Project Thread/New Construction/Photo du jour/Const. CAMs

[GreenHillsBoy]

I do think a widened sidewalk and/or a median planted would be much improved over what is there.  You cannot walk easily due to the crowds.  Chicago is a great example of concrete planters with low iron fences on many of the major streets and it works and looks great.  I do know that some of the Church St. planters have been damaged and can't understand how/why they do not keep them up and repair.  If someone damages them for whatever reason, they are responsible and should be held accountable.  Of course, the homeless do some damage and you can't get anything from them, but the city must have contingencies to repair and keep things looking good.  I especially home they have plans to keep Stix on the roundabout and the new Ascend area safe and kept up to standards. 

[CenterHill]

I do think a widened sidewalk and/or a median planted would be much improved over what is there.  You cannot walk easily due to the crowds.  Chicago is a great example of concrete planters with low iron fences on many of the major streets and it works and looks great.  I do know that some of the Church St. planters have been damaged and can't understand how/why they do not keep them up and repair.  If someone damages them for whatever reason, they are responsible and should be held accountable.  Of course, the homeless do some damage and you can't get anything from them, but the city must have contingencies to repair and keep things looking good.  I especially home they have plans to keep Stix on the roundabout and the new Ascend area safe and kept up to standards. 

Agree, I've admired the planters and iron fences that line Michigan Ave., and am always impressed with the choice of grasses, ornamental trees and other plants in them.    I'm sure they get damaged too from time to time, but they get fixed.    Because someone in Chicago thinks it matters.   And it does.  

[nashvillwill]

I am personally very perplexed by all of the controversy over lower Broadway. There are many fair arguments about street parking. Keep it, get rid of it, widen the sidewalks, don't widen to retain parking. Every time I want to tear my hair out and scream. What about the 6 lanes of traffic?! 6 traffic lanes in a 30 mph zone that terminates I'm about 2k feet. 6 lanes. SIX LANES!!! Is that really necessary? Can't we widen the sidewalks AND have street parking? Hell, there is even room to throw a couple of transit lanes in the mix and still have adequate width for the amount of vehicular traffic that really needs to get through there. SIX LANES!!!! WHY ISN'T ANYONE TALKING ABOUT THIS FACT.

 

[rookzie]

I do think a widened sidewalk and/or a median planted would be much improved over what is there.  You cannot walk easily due to the crowds.  Chicago is a great example of concrete planters with low iron fences on many of the major streets and it works and looks great.  I do know that some of the Church St. planters have been damaged and can't understand how/why they do not keep them up and repair.  If someone damages them for whatever reason, they are responsible and should be held accountable.  Of course, the homeless do some damage and you can't get anything from them, but the city must have contingencies to repair and keep things looking good.  I especially home they have plans to keep Stix on the roundabout and the new Ascend area safe and kept up to standards. 

The city seems only to respond to cries for regularly blasting away the pigeon desserts from the trees in those planters, lest some some of the swaggers spin off on it and complain (or worse).  I realize that the planters along N. Michigan are much wider, because the sidewalks (and the street itself) is are much wider than Church, so there no latitude for much if any change in layout.  A lot of the damage also has to do with the choice of design.  Use of the newer "cast limestone" and of concrete for the rather narrow dimensional structural components with what remains of the railings along Church and on Capitol Blvd. is much less durable than the wide granite monoliths used on many (if not most) planters along Michigan Ave.  Also the use ample extents of radius edges and corners for monoliths and the selective mounting of railings away from direct anchoring into the stone would significantly minimize chipping and  fractures due to being struck or abused by pedestrians or even by snow-removal equipment.  Some damage also appears to be attributed to freezing within cracks around core-drilled anchors within rather narrow material to start.
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Edited October 28, 2015 by rookzie

[Nathan_in_DC]

I am personally very perplexed by all of the controversy over lower Broadway. There are many fair arguments about street parking. Keep it, get rid of it, widen the sidewalks, don't widen to retain parking. Every time I want to tear my hair out and scream. What about the 6 lanes of traffic?! 6 traffic lanes in a 30 mph zone that terminates I'm about 2k feet. 6 lanes. SIX LANES!!! Is that really necessary? Can't we widen the sidewalks AND have street parking? Hell, there is even room to throw a couple of transit lanes in the mix and still have adequate width for the amount of vehicular traffic that really needs to get through there. SIX LANES!!!! WHY ISN'T ANYONE TALKING ABOUT THIS FACT.

