msu65 Wrote:

JTiger Wrote:

gomemphistigers1 Wrote:Memphis COULD build a tower like that...but it would look very odd.

the nearest building would be under HALF the towers height.

all these new buildings are ment to blend into the current Memphis skyline...that would just look out of place.

but i guess it could work in Nashvegas.

Go Tigers!!!
Drew

Nashville has better soil than we do. The cost of the foundation in our crappy soil makes a VERY tall highrise cost prohibitive in Memphis.

Interesting since I have just finished "Devil In The White City" which talks about Chicago having the same problem. All the high rise towers around the 1890's were having trouble because the base was quicksand down to a certain depth. They invented a floating system to distribute the weight. I highly recommend the book about the construction of the 1893 Worlds Fair (Columbia Exposition) and the Mass murderer who stalked young women moving to Chicago and attending the fair. He made Jack The Ripper look like a school boy.
Quick Fact about the World's fair: There were 200 buildings built over a one square mile area. The largest building covered 44 Acres and had the interior volume to hold the U.S. Capitol, the Great Pyramid, Winchester Cathedral, Madison Square Garden, and St. Paul's Cathedral at the same time. The fair turnstiles turned 27.5 million times over 6 months while the total population was 65 Million. The largest single day attendance was over 700,000.

And then they destroyed all those buildings. I spent hours googling images from that worlds fair to get a look at those buildings. Amazing & beautiful. It was a great book.

That killer was a freak. You're right, jack ain't got nothing on that guy.

3601 Wrote:

kabluey Wrote:It's great to improve downtown and turn it into the jewel that Memphis deserves. I think we should pull out all the stops in that respect, and look to build higher and better. The next step is to create livable walkable neighborhoods with distinctive identities across the region. I'm talking Broad Ave, the Highland Strip, the Fairgrounds area, the airport area, we need to take the lessons learned in developing downtown, in comparison with the embarrassment of G'town Pkwy, Winchester, and all the strip malls and lack of walkability in the suburbs, and create little focal points across the region, to enhance the visual landscape as well as health offerings for the citizens.

One Beale is just the next step in the evolution of our great city. It's not enough by itself, but hopefully will be another catalyst to continue the process.

I want our next mayor to focus on two things...

1. Reduce crime
2. Improve public education

I couldn't agree more - not that it's the mayor's job to fix education, but with Dr. Johnson leaving, we need someone to come in and CLEAN HOUSE - don't give me any of the Blue Ribbon namby-pamby stuff. Get hardcore for a couple of years, and essentially start over.

HOWEVER, I'm all for the creation of these walkable neighborhoods in the meantime - both can be done at the same time.

I was told last night that there's going to be a meeting 2 weeks from this Wednesday regarding the University area's plan...I think it's going to be at the Mason Y, but I'll try to find out some more info on that.

double post.

Quote:I want our next mayor to focus on two things...

1. Reduce crime
2. Improve public education

The One Beale Tower and other projects work towards doing just that. Firstly, the theory is that by reducing the blight, abandonded buildings, etc, you reduce crime because you 'push' that element out. Education can be improved by building neighborhoods, which in turn utilize neighborhood schools

madtiger Wrote:

Quote:I want our next mayor to focus on two things...

1. Reduce crime
2. Improve public education

The One Beale Tower and other projects work towards doing just that. Firstly, the theory is that by reducing the blight, abandonded buildings, etc, you reduce crime because you 'push' that element out. Education can be improved by building neighborhoods, which in turn utilize neighborhood schools

I'm all for projects like this, but you sound like WW if you really believe that. Over the last two decades our Downtown has made huge strides and has become a great place because of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of development.

Meanwhile, crime has steadily increased and the school system has gotten worse and worse.

GoTigersJoe87 Wrote:i hate nashville, i really just do

It could be worse! You could live in Louisville!

link to February 2006 article
Not sure if they are going through with this one though. It's just bizarre!!

EDIT: Just found CJ article stating they expect to begin building it in September!! link to article

that's still one of the absolute weirdest pieces of architecture i've ever seen.

That Nashville tower is a disaster waiting to happen. I guess they didn't hear about 911.

Mike_M_Tiger Wrote:That Nashville tower is a disaster waiting to happen. I guess they didn't hear about 911.

yes terrorist are lining up to hit Nashville Ten. I don't think the developers have anyhting to worry about.

TigerTitan Wrote:

GoTigersJoe87 Wrote:i hate nashville, i really just do

It could be worse! You could live in Louisville!

link to February 2006 article
Not sure if they are going through with this one though. It's just bizarre!!

EDIT: Just found CJ article stating they expect to begin building it in September!! link to article

that has to be the ugliest building i've ever seen...

i'll keep One Beale.

Go Tigers!!!
Drew

Joe_Tiger Wrote:

Mike_M_Tiger Wrote:That Nashville tower is a disaster waiting to happen. I guess they didn't hear about 911.

yes terrorist are lining up to hit Nashville Ten. I don't think the developers have anyhting to worry about.

Well considering it will sit in wide open space with no other building around it, I would say it's a spot on bullz eye for a possible terrorist attack. But it's in Nashville, so nothing can happen, correct?

Downtown needs to be cleaned up. My wife and I went to the Madison hotel for dinner Friday night and then drove around the downtoen area. Boy was it ever a mess. It was nasty, dirty, littered with trash, etc. It is hard to believe that we were the cleanest city in the USA for numerous years when I was a young man. People down there just don't seem to give a #*@^ about anything. We decided we definetly did not want to get out and walk around the city. We find it interesting and enjoyable to walk in other cities but I am not comfortable in my own city. It will be awhile before I go back downtown for entertainment.

