The Metro Development and Housing Agency Design Review Committee will vote on the final plan for a 15-story mixed-used building proposed for a central business district site currently home to a parking garage and a surface parking lot.
The residential, retail and structured parking garage spaces will rise at 215-217 Third Ave. N. and interact with both Bankers Alley and Printers Alley. According to a release, the project will offer 300 rental residential units and approximately 12,000 to 15,000 square feet of retail space.
The effort will require the demolition of the existing garage, which is not of historical design value and is now closed. Of note, the future structure will offer a four-level component (a catwalk of sorts) over Banker’s Alley, with a smaller building to rise at 215 Third Ave. N. (that lot currently offers some surface parking).
In October 2021, the MDHA DRC approved the general concept plan (read about and see more images here), with the Metro Planning Commission later OK-ing a rezoning needed.
The building to sit at 215 Third Ave. has been designed at its modest height to provide proper context to the older structures to the immediate south, according to the developer. The tallest portion of the overall structure (at 217 Third Ave. N.) is designed to rise 180 feet. For comparison, the Hotel Indigo structure sitting on an adjacent site rises almost 200 feet.
An investor group led by Nashville-based Gabe Coltea (a former part-owner of downtown’s UBS Tower) will undertake the project via Coltea’s development and real estate investment company Rubicon Equities. Coltea said the project will address the need for people to live and work downtown and lead a walkable lifestyle.
Rubicon has enlisted the Nashville office of Austin-based STG Design to handle architectural work. David Johnston, a principal with the company, is overseeing the effort. Updated images are forthcoming.
The property sits within MDHA’s Capitol Mall Redevelopment District and, as such, final DRC approval is needed.
Gulch retail building eyed for addition
An update is planned for the Gulch building most recently home to custom jewelry and fashion accessories retailer King Baby Studio.
An LLC affiliated with Encinitas, California-based APB Capital paid $7.1 million for the property and for an adjacent building at 611 Ninth Ave. (home to The Chef & I) in July 2021 (read here).
The owner of the property, located at 615 Ninth Ave. S., has enlisted Nashville-based Pfeffer Torode Architecture to design an addition to the façade of the building.
King Baby has since moved to 12South (read here), while The Chef & I is prepping a move to Midtown (read here). East Nashville also offers a King Baby.
The property sits within MDHA’s Arts Center Redevelopment District and, as such, DRC approval is needed.
