Designs have been released for an upscale office and residential tower complex on the site of The Tennessean's now-demolished former home at 1100 Broadway.
But economic pressures from inflation and a tight credit market have stalled development on the block on Broadway between 11th and 12th avenues.
Raleigh, NC-based Highwoods Properties purchased 1100 Broadway in 2018 for $50 million. The following year, The Tennessean moved to 1801 West End Ave. and the four-story 1937 Tennessean offices were demolished.
In its place, new architectural design renderings from local firm Hastings Architecture introduce a gleaming, 28-story bronzed office tower overlooking Broadway. Behind it, a 41-story tower with around 350 apartments and 350 hotel rooms is being built.
The two-tower complex, fronted by ground-floor retail, was approved by Metro Council in 2021. A six-story creative office building is also planned at 1010 Broadway.
Gulch Central
Together, the buildings and the adjacent Highwoods-owned Asurion headquarters will be marketed as Gulch Central. Parks will be created on the connected properties for residents and visitors who are attracted by the activity and central location.
The result, said Alex Chambers, senior vice president of Highwoods, will be a higher quality of life for downtown workers and residents, who will have easy access to a variety of nearby shopping and entertainment destinations.
“Highwoods is in the business of workplace design and believes that when we create exceptional workplace experiences, the best and brightest can achieve what they cannot achieve together,” said Chambers. “We are committed to developing long-term solutions to meet our customers’ needs to return, retain and recruit talent to the office.
“Comfortable environments describe the office of the future.”
The U.S. commercial real estate market is under pressure as inflation is high and banks are reluctant to finance office projects because of fluctuating demand and rising costs.
Real estate research firm Urban Land Instute predicts markets will stabilize by 2025, especially in heated markets like Nashville.
Chambers said the company is “patiently waiting for capital markets to stabilize” before finalizing anchor tenants and finalizing construction plans.
Newspaper heritage incorporated into designs
The designs for the future 1100 Broadway were inspired by its past as the former offices and printing press of the Tennessean.
“Bronze-colored panels and shade slats define a façade inspired by the column grid of the newspapers previously printed on this site,” said Hastings spokesman Casey Estanislao.
A two-story, glass-enclosed lobby and office podium utilize geometric shapes reminiscent of the former Goliath Printing Shop in the basement of 1100 Broadway.
“The movement of the two-story entry is reminiscent of the movement of newsprint by printing presses,” Estanislao said. “The graceful pedestrian areas on the ground floor are carved from the tower and base and protected by a generous overhang.”
Chambers said that despite the delay, the company remains optimistic about development plans due to continued economic growth in Nashville.
“It has been and continues to be our vision to develop and create one of the most dynamic neighborhoods Nashville has to offer,” Chambers said. “If anything has changed since our original vision, it is the tremendous growth that has occurred and is planned around our locations, which we hope to continue to improve.”
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