Bus Depot set for 2008 opening
 

There was an article in the Tennessean today about this bus depot:

Bus depot set for 2008 opening
MTA to take construction bids; facility will have shops, parking

By KATE HOWARD
Staff Writer


By fall 2008, public transportation users will be passing time between buses at a facility its designers say will feel more like a modern train station than a busy city block.

Metro Transit Authority officials last week approved the final funding to start taking bids on construction of the Music City Central bus depot, a transit facility with indoor waiting areas, retail shops and parking. The MTA board expects to award a contract by the spring to start building on the site along Charlotte Avenue between Fourth and Fifth avenues, next to the Municipal Auditorium.

"We should see dust flying by the first of April, and 14 to 18 months later we should be opening the facility," said Paul Ballard, CEO of the Metro Transit Authority.

The depot and adjoining parking lots were originally estimated to cost $38.5 million, but with rising construction costs and delays in the project, the price tag is now closer to $48.4 million.

Architect Gary Everton of Everton Oglesby Architects said they're planning to use the natural incline of the block, where two parking lots currently reside, to stack parking lots and bus bays.

State employees who park in that lot now shouldn't worry: The state will contribute the final $6.5 million needed for the project in exchange for a 25-year lease on 343 parking spaces in the facility.

The reconfigured parking lots will become part of the depot in a design that will focus on creating "active street edges" on the block instead of open space, Everton said. He envisions entrances on Fourth and Fifth avenues, and coffee shops or newspaper stands along the building's perimeter.

Sidewalk will be 'lively'

"When you have retail and people coming and going, it makes for a lively, active sidewalk and it's a more safe environment," Everton said. "This is really going to change the face of downtown."

MTA's downtown bus operations are centered on Deaderick Street now, a spot that a 2005 study deemed problematic for a number of reasons: Transferring riders often had to jaywalk to get to their next bus, there's little room for growth, and congestion often forces buses to double-park or line up in an inconsistent order.

Outdoor bus malls are "basically not very functional," said Patricia Harris-Morehead, communications director for MTA. "They went out of date in the 1970s, and most transit systems already have transfer stations."

Amber Hurst of east Nashville started using the bus regularly about a month ago. Aside from wishing the buses ran a little later, she's found the system runs pretty efficiently. She often gets off work downtown late at night, and she said she'd prefer an indoor place to wait.

"Security could be better (inside) … and it will be nicer, too, when the weather gets cold," Hurst said. "Sometimes at night it can be kind of creepy."

http://cmsimg.tennessean.com/apps/pb...xH=390&title=1

This will be a great addition to Music City. At one time, this was an eleven story proposal with condos at the top, but I'm just fine with this project as it is.

The Signature tower is about as definate as you can get at this point in time. The oddest thing that I find odd right now in the Nashville Market is that 75% or more of the major projects are residential and another 20% or so is shopping or educational related...where is all the office-space?

There are several downtown office projects in the works in Nashville:

1. Sun Trust Bank Bldg U/C. 13 Stories, large floor plates, about 400,000 Sq Ft, 200 Ft tall.

2. Crown Office Bldg on 2nd Ave in SoBro. Proposed. 30 Stories, 432 Ft Tall, 550,000 Sq Ft, major tenent already secured in Bass Berry Sims Lawfirm, near 100% probability of construction.

3. West End Summit 16th and Broadway in Midtown. Part of a two building complex that includes a 26 story mixed use building with an upscale hotel (Hotel Intercontinental secured), and condos, and a 23 story office building, 15% leased, ongoing talks with Wachovia Bank as major tenant. Total project is 1,100,000 Sq Ft.

The current downtown office vacany rate is only 8% and Nashville is rated the number 1 city in the U.S. for corporate relocations, so look for more office construction here in the future.

Word over at UrbanPlanet is that Eakin, the developers of Suntrust Plaza, are also at work on a mixed-use project 3 times the size of Suntrust at 1201 Demombreun. Someone recently posted about two 20-story towers that are rumoured where the Capital Trust Building on West End as well. I can't to hear more about both of these projects. Nothing has been announced yet on either.

