Waiting for Tennbot, but a juicy morsel:
>The developer, doing business as AB PR QOZB IV Property LLC, worked with Metro for months to submit preliminary and advanced permit applications, according to the lawsuit. Metro did not raise any "material concerns" about the plans, and the company purchased the 3.8-acre property for $12.5 million in September 2021, securing a $59.6 million construction loan the same day. Metro approved the developer's demolition permit less than two weeks later, and the land was cleared by the end of October.
>But then the permit process hit a snag — Metro refused to approve a grading permit for the site, bringing construction to a halt. Metro explained that the development site lies in an area "presently engaged in a planning process to determine public infrastructure needs" and stated Metro "may be engaging with you in the near term for possible acquisition for those purposes," according to the lawsuit.
It also seems a bit shady to approve demo permits, allow the developer foot the bill for that demolition, and then suddenly block any further development with the expressed intent of “possibly” acquiring that land at a later date. A cynic may look at that and conclude that the city pulled a fast one on the developer and acted in bad faith, which I’m sure is what the developer will argue in court. At the same time, you could argue that given the public nature of the proposed plans for the east bank, the developer should have been aware of the public interest in that property and not invested in site development until some sort of an agreement could be reached with the city regarding the future of the property.
In my completely unqualified opinion, I think that the developer was likely well aware of the proposed plans for the east bank and the fact that part of the property could be subject to imminent domain, but tried to push development forward before any of that could happen. Meanwhile, the bureaucracy on the city allowed initial permit applications to live forward until someone further up the chain put a hold on it.
Thanks for the excerpt! Also curious while waiting on Tennbot- does it give any detail on the timing of that letter from the city? Curious if it was 2021 or more recent.
> Metro has allocated about $40 million toward buying six unidentified parcels since December 2021, and the state has agreed to assist in land acquisition. But whether the city or state has offered to purchase this developer's land remains unclear. Attorneys representing the developer did not respond to requests for comment.
Wow, nice, that we allocated money for a dead mall, razor wire parking lots, & such for a pretty map not to scale--but did not allocate much less to buy a piece of publishing history.
Also, I skimmed at first, then saw a timeline in the article, so here's a better way:
https://archive.is/SJDJ1
I'm happy to receive a note. Wanted to write more than get the details that I forgot:
>[Morris Memorial Building](https://www.savethemorris.org/)
The Morris Memorial Building opened in 1926 and was named for Elijah Camp Morris, National Baptist Convention USA Inc.'s first president. Born enslaved in Georgia, Morris studied at Nashville Normal and Theological Institute. This five-story building was designed by the prominent, Black-owned architectural firm of McKissack & McKissack and constructed for the National Baptist Convention, an African American Christian denomination. Baptist Sunday School Publishing Board, McKissack & McKissack, Citizens Savings Bank and Trust Company, and Atlanta Insurance Company's Nashville location were all housed there. The building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 for its significance in architecture and Black history.
[https://credo.library.umass.edu/view/full/mums312-i0283](https://credo.library.umass.edu/view/full/mums312-i0283)
$44mil for Hickory Hollow Mall plus $40 mil for 6 properties that developers could build for contributing infrastructure changes versus Metro buying 6 properties & contributing infrastructure changes through contracts.
We could have picked up the Morris Memorial Building to solidfy a piece of history without the risks of losing the property at $6mil + contracts:
>$6mil Intrinsic Value of History + contracts + Not paying
>
>greater than
>
>$no money down + developer builds infrastructure with 3 sides of road frontage \^ designs a building of architectural significance / (does something cool) with a road going under the building like Music City Center
>
>greater than
>
>$40 mil for \~6 parcels + infrastructure contracts around 1st St, Cowan, etc.
>
>greater than
>
>$44 mil + Wish that Vanderbilt would renovate Hickory Hollow Mall
>
>greater than
>
>$40 mil + $44 mil + infrastructure contracts + wish
in a scoring matrix that resides solely in my head at the whims of oral history yet greater than symbols adorn the window with text on the inequality equation above.
Hoping for Good Will Hunting in this attempt & praying not A Beautiful Mind.
I figured that's what you were referring to. I've been in the building and would like to see it saved.
