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

[37206dude]

 

aertson

[titanhog]

Yesterday, I envisioned what I believe would be one of the current best views for a photograph of downtown that would truly show some urban density...but I'm not sure if there is a way (or a place) to actually get the shot.

 

As I traveled west on 40/24 past Fesslers and made the trucker's curve onto 24 in the loop and just as I was passing over the Cumberland and looked at the city, there is one quick vantage point where RMH is on the front/left and you're looking straight into SoBro which is slightly tilted in front of the CDB.  Everything lines up perfectly for that split second and it's just a massive wall of density.  If you blink, you'll miss it.   If I could have stopped just as that curve straightened out into I-24, I could imagine getting the perfect photo...but it's hard to do traveling 70 mph in a curve with truckers on your tailgate.

[bigeasy]

Just a few from Saturday while walking around town.

 

Starting to develop some nice density in the Sobro area

 

 

I don't know if this has made any progress. I have not been downtown in months I think.

 

Edited January 20, 2015 by bigeasy

[nashmoney]

A couple of throwback pics from 1975 from the Tennessean:

 

http://www.tennessean.com/

 

To some people, the excavation on Sixth Avenue between Deaderick and Union is just a big hole in the ground, here Jan. 9, 1975. But others look into that opening and see Gielgud, Nureyev, maybe even Streisand, or a bunch of kids from Ozone or Pulaski standing proud on a stage in the Tennessee Performing Arts Center.

Jimmy Ellis / The Tennessean

 

 

 

The only major construction going on in downtown Nashville Jan. 9, 1975 is the Hyatt Regency Hotel, center, and the hole for the Tennessee Performing Arts Center.

Jimmy Ellis / The Tennessean

**I can't believe they demolished those two beautiful buildings next to the Snodgrass tower for a current surface parking and plaza. Does anyone know what those two buildings were?

 

 

 

The walls of the 100-year-old A.G. Adams building serves as a backdrop to a parking lot sign Jan. 17, 1975. The structure and the adjoining J.S. Reeves building, built in 1856, will be demolished soon, paving the way for expansion of the parking facility. The buildings are on the north side of the Public Square.

Kit Luce / The Tennessean

 

 

 

Workers continue to dig deeper into the earth Jan. 29, 1975 at the site of the future home of the Tennessee Performing Arts Center in downtown Nashville.

J.T. Phillips / The Tennessean

**Was TPAC and the tower that sits on top of it built at the same time, or was the tower built later?

 

[donNdonelson2]

TPAC and office tower were built at the same time.

[rookzie]

 

 

 

 

**I can't believe they demolished those two beautiful buildings next to the Snodgrass tower for a current surface parking and plaza. Does anyone know what those two buildings were?

 

 

 

 

That was all part of National Life and Accident Insurance Company property, and it served as their home until the completion of what later had been named the Snodgrass Twr., once the State acquired it during the '90s (following sale after the American General takeover of NLT, the parent holding company of National Life during the '80s).  The stately original building was leveled by the original owner, since to them the structure became outmoded and therefore surplus,  Razing of the original structure allowed creation of a new parking lot to supplement the one underneath the newer tower, and currently accessible from Charlotte Ave, and to replace the existing surface lot with a new grand matching travertine plaza and entrance.  Numerous trinkets, many small and some large items (e.g. beautiful bronze scissors-type folding corridor gates) ended up for resale in the Nashville Flee Market at the State Fairgrounds during the late '70s.  I myself had worked briefly for National Life in that "new" tower during early 1980, prior to moving to Ohio.

 

-==-

Edited January 21, 2015 by rookzie

[MLBrumby]

Thanks Rookzie.. can you remember the month/year that "new" tower opened? The loss of those classic early buildings is such a shame.   

Just a few from Saturday while walking around town.

 

Starting to develop some nice density in the Sobro area

 

 

I don't know if this has made any progress. I have not been downtown in months I think.

 

Always love to see the pics of progress up there. Thanks Bigeasy. What is the last photo with the cinder block walls?

[dmillsphoto]

The 6 story diner.

[MLBrumby]

Ahhh... now I see the orientation.  At first I thought the shot was taken from the bridge. Thanks.

[MidTenn1]

This is a beautiful sight....

 

 

... they tore down the US Army induction center (draft board) which I had to visit a few times in the 60's. 

[rookzie]

This is a beautiful sight....

 

 

... they tore down the US Army induction center (draft board) which I had to visit a few times in the 60's. 

 

I take it that this is the "Polk hole" excavation between 5th and 6th, where you eventually worked in "space" (space above that hole, that is).  Never seen a photo of this subject taken from such a low vantage.  I notice in the 5th Ave background one of those ol' "Rambler" city buses of the mid '70s that MTA had purchased from AM General (American Motors, bought out by Chrysler).  For those others of us wondering about the term "Rambler", they called them "Rambler" buses because of the AM's reputation (deserved or otherwise) of producing vehicles cheap and of questionable quality compared to others.  The name Rambler was an automobile model mfg'd in the mid-1950s by Nash Motors, which became AM (following a merger with Hudson Motors), hence the name "Nash Rambler". (my father owned a '57 Nash-Rambler Cross Country station wagon).  AM cars of late '60s manufacture often were considered basic, and low on the totem pole, eventually perhaps being a contributing factor to AM's ultimate demise.

 

Basically the "Rambler" bus, as the city bus had been nicknamed, was a bug-eyed, filed-off aluminum box on wheels and with forward slanting windows (in an attempt to make it look rakish), and to some passengers (like me) it had been somewhat embarrassing to be seen riding in.

