Neighborhood Spotlight: Charlotte Avenue Corridor

Through the heart of Nashville runs a familiar street that crosses through several up-and-coming neighborhoods, including Sylvan Park, Sylvan Heights and The Nations. Where Charlotte passes through these neighborhoods you’ll find a bustling area lined with some of Nashville’s best new restaurants, apartments and businesses.

In the early 1800s, Charlotte Avenue – formerly known as Cedar Street – linked the southern steps of the Capitol all the way to the western edge of town. The construction of James Robertson Parkway later broke up this direct route. The street name was changed from Cedar to Charlotte because it ultimately leads to the town of Charlotte in Dickson County – which was named for the wife of James Robertson.

The 1980s and 90s saw a Charlotte Avenue that was much like the rest of Nashville, run-down and in need of some serious overhauling. In fact, a key landmark in the neighborhood was the historic Tennessee state prison. Since then, the area has been part of massive urban redevelopment projects that have made Nashville into the city it is now.

Many of the remaining warehouses and industrial buildings from the “olden days” are now being repurposed for other projects. In 2016, we started development on a former industrial site at 5400 Centennial Boulevard in The Nations. The development, which broke ground last year as Silo Bend, centers on a 200-ft tall silo and will include single-family homes and apartments, as well as mixed-use space for offices, retail, restaurants and more.

Groundbreaking ceremony at Silo Bend

Today, the section between 40th and 52nd Avenues has sprung up with many trendy new dining options, including Salt & Vine, Double Dogs and M.L. Rose, as well as classics such as Hattie B’s Hot Chicken.

And the neighborhood has completely turned around from its run-down days to a neighborhood with a higher concentration of “urban sophisticates” than 96 percent of U.S. neighborhoods.

From a once industrial part of the city to a blossoming town center, Charlotte Avenue has become a hot spot for families young and old to shop, eat and live. As property values continue to rise, it is quickly becoming one of the places to be. There is no doubt it will continue to expand outward, but in the meantime, do yourself a favor and try some of those delicious restaurants.

Silo Bend Development Helps The Nations Neighborhood to Thrive

Last year we broke ground on Silo Bend, a mixed-use development on a 37.7-acre site in the rapidly growing neighborhood of The Nations. Located at the intersection of Centennial Boulevard and New York Avenue, Silo Bend is named for the 200-foot-tall abandoned concrete grain silo that sits on the property, which is located at a bend of the Cumberland River. 

Groundbreaking ceremony at Silo Bend

In October 2016, we officially announced plans for the Silo Bend Project and unveiled the name of the new development at the Light the Night 615 festival in The Nations. The excitement for the development was huge, and it was featured in publications across town, including the Nashville Post, the Tennessean, the Nashville Business Journal and more.

In March 2017, we broke ground on the flagship structure at the site, The Flats @ Silo Bend, a 193-unit apartment building with 3,500 square feet of ground-floor retail space and plenty of surface-level parking. Along with the apartments, Silo Bend will have single-family homes, office space, retail buildings and other apartments.

One feature of Silo Bend you can’t miss is the 200-ft-tall silo, on which we commissioned a mural to be painted. Created by acclaimed Australian artist Guido van Helten and finished in September, the mural features 91-year-old Nations resident Lee Estes. It has garnered significant attention and was even named best mural of the year by the Nashville Scene – and we think it is safe to say that it is the most recognizable landmark in The Nations.

Photo credit: Brian Siskind, Those Drones

The Flats @ Silo Bend the apartments will be available for rent mid-summer 2018 in the booming neighborhood where restaurants, retailers and boutique businesses are setting up shop. We have many other developments underway at Silo Bend as well.

South Carolina-based The Flyway Cos. is converting a lumber mill and a boiler room building into office and restaurant space. The project, Silo Studios, spans 65,000 square feet along Centennial Boulevard. Also part of that project, they are renovating a 40,000-square-foot bow truss building and a 5,700-square-foot structure made up of three coal furnace buildings.

We are also excited about new developments that are to come, including a 103-unit condominium building by Evergreen Real Estate. It’ll be the first Silo Bend building positioned north of the CSX railroad tracks that dissect the 37-acre site. They are planning to break ground in summer 2018.

Silo Bend started as an empty space in early 2016 but has quickly become a thriving neighborhood of its own thanks to our wonderful team of developers and designers. Stay tuned to see what else is in store!

