“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it is the only thing that ever has.” — Margaret Mead
It seems you can’t drive more than a few miles in any direction in Nashville without passing a construction site. Our built environment is changing before our eyes — and for the better:
1. A dingy industrial sector of downtown — literally on the wrong side of the tracks — is today one of Nashville’s hottest mixed commercial use districts, drawing praise from the New York Times, Bon Appetit and many other national publications.
2. A tire store has been replaced by a gleaming new 23-story condominium building with awe-inspiring views of downtown and a lush rooftop park.
3. Several tired, car-centric strip centers have been replaced by pedestrian-friendly retail villages.
4. Another largely abandoned strip center has been converted into a mixed-use development with attractive apartments and three restaurants — one of which was recently named Nashville’s “Best New Restaurant” in a readers’ choice contest.
5. A new baseball field is rising on state-owned land that had been little more than a blight on the view from Capitol Hill.
6. Three primary corridors radiating from downtown have transformed from undesirable venues to the “next big thing” — or are already white hot.
(Can you guess what these properties are? The answers are at the end of this column.)
Read full article: http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2014/10/27/nashville-today-result-years-strong-leadership/17736289/
Source: Wood Caldwell / Tennessean http://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2014/10/27/nashville-today-result-years-strong-leadership/17736289/
