First Horizon Park - Home of the Nashville Sounds

[smeagolsfree]

Thanks for posting the renderings. I had not seen.

 

BTW, a big welcome to the forum. Looking to more post.

[BnaBreaker]

Looks like a bus station.

[UTgrad09]

Thanks for posting.

 

 

I still hate it. The facade is a ferocious yawn. The residential component still needs color as well.

 

I just *really* can't see myself liking anything with this design.

 

Put it in the shredder and start over. There is virtually nothing here I would keep in the final design.

[CenterHill]

Interesting. So the field will be below grade. I actually like that feature.

hmm, except I remember what happened to the amphitheater at Bicentennial Mall during the flood.

[CenterHill]

I still hate it. The facade is a ferocious yawn.

I'm not thrilled but i don't hate it. I think what I'm not getting comfortable with is the openness. Most of the major and minor league parks designed in the last 20 years have followed the retro model of brick and exposed steel, with steep stacked stands to bring fans closer in toward the field of play. The designs are all about baseball and the experience of being at a ballpark. This is none of that. It's sleek, it's natural stone and concrete, it's wide open concourses and plazas. It's not unlike a monument you might encounter walking the Mall in DC. And the design seems to say, hey, you can watch baseball here, but you don't have to. You can get up and wander out to this big lawn behind first base. Play some ultimate frisbee. Go for a walk on the greenway. Come back when you're ready and rejoin the game.

I don't know, it's different. It might be cool or might not work so well. I need some time with it.

[donNdonelson2]

This actually looks better than I thought it would based on some of the early renderings we saw. While it's not stunning, we should remember that it is a Minor League Ballpark. However, I do have some questions about the plan, namely about that big empty corner in front of the residential component. 

If you are speaking of the "big empty corner" in the rendering I think your are speaking of, that is a piece of land with a condo building already in place.  (of course, I could be mistaking exactly which drawing AND which empty corner you are talking about)

[fieldmarshaldj]

Wow, that entrance is almost as inspiring as the TPAC side of Union Street.

[CenterHill]

If you are speaking of the "big empty corner" in the rendering I think your are speaking of, that is a piece of land with a condo building already in place.  (of course, I could be mistaking exactly which drawing AND which empty corner you are talking about)

Wondered about that too. Actually there is surface parking there now. I think that section is part of the Sounds ownership development. There is a rendering for the Embrey residential piece on Jefferson, but the article says the Sounds owners have not released details on their portion. I think the residential structures in the renderings to the east and south of the stadium are just placeholders until the owners share their plans. Hope that's soon!

[nashmoney]

Wow, that entrance is almost as inspiring as the TPAC side of Union Street.

 

Same thing I was thinking. We can thank the state building commission for that...requiring that it is compatible with nearby bicentennial mall and planned buildings. The stadium would fit right in on capital in near the other state buildings.

[bwithers1]

I'm not thrilled but i don't hate it. I think what I'm not getting comfortable with is the openness. Most of the major and minor league parks designed in the last 20 years have followed the retro model of brick and exposed steel, with steep stacked stands to bring fans closer in toward the field of play. The designs are all about baseball and the experience of being at a ballpark. This is none of that. It's sleek, it's natural stone and concrete, it's wide open concourses and plazas. It's not unlike a monument you might encounter walking the Mall in DC. And the design seems to say, hey, you can watch baseball here, but you don't have to. You can get up and wander out to this big lawn behind first base. Play some ultimate frisbee. Go for a walk on the greenway. Come back when you're ready and rejoin the game.

I don't know, it's different. It might be cool or might not work so well. I need some time with it.

At least the rather blank facade that we are talking about resembling a bus station will face north toward Jackson Street and there will be other residential development across the street from that to shield it's blankness from the surroundings.  But the very fact that there is mixed use across the street makes me wonder why it is wise to put up such a blank facade even at that point.  Why not create more street activation there to create a more vibrant corridor?  This seems like the perfect space for an open-faced pub or restaurant.

 

The use of natural, Tennessee-native stone on the facade instead of generic concrete might soften things a bit and tie in to the overall theme of Bicentennial Mall, which celebrates the natural resources of the state and some history of each of Tennessee's counties.  Perhaps instead of just blank concrete, the design could incorporate something like that to create at least some interest.