2017 Year in Review

In 2017, we celebrated a momentous and busy 35th anniversary while working on many exciting projects. From Silo Bend to Hillsboro Village, we continued our trailblazing efforts across Nashville, to develop the latest and greatest spaces for people to live and work. Here are a few highlights from the year:

Silo Bend

One of our most noteworthy projects in 2017 was a mixed-use development in the booming neighborhood of The Nations. The development, Silo Bend, was named after the 200-foot abandoned silo that towers over the area and the property’s location across from a bend of the Cumberland River. We broke ground on the 37.7-acre site in March and began constructing The Flats @ Silo Bend, a 193-unit apartment building – which will later be joined by single-family homes, office space, retail buildings and additional apartments.

Photo credit: Brian Siskind, Those Drones

We also partnered with the Nashville Walls Project to commission internationally known Australian artist Guido van Helten to paint a large-scale mural on the silo itself. The mural features monochromatic portraits of local residents – capturing the essence of the community – and can be seen from almost a mile away.

Eastside Heights

East Nashville is a growing community just minutes away from downtown. This year, we developed Eastside Heights, a beautiful new mixed-use apartment building located at 5th and Woodland. The building includes 249 state-of-the-art apartments and 8,000 feet of ground-floor retail space.

It also boasts a resort-style swimming pool with an in-pool sun deck, two landscaped courtyards, a pet spa and dog walk, fitness and yoga facilities, a cyber café, a multi-level parking garage and a two-level sky lounge with an outdoor patio and a stunning view of downtown Nashville.

Photo credit: Aerial Innovations

The Nashville Walls Project helped us to commission a mural here as well. Four local artists contributed to the large “EAST” mural, which covers over 4,500 square feet of the property’s western-facing exterior wall. Since it faces I-24, it is estimated that over 100,000 vehicles see the piece every day.

We worked closely with Hardaway Construction to complete this project, and residents began moving in this fall.

Belcourt Village

We also provided architectural design services for Elmington Capital Group’s Belcourt Village, a 23,900-square-foot, mixed-use development situated across from the historic Belcourt Theatre in Hillsboro Village. It will offer 25-28 apartments and ground-floor retail space that is adjacent to Hopdoddy Burger Bar and Altar’d State.

Belcourt Village Rendering

Located between Belmont and Vanderbilt universities, this modern living and retail space is sure to attract college students and young families, who make up a large portion of the neighborhood’s population. We’re excited to be adding another great stop in one of Nashville’s most walkable neighborhoods.

35 Years in the Making

For the last 35 years, we’ve been dedicated to building strong relationships with people companies across Middle Tennessee. Through those partnerships, we’ve helped develop the city of Nashville into what it is today: a growing and thriving metropolitan area that is home to 1.75 million people and counting.

2017 was a busy year filled with growth, and none of it would have been possible without our clients and hard-working team members. We’re excited for 2018 and look forward to another year of success!

 

Neighborhood Spotlight: The Nations

An area’s history often defines its future, and this certainly rings true for one West Nashville neighborhood, The Nations. Once a meeting place for Native American tribal nations – hence its name – The Nations community became known over the years as home to Nashvillians who worked in the automobile, lumber and agricultural industries.

In recent years, commercial and residential real estate opportunities in the area have grown tremendously. Thanks to the boom in popularity, residents and business owners continue to flock to the West Nashville neighborhood, building thousands of new homes and starting a number of new businesses, and transforming the quiet, hard-working neighborhood into a local hotspot for both natives and tourists.

Arguably the most notable landmark of The Nations is an icon of the community’s industrial past. A 200-foot tall abandoned grain silo sits in the eastern portion of a 37.7-acre site, being developed by Southeast Venture. The project is named Silo Bend in honor of the silo and the property’s location across from a bend of the Cumberland River.

The silo is a symbol of the community—a monument of the past—and can be seen from miles away. That’s why Southeast Venture, in conjunction with Brian Greif and the Nashville Walls Project, arranged for a massive mural to adorn its side.

Photo credit: Brian Siskind, Those Drones

Together, they enlisted Australian artist Guido van Helten, who is known for his larger-than-life portrait paintings around the world.

Van Helten came to Nashville in May and spent a week in The Nations community—meeting with residents, learning about the culture and developing his concept for the mural. It was then he met Lee D. Estes, an elderly resident of The Nations, who was volunteering at the Saint Luke’s Community Center. The 91-year-old resident has called The Nations “home” for his entire life and struck Van Helten as a the perfect subject to capture the essence of the community.