The city council just gave final approval for the Signature Tower and the Crown Office Bldg. So it's final: In a few years time we will have a new 400 footer, and our first 1,000 footer. nice.

Another step in the right direction!

By the way, if any Nashvillian, or anyone even remotely interested in Nashville's urban development scene has not seen the website for the Nashville Civic Design Center I HIGHLY HIGHLY recommend you do so. It is such an unbelievably incredible resource to have for the city. Loads of valuable information can be found there. Not even Chicago (that I know of) has something like this just open to the public. You can find all kinds of history, meeting minutes, renderings, figure ground plans etc. etc. etc. etc. there.

Here is the website: www.civicdesigncenter.org

Talking about the Civic Design Center (which is a physical place downtown), and that website, just put a thought into my head. When I was in Shanghai I went to this absolutely astounding place there called the Shanghai Urban Planning Exhibition Hall. It is such an unbelievable public resource. Essentially it is a huge and incredibly modern interactive museum about the past, present, and future of urban development in the city of Shanghai. I truly believe that if every city had a place like that it would make the entire community truly interested in their community again. Here are a few photos I found on the internet:

Outside shot of the building
http://www.shanghai.gov.cn/shanghai/...s/00019788.jpg

A small portion, yes a SMALL portion, of the MASSIVE to scale model of the ENTIRE CITY OF SHANGHAI, which is accurate down to the detail:
http://www.synotrip.com/UploadFile/2...6050619952.jpg

A very small picture of one of the history exhibits
http://english.eastday.com/epublish/...mg145948_1.jpg

These couple of photos cannot even come close to exhibiting how amazing this place is. I stayed there for hours upon hours just exploring all the information. Just think if Nashville had a place like this, where the public could come, and for a small fee, explore the past, present, and future of the city. It would become a tourist destination that would be fun for everyone no matter how old and how interested in urban planning a person is, and make them more interested and in touch with their community as a result.

This project, to be developed By Eakin, is expected to be one million square feet. It's possible they could be at least 20 stories. In addition to this, an announcement of a 28 story, 323 ft tall "W" Hotel / condo complex attached to a 10 story office building is expected within 30 to 45 days. It's slated to go on Demumbreum near Music Circle. And finally, a Nashville developer named Maek Mcdonald is planning to build two 17 story towers near 18th and Broadway in midtown.

Things are really hopping right now!

Great News

I'm simply bumping this to the top incase anyone has anything to add. I know there is an absolutely massive load of stuff going on in Nashville right now, but since i live in the midwest now it's hard for me to keep up with it. Therefore, I have nothing to add, but i'm sure there are people that likely have a great deal to add.

congratulations, nashville. especially on that signature tower. it's beautiful

Info and Renderings for 1201 Demonbreun
 

Tennessean article for the article and renderings for Eakins proposed twin towers in the Gulch. The towers will be around 20 to 22 stories tall. Eakin has been given a zoning variance to build up to 22 stories here.

http://i31.photobucket.com/albums/c3...3rd/Eakin1.jpg

Hankster, where did you hear this from? Aren't there ordinance and skyplane issues with a 28-story building over there?

Updated Rendering of The Crown
 

Here's the updated rendering of The Crown, a 29-story (432 ft.) tower slated for completion in 2009. It will be in South Broadway across from the beautiful Schermerhorn Symphony Hall. This is a great improvement from the original rendering and will be a wonderful addition to Nashville.

http://i72.photobucket.com/albums/i1...s/TheCrown.jpg

Who is the architect? It looks like Pelli circa 1985-1998.

^ I believe it's Pickard Chilton, the same firm who did Atlanta's gorgeous One Symphony Center. Notice how the "crown" of the Crown is beautifully lit and has some small similarities to that Atlanta tower?

Man, what a great looking building. I know we've overkilled this but it deserves to be 650' tall to help balance Signature Tower.

That's a tiny floorplate. 17,000 sf according to my calculations (roughly). The rendering makes it look huge.

This will be a wonderful addition to Nashville's skyline. I really like Pickard Chilton designs. Their Symphony Tower in Atlanta is very striking and, I'm sure this one will be too. But, I'd love for this tower to be another 200 feet taller.