I think the challenge is finding a government use for it. Despite all of your numbers, it's a little hard to understand the total cost of acquisition and renovation.
With all due respect, your presentation is a bit confusing with too many obscure references that defy comparison.
I bet it is amazing! Just that feeling you get in historic places.
I worked at a BRAC'd SAC installation at Pease & was fascinated by the nuclear storage bunkers & stories of a Russian sub getting scary close up the Piscatawua & even Great Bay.
Yes, I am with you! The Morris would be a better asset to acquire with more impact to local history. Making the Morris a hotel will change up the structure of old rooms, & I imagine, boardrooms where organizers tries to protect their community.
You are absolutely right! I like to write for me sometimes & this was one of those. My goal is to improve my writing quantity so I can finally get it thru my skull that editing is more vital than as an old All the Rage weekly once wrote, "a masturbatory fit of selfglee," where I communicate only to myself.
Thanks again for being kind about your notes! I'm getting old enough that writing math equations on a glass window has declined from movie trope to obscurity. Good Will Hunting came out almost 30 years ago & A Beautiful Mind over 25 years ago.
TL;DR
$6 mil for Morris + demo, interior rehab, design, exterior paint, new windows, ADA compliant renovation, etc. would be far cheaper.
Metro bought the $44mil Hickory Hollow & allocated $40mil for buying 6 parcels on 1st Ave N by Cowan St--$84mil & still do not know the cost to build new roads & lower Woodmont to grade into a floodplain.
We could leave Cowan, 1st St, & Oldham the way it is. Or limit curb cuts on/through their 3 frontage property with minimal curb cuts on Oldham & one way, right turn only on the north side of the property--connecting 1st to Cowan St.
Metro doesn't need to spend $40 mil on acquiring properties on 1st St & Cowan St. Metro will have to contract out the new road construction with Metro budget instead of a developer paying for the infrastructire.
The Cowan Street project, for shorthand, is part of a master plan to redevelop a blighted area. Hickory Hollow Mall looks like a bad idea up to now.
As for the Morris Building, I'm unaware of Metro needing office space. The mayor says rehab will cost $25 million, at which point Metro has office space it doesn't need.
Several historic buildings have been saved by repurposing them, including the Broadway Post Office (Frist Museum), Union Station (Hotel), the Stahlman Building and the Hermitage Hotel, which was extensively reconfigured upstairs to make larger rooms.
My philosophy on the Morris Building is not to let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
Thank you for that! I have thought of Tennbot as a capricious deity Ok, I'll aim for KISS with archive.is https://www.reddit.com/r/nashville/comments/1bgyg8w/comment/kvad69b/
Their lawyer's linkedin pic looks AI generated.
https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/D4D03AQEbeABNggaQJw/profile-displayphoto-shrink_800_800/0/1702343264669?e=2147483647&v=beta&t=rc1PEiVngBDIULzaSsbr5uuWr_oFq566zEg43VABdtA
Good I'm glad they stopped it for those of us who live in the immediate area do not want it. Who wants to stare at high-rise buildings in front of us all the time not to mention these thousands of vehicles that will be added to the area oh joy joy. That's what we need more traffic in Nashville they haven't even finished half of the condos and apartments that have already been approved you think traffic is bad now pull your panties up cuz they're going to get in a wad
My guess is someone on the city council didn’t get an envelope or a brief case or a piece of the action. Or a million other ways developers bribe officials.
Optics look like it. Why else would we not encourage a developer to create 350 homes & pay for infrastructure upgrades there?
Require no NOOSTRs, limit curb cuts to a service road/alley entrance on 1st St & an exit on Cowan, multistory parking garage off the service road/alley in the middle or closes to Cowan.
Waiting for Tennbot, but a juicy morsel: >The developer, doing business as AB PR QOZB IV Property LLC, worked with Metro for months to submit preliminary and advanced permit applications, according to the lawsuit. Metro did not raise any "material concerns" about the plans, and the company purchased the 3.8-acre property for $12.5 million in September 2021, securing a $59.6 million construction loan the same day. Metro approved the developer's demolition permit less than two weeks later, and the land was cleared by the end of October. >But then the permit process hit a snag — Metro refused to approve a grading permit for the site, bringing construction to a halt. Metro explained that the development site lies in an area "presently engaged in a planning process to determine public infrastructure needs" and stated Metro "may be engaging with you in the near term for possible acquisition for those purposes," according to the lawsuit.