TIGERBUDDY Wrote:Downtown needs to be cleaned up. My wife and I went to the Madison hotel for dinner Friday night and then drove around the downtoen area. Boy was it ever a mess. It was nasty, dirty, littered with trash, etc. It is hard to believe that we were the cleanest city in the USA for numerous years when I was a young man. People down there just don't seem to give a #*@^ about anything. We decided we definetly did not want to get out and walk around the city. We find it interesting and enjoyable to walk in other cities but I am not comfortable in my own city. It will be awhile before I go back downtown for entertainment.

That's a shame, b/c you're the only one who will lose out in that respect.

However, the past few weekends I've been downtown it's been very clean, actually.

Mike_M_Tiger Wrote:

Joe_Tiger Wrote:

Mike_M_Tiger Wrote:That Nashville tower is a disaster waiting to happen. I guess they didn't hear about 911.

yes terrorist are lining up to hit Nashville Ten. I don't think the developers have anyhting to worry about.

Well considering it will sit in wide open space with no other building around it, I would say it's a spot on bullz eye for a possible terrorist attack. But it's in Nashville, so nothing can happen, correct?

Say what? The Signature Tower is a block from the Viridian (378 ft), Financial Center Building (490 ft) and the Nashville City Center (402 ft).

The new tower link:
http://www.signaturetowernashville.com/

TIGERBUDDY Wrote:Downtown needs to be cleaned up. My wife and I went to the Madison hotel for dinner Friday night and then drove around the downtoen area. Boy was it ever a mess. It was nasty, dirty, littered with trash, etc. It is hard to believe that we were the cleanest city in the USA for numerous years when I was a young man. People down there just don't seem to give a #*@^ about anything. We decided we definetly did not want to get out and walk around the city. We find it interesting and enjoyable to walk in other cities but I am not comfortable in my own city. It will be awhile before I go back downtown for entertainment.

Was this during Memphis in May. You have to expect a few bottles and such laying around during a festival. If it isn't MIM, I flat out don't believe you. I work here every day and find it nothing but clean, much cleaner than most parts of East Memphis.

gomemphistigers1 Wrote:

TigerTitan Wrote:Just in case you were interested, Nashville's skyline is about to change as well.

Have you guys heard about the new Signature Tower that is already under construction about a block from the Ryman Auditorium in downtown Nashville? When it's done it will be the tallest building in the U.S. outside NYC and Chicago 1.057 ft. tall. Will have a forty story hotel, condos, offices, retail, etc. Should be completed in 2009.


Signature Tower

a building like that would look SO out of place in downtown Memphis...but it looks very nice.

just for some perspective...that building will be taller than both towers from 1 Beale combined!

Go Tigers!!!
Drew

Well as of right now the Signature Tower may not happen anyway. It is on hold will very low sales and with all that is going on in the lending market. I am more than sure the building if built won't look like it was designed.

Reading through this and thinking about what Herenton ran on in 91 hit me like a rock. That was his exact rant. Quit building downtown and take care of our neighborhoods. Since most of us work and live elsewhere that would be a neat idea to bring back. After 16 more years of hell the move to the outer areas has multiplied so many times you can't calculate it.
Memphis, you are either a millionaire or you get a section 8 voucher for your home. That is how it will be very soon.

3601 Wrote:

madtiger Wrote:

Quote:I want our next mayor to focus on two things...

1. Reduce crime
2. Improve public education

The One Beale Tower and other projects work towards doing just that. Firstly, the theory is that by reducing the blight, abandonded buildings, etc, you reduce crime because you 'push' that element out. Education can be improved by building neighborhoods, which in turn utilize neighborhood schools

I'm all for projects like this, but you sound like WW if you really believe that. Over the last two decades our Downtown has made huge strides and has become a great place because of hundreds of millions of dollars worth of development.

Meanwhile, crime has steadily increased and the school system has gotten worse and worse.

Actually, crime levels in Memphis are much lower than they were in the late 1980's and early 1990's. In this case, perception is not reality.

tigertommy Wrote:Reading through this and thinking about what Herenton ran on in 91 hit me like a rock. That was his exact rant. Quit building downtown and take care of our neighborhoods. Since most of us work and live elsewhere that would be a neat idea to bring back. After 16 more years of hell the move to the outer areas has multiplied so many times you can't calculate it.
Memphis, you are either a millionaire or you get a section 8 voucher for your home. That is how it will be very soon.

You are correct about Herenton and his run for mayor in 1991. He ran against Dick "Downtown" Hackett. Turns out, Herenton is the biggest booster Downtown Memphis has ever had.

JTiger Wrote:

TIGERBUDDY Wrote:Downtown needs to be cleaned up. My wife and I went to the Madison hotel for dinner Friday night and then drove around the downtoen area. Boy was it ever a mess. It was nasty, dirty, littered with trash, etc. It is hard to believe that we were the cleanest city in the USA for numerous years when I was a young man. People down there just don't seem to give a #*@^ about anything. We decided we definetly did not want to get out and walk around the city. We find it interesting and enjoyable to walk in other cities but I am not comfortable in my own city. It will be awhile before I go back downtown for entertainment.

Was this during Memphis in May. You have to expect a few bottles and such laying around during a festival. If it isn't MIM, I flat out don't believe you. I work here every day and find it nothing but clean, much cleaner than most parts of East Memphis.

I agree. My wife and I go downtown several times a month to party it up...we enjoy everything from: the Madison Hotel, South Main, Beale Street...you name it! We always find things to be pretty clean and inviting...about what one should expect when enjoying any city's entertainment district.