Photo credit: Brian Siskind, Those Drones

Photo credit: Brian Siskind, Those Drones

Guido completed the work over two weeks in May 2017. The enormous silo mural can now be seen from miles away and has already become a well-known landmark of the up-and-coming development and surrounding community.

Southeast Venture has bigger plans for Silo Bend than the massive mural. A 193-unit apartment complex is currently under construction, and mixed-use commercial space and single-family homes will also fill the property, inviting more newcomers to The Nations. This development will undoubtedly spring even more life into the growing Nations district as it becomes the latest in Nashville’s run of trending hot-spots.

Southeast Venture Announces Large-Scale Mural at Silo Bend

This press release was originally released on March 23, 2017.

Australian artist to paint lifelike mural on 200-foot tall Silo

NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 23, 2017 – Today Southeast Venture, in conjunction with Councilwoman Mary Carolyn Roberts and Art Consultant Brian Greif, announced plans for a large-scale mural to be painted on the 200-foot-tall abandoned silo at the new mixed-use development, Silo Bend.

Australian artist Guido van Helten has been contracted to paint the mural. Van Helten is known for his large-scale, site-specific murals that feature monochromatic portraits and local elements.

Guido van Helten – Fort Smith, AR

“This mural will be one of Silo Bend’s defining features,” said Mary Carolyn Roberts, councilwoman for District 20. “The enormous painting will be seen from almost a mile away and will be representative of The Nations community. We’re very excited to work with Guido and look forward to seeing his mural unveiled.”

Van Helten’s work can be found across the globe, from Australia to the United Kingdom and from Iceland to Mexico. Before beginning his work, Van Helten invests time and effort in developing the concept for a location by visiting the site and learning about the area’s culture, traditions and people.

Guido van Helten – Brim Silos in Australia

“Van Helten is especially talented at capturing the emotions of his subjects,” said Brian Greif, art consultant and owner of 2:32 AM Projects. “He primarily uses a monochromatic color scheme and features images of local subjects to highlight the culture of the area. We’re thrilled to bring his work to Nashville and to The Nations community.”

Van Helten is scheduled to visit Nashville on May 8 when he will spend four to five days meeting with residents of The Nations, learning about the neighborhood and developing his concept. Once he begins, it will take approximately six days to complete the mural.

Guido van Helten – State of Mexico

To learn more about Van Helten and see his portfolio, visit http://www.widewalls.ch/artist/guido-van-helten/.

About Southeast Venture:

Founded in 1981, Southeast Venture is a diversified commercial real estate and design services company guided by a mission of “Building Value by Valuing Relationships.” The firm provides and coordinates the delivery of brokerage, development, architectural and interior design and property management. This unique, comprehensive approach to commercial real estate offers a cost effective and efficient way of meeting its clients’ commercial real estate needs. For more information, visit SoutheastVenture.com, or find Southeast Venture on Twitter @SEVentureCRE.

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Southeast Venture Breaks Ground on The Flats @ Silo Bend

This press release was originally released on March 23, 2017.

Councilwoman Mary Carolyn Roberts, Art Consultant Brian Greif and Other Dignitaries Participate in Groundbreaking Ceremony

NASHVILLE, Tenn., March 23, 2017 – Today, local and community officials joined together with Southeast Venture and their honored guests to officially break ground on The Flats @ Silo Bend, a mixed-use development within The Nations.

The Flats @ Silo Bend is the development’s flagship structure, a 193-unit apartment building. Also planned for the development’s 37.7-acre site are single-family homes, office space, retail buildings and other apartments.

Pictured from left to right: Eric McKinney, Bill DeCamp, Mary Carolyn Roberts, Tarek El Gammal, Ginny Caldwell, Iain Shriver

“This is an exciting milestone for The Nations community,” said Mary Carolyn Roberts, councilwoman for District 20. “After many months of preparation, we are excited to officially break ground on this development. We know the mixed-use space will be beneficial both for our neighborhood and the surrounding areas.”

Pictured from left to right: Art Consultant Brian Greif, Councilwoman Mary Carolyn Roberts, Southeast Venture Principal Cam Sorenson

Silo Bend is located at the intersection of Centennial Boulevard and New York Avenue and touches the southern bank of the Cumberland River. The development is named for the 200-foot-tall abandoned concrete grain silo that sits on the property and its location across from a bend of the Cumberland River.