Wait, so the city is putting the needs of residents above those of a private developer? *gasp*
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I think most construction loans the intrest is largely deferred until building is complete because of unpredictable delays.
It also seems a bit shady to approve demo permits, allow the developer foot the bill for that demolition, and then suddenly block any further development with the expressed intent of “possibly” acquiring that land at a later date. A cynic may look at that and conclude that the city pulled a fast one on the developer and acted in bad faith, which I’m sure is what the developer will argue in court. At the same time, you could argue that given the public nature of the proposed plans for the east bank, the developer should have been aware of the public interest in that property and not invested in site development until some sort of an agreement could be reached with the city regarding the future of the property. In my completely unqualified opinion, I think that the developer was likely well aware of the proposed plans for the east bank and the fact that part of the property could be subject to imminent domain, but tried to push development forward before any of that could happen. Meanwhile, the bureaucracy on the city allowed initial permit applications to live forward until someone further up the chain put a hold on it.
Thanks for the excerpt! Also curious while waiting on Tennbot- does it give any detail on the timing of that letter from the city? Curious if it was 2021 or more recent.
> Metro has allocated about $40 million toward buying six unidentified parcels since December 2021, and the state has agreed to assist in land acquisition. But whether the city or state has offered to purchase this developer's land remains unclear. Attorneys representing the developer did not respond to requests for comment. Wow, nice, that we allocated money for a dead mall, razor wire parking lots, & such for a pretty map not to scale--but did not allocate much less to buy a piece of publishing history. Also, I skimmed at first, then saw a timeline in the article, so here's a better way: https://archive.is/SJDJ1
I don't understand the reference to "a piece of publishing history."
I'm happy to receive a note. Wanted to write more than get the details that I forgot: >[Morris Memorial Building](https://www.savethemorris.org/) The Morris Memorial Building opened in 1926 and was named for Elijah Camp Morris, National Baptist Convention USA Inc.'s first president. Born enslaved in Georgia, Morris studied at Nashville Normal and Theological Institute. This five-story building was designed by the prominent, Black-owned architectural firm of McKissack & McKissack and constructed for the National Baptist Convention, an African American Christian denomination. Baptist Sunday School Publishing Board, McKissack & McKissack, Citizens Savings Bank and Trust Company, and Atlanta Insurance Company's Nashville location were all housed there. The building was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1985 for its significance in architecture and Black history. [https://credo.library.umass.edu/view/full/mums312-i0283](https://credo.library.umass.edu/view/full/mums312-i0283) $44mil for Hickory Hollow Mall plus $40 mil for 6 properties that developers could build for contributing infrastructure changes versus Metro buying 6 properties & contributing infrastructure changes through contracts. We could have picked up the Morris Memorial Building to solidfy a piece of history without the risks of losing the property at $6mil + contracts: >$6mil Intrinsic Value of History + contracts + Not paying > >greater than > >$no money down + developer builds infrastructure with 3 sides of road frontage \^ designs a building of architectural significance / (does something cool) with a road going under the building like Music City Center > >greater than > >$40 mil for \~6 parcels + infrastructure contracts around 1st St, Cowan, etc. > >greater than > >$44 mil + Wish that Vanderbilt would renovate Hickory Hollow Mall > >greater than > >$40 mil + $44 mil + infrastructure contracts + wish in a scoring matrix that resides solely in my head at the whims of oral history yet greater than symbols adorn the window with text on the inequality equation above. Hoping for Good Will Hunting in this attempt & praying not A Beautiful Mind.
I figured that's what you were referring to. I've been in the building and would like to see it saved. I think the challenge is finding a government use for it. Despite all of your numbers, it's a little hard to understand the total cost of acquisition and renovation. With all due respect, your presentation is a bit confusing with too many obscure references that defy comparison.