 

It is ridiculous, isn't it? Two lanes each way, no parking, a small median with a 2 foot tall planter to keep people from crossing in the middle of the street, and planters or a solid, permanent or semi permanent fence along the sidewalks. Add turn lane cutouts in the median, and you end up alleviating traffic most likely.

 

Chris, I hope you don't mind that I used your photo for the base for this doodle. If you do, let me know and I'll remove it.

Edited October 27, 2015 by Nathan_in_DC

[GreenHillsBoy]

It is ridiculous, isn't it? Two lanes each way, no parking, a small median with a 2 foot tall planter to keep people from crossing in the middle of the street, and planters or a solid, permanent or semi permanent fence along the sidewalks. Add turn lane cutouts in the median, and you end up alleviating traffic most likely.

 

Chris, I hope you don't mind that I used your photo for the base for this doodle. If you do, let me know and I'll remove it.

That is exactly what is needed and seems to make so much sense, just fail to understand how we can place so much emphasis on tourism, yet something this simple would make a huge difference in the look and feel without taking away the neon and honky tonk feeling/

[smeagolsfree]

If I may throw in my opinion, and it has been mentioned before, I think the best thing that Metro can do is shut Broadway down on Friday nights, and all day Saturday and Saturday night and special events to traffic and just keep it open to pedestrians. They don't seem to have a problem shutting down 5th or Demonbreun for the MCC, so why not there. By special events, this would mean Bridgestone events and events at the stadium.

 

Another item Metro needs to consider is adding signs for pedestrians to wait on the walk light. It seems to me to be the source of confusion to our out of town guest when they have a green light and a don't walk.

Another thing that is dangerous is autos making turns off of second, third, fourth and fifth.. The easy way to fix this is to ban turns and or put in turn arrows at certain key problem areas.

 

 

[TheRaglander]

It is ridiculous, isn't it? Two lanes each way, no parking, a small median with a 2 foot tall planter to keep people from crossing in the middle of the street, and planters or a solid, permanent or semi permanent fence along the sidewalks. Add turn lane cutouts in the median, and you end up alleviating traffic most likely.

 

Chris, I hope you don't mind that I used your photo for the base for this doodle. If you do, let me know and I'll remove it.

Just my opinion, but I think it would be awesome to have a tall building at the end of Broadway with a huge electronic board like New York's time square.  Make shift stage at the bottom for NYE parties or "concerts on Broadway".  I know people will miss seeing the roller coaster art work but something at the end would be cool.  Maybe a visitors center at the bottom.  The location can take up the current drive semi-circle where the tour buses stop.  

[CenterHill]

 

Just my opinion, but I think it would be awesome to have a tall building at the end of Broadway with a huge electronic board like New York's time square.  Make shift stage at the bottom for NYE parties or "concerts on Broadway".  I know people will miss seeing the roller coaster art work but something at the end would be cool.  Maybe a visitors center at the bottom.  The location can take up the current drive semi-circle where the tour buses stop.  

Perhaps something you can look through, then, like one of these.    (if the Cumberland is going to be the Seine, then why not our own Arc de Triomphe?  just sayin') 

[Will]

Or maybe a gigantic statue of Old Hickory straddling the Cumberland, a la the Colossus of Rhodes. The words to "The Battle of New Orleans" could scroll on an LED banner around his head. 

[markhollin]

I've admired the planters and iron fences that line Michigan Ave., and am always impressed with the choice of grasses, ornamental trees and other plants in them.    I'm sure they get damaged too from time to time, but they get fixed.    Because someone in Chicago thinks it matters.   And it does.