 

-==-

Edited January 22, 2015 by rookzie

[erdichia]

I had the day off on MLK and I spent a good bit of time down near the Gulch and Music Row. Took a few photos.

 

Here's a picture of the Element from the park across the street:

 

Here's another shot looking down Demonbruen. That all used to be a parking lot...

 

This is a project over by the Sub Shop. I assume it's apartments, but I don't remember what it's called:

 

Here's a different view of Gulch Crossings:

[CenterHill]

The apartments by the Substop are called Cadence, I believe.

I like the stone and brick being used to finish the street level (11th) of Gulch Crossings. From up close you can see it ties in with the Velocity and Pine Street retail and makes for a continuous street front. It's going to be a great street once the Thompson goes in.

[titanhog]

I'd like to know what will eventually go in that parking lot that last photo was taken in (next to Laurel Lofts).

[smeagolsfree]

I'd like to know what will eventually go in that parking lot that last photo was taken in (next to Laurel Lofts).

That is up in the air right now. Marketsteet has the option of what they want to build, but according to the master plan, I think it may be slated for office development.

[erdichia]

Personally I think it would be great if that parking lot became a small park. I realize that won't happen... But I can dream.

[BnaBreaker]

Personally I think it would be great if that parking lot became a small park. I realize that won't happen... But I can dream.

 

I'm not sure that particular prime lot is one I'd want to see used on greenspace, but I do COMPLETELY agree that there needs to be some green/park space developed in The Gulch.  Personally, I'd like to see the space between the buildings and the tracks developed into a sort of greenway of sorts.  I mean there won't be any room for soccer fields or anything, but it'd be some place nice to walk the dog at least. 

[titanhog]

I'm not sure that particular prime lot is one I'd want to see used on greenspace, but I do COMPLETELY agree that there needs to be some green/park space developed in The Gulch.  Personally, I'd like to see the space between the buildings and the tracks developed into a sort of greenway of sorts.  I mean there won't be any room for soccer fields or anything, but it'd be some place nice to walk the dog at least. 

Especially with the pedestrian bridge, it would be nice if there were some strip of green space as walkers get off the bridge...at least a walking trail with more benches along the tracks.

[BnaBreaker]

Especially with the pedestrian bridge, it would be nice if there were some strip of green space as walkers get off the bridge...at least a walking trail with more benches along the tracks.

 

Exactly my thinking as well...to me just leaving it as is with dirt and no real barrier between the tracks and the neighborhood leaves it feeling a bit incomplete. 

 

Actually, looking at an aerial of the area again, there appears to be less space back there than I envisioned, and although there is a dirt strip between the structures and the actual tracks, I guess I don't actually know how much, if any, of that dirt space belongs to the railroads. 

Edited January 22, 2015 by BnaBreaker

[Vrtigo]

Exactly my thinking as well...to me just leaving it as is with dirt and no real barrier between the tracks and the neighborhood leaves it feeling a bit incomplete. 

 

Actually, looking at an aerial of the area again, there appears to be less space back there than I envisioned, and although there is a dirt strip between the structures and the actual tracks, I guess I don't actually know how much, if any, of that dirt space belongs to the railroads. 

 

Seems like the RR companies couldn't find much to object about beautification of their property. Though, I'm sure there's liability to consider in case of derailment or kids playing where they shouldn't, etc.

 

A well-designed fence between the tracks and the park area might be all that was needed! It would be fantastic if they could tie into this thing:

 

[BnaBreaker]

Seems like the RR companies couldn't find much to object about beautification of their property. Though, I'm sure there's liability to consider in case of derailment or kids playing where they shouldn't, etc.

 

A well-designed fence between the tracks and the park area might be all that was needed! It would be fantastic if they could tie into this thing:

 

 

Completely agree!  I think a sort of glass barrier would be pretty great in the sense that it would provide a physical safety barrier between the public and the trains, but you could still watch the trains, thereby kind of keeping the neighborhood connected to what gave it it's name in the first place!

[Bezoar]

Seems like the RR companies couldn't find much to object about beautification of their property. Though, I'm sure there's liability to consider in case of derailment or kids playing where they shouldn't, etc.

 

A well-designed fence between the tracks and the park area might be all that was needed! It would be fantastic if they could tie into this thing:

 

 

The N. Gulch Greenway is going to flow into the streetscaping thing they're working on right now on 11th..  That project will give the area a little bit more greenery, in addition to giving cyclists a much less anxiety-provoking way through the gulch.  

[nashmoney]

Look at this: http://www.nashville.gov/Portals/0/SiteContent/pw/docs/projects/division/GulchPedBridge140924.pdf

 

The third slide shows how the greenway/bikeways will tie into the pedestrian bridge. Also, if you look at the next to last and last slide, I think that dirt/gravel area is a bufferfor the RR. It would be cool if that area could be developed into a little park space, but I doubt it.

[NashvilleTaylor]

Anyone know about the construction at the corner of hermitage and kvb? I saw fencing on the sidewalk and a bulldozer. It is across kvb from the new riverfront project

Edited January 23, 2015 by NashvilleTaylor

[CenterHill]

Anyone know about the construction at the corner of hermitage and kvb? I saw fencing on the sidewalk and a bulldozer. It is across kvb from the new riverfront project

Theyve been working on the greenway connection. It will go under KVB and connect to the new amphitheater park. The portion on the trolley barn side of KVB is nearly finished.