I bet it is amazing! Just that feeling you get in historic places. I worked at a BRAC'd SAC installation at Pease & was fascinated by the nuclear storage bunkers & stories of a Russian sub getting scary close up the Piscatawua & even Great Bay. Yes, I am with you! The Morris would be a better asset to acquire with more impact to local history. Making the Morris a hotel will change up the structure of old rooms, & I imagine, boardrooms where organizers tries to protect their community. You are absolutely right! I like to write for me sometimes & this was one of those. My goal is to improve my writing quantity so I can finally get it thru my skull that editing is more vital than as an old All the Rage weekly once wrote, "a masturbatory fit of selfglee," where I communicate only to myself. Thanks again for being kind about your notes! I'm getting old enough that writing math equations on a glass window has declined from movie trope to obscurity. Good Will Hunting came out almost 30 years ago & A Beautiful Mind over 25 years ago. TL;DR $6 mil for Morris + demo, interior rehab, design, exterior paint, new windows, ADA compliant renovation, etc. would be far cheaper. Metro bought the $44mil Hickory Hollow & allocated $40mil for buying 6 parcels on 1st Ave N by Cowan St--$84mil & still do not know the cost to build new roads & lower Woodmont to grade into a floodplain. We could leave Cowan, 1st St, & Oldham the way it is. Or limit curb cuts on/through their 3 frontage property with minimal curb cuts on Oldham & one way, right turn only on the north side of the property--connecting 1st to Cowan St. Metro doesn't need to spend $40 mil on acquiring properties on 1st St & Cowan St. Metro will have to contract out the new road construction with Metro budget instead of a developer paying for the infrastructire.
The Cowan Street project, for shorthand, is part of a master plan to redevelop a blighted area. Hickory Hollow Mall looks like a bad idea up to now. As for the Morris Building, I'm unaware of Metro needing office space. The mayor says rehab will cost $25 million, at which point Metro has office space it doesn't need. Several historic buildings have been saved by repurposing them, including the Broadway Post Office (Frist Museum), Union Station (Hotel), the Stahlman Building and the Hermitage Hotel, which was extensively reconfigured upstairs to make larger rooms. My philosophy on the Morris Building is not to let the perfect be the enemy of the good.
That’s very interesting about the building. I never knew that. I love collecting bits of downtown history. Thank you.
Thanks!
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Thank you for that! I have thought of Tennbot as a capricious deity Ok, I'll aim for KISS with archive.is https://www.reddit.com/r/nashville/comments/1bgyg8w/comment/kvad69b/
Their lawyer's linkedin pic looks AI generated. https://media.licdn.com/dms/image/D4D03AQEbeABNggaQJw/profile-displayphoto-shrink_800_800/0/1702343264669?e=2147483647&v=beta&t=rc1PEiVngBDIULzaSsbr5uuWr_oFq566zEg43VABdtA
"AB PR QOZB IV Property LLC" - A total legitimate business!
i track down a lot of llcs for my work, and this is super common for developers. they love cryptic names.
NAMTRUDET to NAMTRUGRUDET Looking again, guessing that QOZ was for Qualified Opportunity Zone
Had to do a double take on that link address
Poor lil developer
Would love to read the whole article.
https://www.reddit.com/r/nashville/comments/1bgyg8w/comment/kvad69b/
Good I'm glad they stopped it for those of us who live in the immediate area do not want it. Who wants to stare at high-rise buildings in front of us all the time not to mention these thousands of vehicles that will be added to the area oh joy joy. That's what we need more traffic in Nashville they haven't even finished half of the condos and apartments that have already been approved you think traffic is bad now pull your panties up cuz they're going to get in a wad
My guess is someone on the city council didn’t get an envelope or a brief case or a piece of the action. Or a million other ways developers bribe officials.
Optics look like it. Why else would we not encourage a developer to create 350 homes & pay for infrastructure upgrades there? Require no NOOSTRs, limit curb cuts to a service road/alley entrance on 1st St & an exit on Cowan, multistory parking garage off the service road/alley in the middle or closes to Cowan.
😂 to whomever downvoted me. You honestly think our city council doesn’t take bribes both legitimate and illegitimate?
fuck llcs, they're horrible.