I've been impressed with the landscaping, foliage, flowers, etc. in the new Riverfront Park.  Hopefully Metro Parks Dept. will keep this up as well as incorporating more greenery and flower beds in other parts of downtown.  It has become an exceptional tourist attraction, and needs to be given regular attention to keep renewed visits in place (as well as making it nice for all us folks who live here and frequent the area often). 

[markhollin]

Take a virtual tour as H.G. Hill's 'downtown' rises in Brentwood:
http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/blog/2015/10/take-a-virtual-tour-ash-g-hills-downtown-rises-in.html
 

[RonCamp]

Another item Metro needs to consider is adding signs for pedestrians to wait on the walk light. It seems to me to be the source of confusion to our out of town guest when they have a green light and a don't walk.

This is true.  There is so much confusion when the traffic has a green light and pedestrians do not... it creates a lot of unsafe situations.   

[Pyramid Scheme]

Perhaps something you can look through, then, like one of these.    (if the Cumberland is going to be the Seine, then why not our own Arc de Triomphe?  just sayin') 

We could use it to chronicle the exploits of our own charismatic military/political icon.

 

[titanhog]

Just in case we want to stay with the "honky tonk" theme... 

[smeagolsfree]

You guys are playing Sim City a little too much.

[fieldmarshaldj]

Just in case we want to stay with the "honky tonk" theme... 

[CenterHill]

The city seems only to respond to cries for regularly blasting away the pigeon desserts from the trees in those planters, lest some some of the swaggers spin off on it and complain (or worse).  I realize that the planters along N. Michigan are much wider, because the sidewalks (and the street itself) is much wider than Church, so there no latitude for much if any change in layout.  A lot of the damage also has to do with the choice of design.  Use of the newer "cast limestone" and of concrete for the rather narrow dimensional structural components with what remains of the railings along Church and on Capitol Blvd. is much less durable than the wide granite monoliths used on many (if not most) planters along Michigan Ave.  Also the use ample extents of radius edges and corners for monoliths and the selective mounting of railings away from direct anchoring into the stone would significantly minimize chipping and  fractures due to being struck or abused by pedestrians or even by snow-removal equipment.  Some damage also appears to be attributed to freezing within cracks around core-drilled anchors within rather narrow material to start.
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It's funny, Rookzie, each time I walk down Church I find myself pondering the same issues about the design of those planter beds, the flimsy ironwork, the decision to drill them into the concrete borders, and subsequent cracking.   I never have, but I suspect we could ask 20 friends or co-workers who've walked that stretch of Church and none would have noticed or paid much attention.   I love this forum if for nothing more than to geek out on such things with like-minded folks.   

[markhollin]

1) Aertson/Buckingham development looking north on 21st Ave. South
2) Kimpton Hotel (L) connecting into the Aertson/Buckingham (R), looking east on 21st Ave. (near intersection with Broadway)
3) Kimpton Hotel at junction with Aertson/Buckingham at the intersection of Broadway and 21st Ave.
 

[TNinVB]

Wow that's going to be massive

[markhollin]

Wow that's going to be massive

Yeah, it's only about a third of the way up.  

[Paramount747]

 

Just my opinion, but I think it would be awesome to have a tall building at the end of Broadway with a huge electronic board like New York's time square.  Make shift stage at the bottom for NYE parties or "concerts on Broadway".  I know people will miss seeing the roller coaster art work but something at the end would be cool.  Maybe a visitors center at the bottom.  The location can take up the current drive semi-circle where the tour buses stop.  

That was the plan in 1975 with The Nashville Tower. It was to be a 750 foot tall observation deck built at the time the "new" vision for Lower Broadway was a dream of then Mayor Richard Fulton. It obviously never materialized.

[fieldmarshaldj]

That was the plan in 1975 with The Nashville Tower. It was to be a 750 foot tall observation deck built at the time the "new" vision for Lower Broadway was a dream of then Mayor Richard Fulton. It obviously never materialized.

Was there ever a design for it ?

[dmillsphoto]

Yeah, it's only about a third of the way up.  

Kimpton is a third of the way. Aertson is halfway.

[chris holman]