Creating Places: A Citizen Observer's Look at Nashville's Built Environment


Writer's Note: William Williams' interest in the manmade environment dates to 1970, at which point the then-young Williams started a collection of postcards of city skylines. The collection now numbers 1,000-plus cards. Among the writer's specific interests are exterior building design, city district planning, demographics, signage, mixed-use development, mass transit and green/sustainable construction and living. Williams began his Creating Places column with The City Paper in February 2005. The column in its original form was discontinued in September 2008 and reinvented via this blog in November 2008. Creating Places can be found on the home page of the website of The City Paper, at which Williams has worked in various capacities since October 2000.

Sunday, November 20, 2011

Creating Places: Random Tidbits

A few quick items as I prep to retire for the evening:

1. The Hampton Inn on Elliston Place is getting a new exterior paint job, and I will post a photo soon. The building should look better but will still rank among the most generic of the city's structures in the seven- to 10-story range.

2. The newish sidewalk segment along the west side of Wilson Boulevard (courtesy of MBA) is very attractive.

3. I attended last week's Nashville Civic Design Center meeting and caught the last 30 minutes of the presentation regarding OneC1TY. Very impressive. Work on the first two buildings (of at least six) is slated to begin in 2012. Developer Health Care REIT plans office, retail and residential space.

4. The two-block stretch of Portland Avenue between 21st Avenue South on the east and Convent Place on the west ranks among Nashville's most urban in form and feel. If you've never done so, take some time this Thanksgiving break to walk Portland.

5. The elevator shaft for Core Development's Midtown Place on 18th Avenue South is topped. Based on the shaft, this should be a building with some decent height.

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