 

I'm trying really hard to talk myself into liking this.  I like the idea, just not the orientation (bad for baseball?) and the absence of street activation towards Germantown, the very area that this stadium is supposedly going to embrace.  But then I never really bought that idea anyway.

Edited December 18, 2013 by bwithers1

[satalac]

I may be in the minority, but I really like it. I'm not a huge baseball fan, but I can definitely see myself going to more games at this stadium. As for the crowd wandering around, well it is Minor League baseball, not like the product on the field is just memorizing. I still think enough people will stay in their seats though. I'm just glad their moving from that rat hole that is Greer. 

[jdavidf]

We're not big baseball fans, either, but I can see us going to some games, too..   I've been to one Sounds game at Greer (years ago) and had a terrible time. Maybe I'll actually go enough to figure out the rules of the game. Once I figured out how to count downs, I began to like football. Maybe this will be the same! 

[nashvillwill]

I can say that I will most definately be going to some games. Minor league, or not, I love baseball! There's nothing quite like scarfing down a cheap hotdog with a cheap beer on a hot summers day and heckling the away team. "Hey...batter, batter, batter....! You'll never make it!" Then finding out a week later that the player you heckled with all of your drunken might was called up to the majors.

I've gone to quite a few games at Greer. Will certainly go to more at the new place. I just hope ticket prices don't increase significantly.

Buy me some peanuts and Cracker Jacks, I'm excited!

I hope the design turns out decent. I hope the view of downtown will make up for the improperly oriented field. I hope attendance improves. Either way, it's about time they get a new home.

Edited December 18, 2013 by nashvillwill

[smeagolsfree]

I am the same way. Never been to a Sounds game, but would be a good diversion and easy to grab a meal, drink, and a game without driving all over creation. In a much nicer area of town. I am not totally fond of the design, but could be a lot worse.

[CenterHill]

I'll go, too.    Will sit behind home plate, sip a beer and take in the skyline and pretend I am here....

 

[FrankNash]

The only nice thing about the old sulphur dell is the neat old sign. We should just find the old sign or mimic the original like the Franklin Theater did, make it two sided and hang it over the street centered on the entrance.

[MLBrumby]

I'm all in favor of a marquee above the entrance... if done in an old Wrigley sort of way.  Cool! 

[bhibbs]

The only nice thing about the old sulphur dell is the neat old sign. We should just find the old sign or mimic the original like the Franklin Theater did, make it two sided and hang it over the street centered on the entrance.

agreed 100%

[Paramount747]

I wonder what they are going to dig up when they start this project! I bet historians will be digging through the dirt looking for artifacts. imagine finding some old baseballs, bats, trophies, signage, etc going back to the late 1800's?

[CenterHill]

This was on NPR this morning.   Talking about the below grade stadium in the event of another flood.    Drains and pumps are nice, but if the stadium is submerged, there will be nowhere to pump to.  

 

http://nashvillepublicradio.org/blog/2013/12/23/where-nashvilles-2010-flood-hit-new-ballpark-could-slow-the-next-one/

[Paramount747]

I heard that as well. This is one of those projects I probably won't see until finished. I don't make it to Germantown much. I pretty much stay downtown and on the East side.

[smeagolsfree]

Sounds group buys land on 4th N.

http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/blog/2013/12/nashville-sounds-buy-land-for-ballpark.html

[CenterHill]

Land acquisition for stadium project is happening quickly. 

 

Sounds buy another property on 3rd.

 

http://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/blog/2013/12/nashville-sounds-acquire-more-sulphur.html

[smeagolsfree]

Looks as if 2014 is going to be a banner year. It is vey odd for us to have a lot of news for the last day of 2013. I am pumped for next year for sure.

[CenterHill]

Sounds ballpark bids higher than estimates

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20131231/NEWS0202/312310072/Bids-Sounds-ballpark-millions-more-than-city-said-stadium-would-cost

Happy New Year, all.

Saw this in the paper today. Here we go. The city will ask contractors to make cuts and an already no-frills design will be pared back to remove "unnecessary" elements and use cheaper materials. Notable quotes:

"They can probably get there through value engineering and scaling the project back... It just probably won't be the ballpark people are expecting as a result." - Emily Evans

"It relates to the whole issue of how quickly the process went", he said, referring to the month between Dean's unveiling of the financing plan and the council's final sign-off." - Charlie Tygard

I'm trying to remain optimistic about the stadium project, but time will tell.

Edited January 1, 2014 by CenterHill