“We’re looking forward to seeing this area transformed into a vibrant, appealing place to live, dine and shop,” said Wood Caldwell, principal at Southeast Venture. “With a prime location in West Nashville, we’re hoping to attract both Nashville natives and newcomers to the development’s variety of spaces.”

Rendering of The Flats @ Silo Bend

Also unveiled at the groundbreaking were plans to paint a large-scale, site-specific mural on the property’s 200-foot-tall abandoned silo. Art Consultant Brian Greif announced Australian artist Guido van Helten was selected for the project. Van Helten plans to visit Nashville in May to meet with residents, learn about The Nations and develop the concept for the mural.

Video footage shot with drones by Brian Siskind was featured before the ceremony and gave attendees an aerial view of the property. When it is completed, Silo Bend will offer 3,500 square feet of ground floor retail space and surface-level parking.

About Southeast Venture:

Founded in 1981, Southeast Venture is a diversified commercial real estate and design services company guided by a mission of “Building Value by Valuing Relationships.” The firm provides and coordinates the delivery of brokerage, development, architectural and interior design and property management. This unique, comprehensive approach to commercial real estate offers a cost effective and efficient way of meeting its clients’ commercial real estate needs. For more information, visit SoutheastVenture.com, or find Southeast Venture on Twitter @SEVentureCRE.

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New Mixed-Used Development in the Nations Neighborhood Takes Its Name from Landmark on Site

This press release was originally released on Oct. 20, 2016.

New Mixed-Used Development in the Nations Neighborhood Takes Its Name from Landmark on Site

New Name and Logo Introduced to Community During Light the Nations 615 Festival This Weekend

 Will Break Ground for First Building in Early 2017

NASHVILLE, Tenn., Oct. 20, 2016 – Southeast Venture, developers of a 37.7-acre mixed use real estate development on Centennial Boulevard in The Nation’s neighborhood, announced today the name of the project: Silo Bend.

“The first thing everyone notices about this property is the 200-foot-tall abandoned concrete grain silo in the middle of the site, which was used years ago by the Gillette Grain Company. It’s quite impressive. In fact, it is featured in a video series by artist Brian Siskind called ‘The Nations Life,’” said Southeast Venture Principal Wood Caldwell.

(To see the video series, search for ‘the nations life’ on YouTube or set your browser to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gp8ks048vDk. Video credit: Brian Siskind/Those Drones, LLC)

“The silo can be see from miles away – including from the upper floors of downtown buildings – and it is by far the tallest structure in The Nation’s neighborhood. The owner had planned to incorporate it into this development from the beginning, so it is natural that this landmark would be integral to the brand. In addition to using the word ‘silo’ in the name, the logomark is a line drawing of the silo,” Caldwell added. “The second word in the name refers to the fact that this development is across from a bend of the Cumberland River.”

The new name will be officially unveiled this Saturday at Light The Nations 615 festival, of which Silo Bend is a title sponsor. Running from 4 to 10 p.m., the event will take place on 51st Avenue between Georgia and Illinois avenues. It will feature local businesses, art, vendors, food trucks and live entertainment, including musical acts Kree Harrison, Moon and Forty-Two and Tommy Hans. To learn more, go to lightthenations615.com.

Centered at the intersection of Centennial Boulevard and New York Avenue, Silo Bend extends from Centennial to the southern bank of the Cumberland River. When complete, Silo Bend will include single-family homes, apartments and retail stores. The property is owned by R. Manuel Cenntennial.

Caldwell said he expects ground to be broken for the first building – a 193-unit apartment building – by the first quarter of 2017. Southeast Venture is architect for Silo Bend, Barge Cauthen & Associates is the civil engineer, Hodson Douglas is the landscape architect and RPM Transportation is providing the traffic analysis and transportation plan.

About Southeast Venture:

Founded in 1981, Southeast Venture is a diversified commercial real estate and design services company guided by a mission of “Building Value by Valuing Relationships.” The firm provides and coordinates the delivery of brokerage, development, architectural and interior design and property management. This unique, comprehensive approach to commercial real estate offers a cost effective and efficient way of meeting its clients’ commercial real estate needs. For more information, visit SoutheastVenture.com, or find Southeast Venture on Twitter @SEVentureCRE.

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