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.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Creating Places: Connecting Downtown and Midtown

This photo, taken a few years ago by my good friend Michael Davis, shows the physical disconnect between Downtown and Midtown. It also reveals that if there is to be connectivity between the two, it will almost certainly have to be provided by Demonbreun Street (seen on the far right and running in front of Roundabout Plaza and Rhythm). Keys to this will be the construction of four proposed large-scale buildings (assuming they materialize): Bristol's structure on the Roundabout (to be anchored by a Publix), Eakin Partners' office tower in the Gulch at the southwest corner of Demonbreun and 12th Avenue, Ray Hensler's residential high-rise (next to the Eakin building) and MarketStreet's Gulch Crossing (which will hug the Demonbreun Street Viaduct and face 11th Avenue).

In contrast, I don't foresee much significant connectivity via Broadway — as the stretch between 12th and 16th avenues has been brutalized by car dealership surface lots. And Church Street and Charlotte Avenue simply are a bit too far north of the current (and likely future) vibrancy to draw much major development.
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11 comments:

  1. AnonymousMarch 16, 2012 at 6:36 PM

    Agreed, Demonbreun is a key corridor. It will be exciting to see these projects materialize, importantly those near the roundabout. Any idea as to when that one, and others on the list, might actually happen? Is the West End Summit (Palmer Lake) even a possibility now? So much other development moving is underway in midtown right now. How about a scorecard?

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  2. William WilliamsMarch 16, 2012 at 9:27 PM

    A-Mous,

    The last email I sent to Bristol resulted in no updated info. WES will always be a possibility as Alex Palmer never quits. I do think the Patel project at 18th and West End might be on indefinite hold, unfortunate as that site is so prime. I'm hopeful the MarketStreet project will start this calendar year. And everything I've heard about the Hensler tower suggest a 2012 start.

    WW

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  3. AnonymousMarch 17, 2012 at 9:17 AM

    Sorry folks. A-Mous is right about this being hard to interpret.

    How about some sort of map of the downtown-midtown areas, showing current, under construction, and proposed projects? It's almost impossible for the average reader to follow these with references to MarketStreet, Hensler Tower, etc. A map that is continually updated would be great and most appreciated. Thanks.

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    1. NashnativeMarch 17, 2012 at 5:20 PM

      What if this was a sports blog and WW wrote an entry about Peyton Manning coming to the Titans. Would he need to include all his stats, all of his football career history, or even who is brother and dad are? NO! Because people that go to sports blogs know who he is.

      If you don't know about midtown and what's going on...GOOGLE IT!

      Seriously, are you going to complain on every post just because you are not capable of informing yourself?

      Delete
  4. William WilliamsMarch 18, 2012 at 3:59 PM

    Friends,

    I have frequently noted that those who request visuals are correct to do so. As such, I've tried to use more photos and renderings. The criticisms have been valid. And, no doubt, I can do better and am trying. That said, I'd like to say thanks to Nashnative for coming to my defense on this one. A-Mous, as Nashnative noted, you can reference Google maps and clearly see the street layout (as it relates to Broadway, Church, Charlotte and Demonbreun connecting Downtown and Midtown). You can also, using Google satellite view, note all the dead space (in the form of asphalt car lots) along Broadway between the inner-interstate loop on the west side of Downtown and 16th. In contrast, you can see the solid connectivity already in place along Demonbreun. If the Bristol project is built on the roundabout (check Google satellite view, as it's at Demonbreun, Division and 16th) and the Hensler and Eakin projects rise at the southwest corner of Demonbreun and 12th, the connectivity will be very respectable.

    I appreciate everybody's interest and wanting lots of details and visuals. Again, I'll try to do better. But I do ask for your patience.

    Thanks,

    WW

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    Replies
    1. NashnativeMarch 18, 2012 at 9:09 PM

      I just appreciate your time and hard work, William. I have a passion for Nashville's built environment and I am thankful you give us a source for information and an opportunity to share.

      Keep doing what you are doing!

      Delete
    2. AnonymousMarch 21, 2012 at 2:34 PM

      All of this is available on www.urbanplanet.org. Ron has done a stellar job creating a map of every project in town. Go to the site and you will find the map you are looking for.

      Delete
  5. AnonymousMarch 18, 2012 at 7:43 PM

    William - off topic, but have you spoken with Tony G. lately concerning the three new proposed projects that were in the news a few months back? - Thanks

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  6. AnonymousMarch 18, 2012 at 8:03 PM

    And what's your thinking about the new East Bank park nearing completion by the river?

    Any news on the sites, progress for the new baseball stadium?

    The Omni Hotel is rising above street level. That's exciting.

    New Federal Court House?

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  7. William WilliamsMarch 19, 2012 at 11:19 PM

    To answer each question:

    Nashnative, thanks for the kind words.

    A-Mous, I need to call Tony. He and I enjoyed a enjoyable chat and a drive through the city in late 2011. Have had no contact since. I've speculated Tony's first (of three) effort will involve the hotel. Word on the street is that he wants a Westin.

    A-Mous, Cumberland Park looks strong overall. And the NaBriCo Building rehab is stellar. The city needs to remove the cheap storage shed next to Ghost Ballet and then repaint the metal elements on either side of the Shelby Street Ped Bridge. They were originally red and have since turned pink due to excessive sun exposure. No word on the Sounds stadium but Sounds attorney Tom White said club ownership is open to the North Gulch site. The preference remains the East Bank. Omni above street level is very exciting. I estimate it to be about 35 feet in height. No news on the court house.

    WW

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  8. AnonymousMarch 21, 2012 at 2:40 PM

    The courthouse thread on urbanplanet has heated up. Could be a lively debate before it's all said and done.

    ReplyDelete

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