades that would complement the other buildings in the area. Just a thought. What do you guys think.
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NewTowner Hamlet

NewTowner

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Posted
I wonder how the street level would look if the developer tried to match the brick and the architecture style from the Trail West or even from existing buildings in the area all the way around the block. Lets say the first three levels. It would do a much better job blending with Broadway. They could design a series of facades that would complement the other buildings in the area. Just a thought. What do you guys think.
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vinemp Whistle-Stop

vinemp

Posted
Posted

In light of that statement, I would like to mention that "complementary" does not necessarily mean matching. The Westin design could very well accompany the existing structures in the area without succumbing to 'classical', late nineteenth century, or turn of the century imitation.

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ATLBrain Burg

ATLBrain

Posted
Posted

When I get back up to Duke University, I'll take a pic of the Sanford School for Public Policy. It's a completely modern building that is complementary to the gothic design of the original buildings in the West Campus. Georgian style dominates the East Campus.

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