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What’s Going On With The Gulch?

2 July 2008 | 7:00 am
Author: Morgan Levy

The Gulch – that weird triangular spot downtown, where 12th turns into 11th and before you know it, you’re down by the train tracks and can’t seem to find Broadway (even though every other numbered street going north runs into Broadway).

There are big plans for The Gulch. Plans that paint a picture comparable to Soho, Dallas, or Santa Monica. Seems like a little much for a space that is currently home to hardly a handful of restaurants, a venue, some construction and a dismal parking situation. Local staples Ru Sans, Sambuca, Watermark, Station Inn and Bar Twenty3 make up the current landscape. So what will take The Gulch from don’t-blink-you’ll-miss-it to retail powerhouse status?

  • The ICON High-Rise Condos – Nearing completion, this 22-story mecca of “urban living” is set to kick start development in The Gulch. Buyers begin moving in this summer.
  • Urban Outfitters – The first big name retailer to enter The Gulch (and their first Tennessee location), hopefully to be followed by many more. This fall, Urban Outfitters will move into the space that currently houses music venue City Hall.
  • Old & New – This week, it was confirmed that Urban Flats Flatbread Co. will open in the retail space within the ICON tower. Bongo Java bought a building last year, and Provence Breads & Cafe will be expanding into a full retail space within the next year at their Gulch location.

What do you think – can The Gulch pull it off? Will it be the next up and coming urban hot spot in town?

Photo by Exothermic.

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Related posts:

  1. Yazoo Outgrows Marathon Building, Heading To Gulch
  2. The Gulch Is Cool, But Don’t Bike There [Mixed Reviews By People Who Don't Live Here]
  3. Urban Outfitters Grand Opening March 26 (Finally)

Comments

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  • Brandonjames
    I currently live in the gulch (in an apartment) It is pretty crowded down there right now, it will be really interesting to see if all this added residential and retail will make congestion even worse. We moved into the gulch thinking we could walk to everything - we can walk to everything in the gulch, but who really wants to go to Sambuca more than once a month. Once you walk outside of the gulch - things can get rough! It appears all the money is being invested in the condos and retail and infrastructure was passed over. One other thing - it is very loud in the gulch, with all the trains, cabs, music and people leaving the bars - we have had a fair share of sleepless nights. All of these new condos are setting up a noise barrier that will keep all the noise right in the middle of everything. Plus who is crazy enough to pay 300k for a 800 sqft condo??? Having lived here for 6 months - I highly don't recomend it!
  • Stephanie
    I work in the gulch-ish... a co-worker is moving into the Icon this summer and he was told that it is confirmed Whole Foods and an Apple store will also occupy some retail space in the Icon. Is this true? Does anyone know for a fact?

    I live a wee bit down 12th ave but I sure would love to have a Whole Foods within walking distance of my office... the salad bar alone... mmm.....
  • It's pretty funny to me to see Dallas put on the level with SoHo...
  • I look forward to the opening on these new retailers including Urban Outfitters, but I'll miss City Hall, but the real issue is where the hell can you park when you go to these places? It's hard.
  • sarah
    Urban Outfitters is crap. Where is our IKEA??!
  • @Stephanie - That would be pretty cool if those retailers were coming to the Gulch. Haven't heard any whisperings about it, though. Considering that there were rumors of Urban Outfitters coming to Green Hills for the past three years, I'll wait to hear official news before getting my hopes up.

    @Jordan - Certainly not the same vibe, but considerably similar on the upscale-retail-and-dining side of things.

    @sarah - IKEA in the Gulch would be hilarious. I think we'll have to keep dreaming on that one for awhile.
  • WheeeGuy
    I see it becoming its own little glass walled neighborhood. The folks that live and work there will be the sustaining force of the businesses. As much as I enjoy Ru-Sans or Sambuca I think it will be impossible to get in and out of there once more places establish themselves. Hopefully they work on cleaning up the surrounding area. Walking any direction other than Demonbreun gets sketchy real fast.
  • matt
    @ morgan... What part of Dallas and Soho and Santa Monica would you be referring to? They're not even remotely close. And where is City Hall going?
  • @Matt, @Morgan,
    I get what Morgan is saying - Dallasites loooove to show off their money. I've often said, if gambling is the vice that characterizes Las Vegas, then conspicuous consumption is what characterizes Dallas. Better cars, bigger houses, blonder hair, more clothes, bigger rocks, perfect children in perfect schools... If you read D Magazine, that's all you read about. Well, that and ads for plastic surgeons and divorce lawyers.

    But, enough about that, this is Nashville's blog.
  • @matt - Upscale retail, not so much the vibe. The Gulch website uses those cities (along with Denver) as examples of what they're aiming for.
    And City Hall is going away.
  • City Hall needs to die a painful death. The floor is horrible and the acoustics are worse. Good riddance.
  • matt
    @Texas - Dallas sucks ass.
  • Marion
    @ matt--- stfu about Dallas.

    @ Nashville-- Hello, 100 Oaks is perfect for Ikea...except then traffic on 65 would continue to go south in more than one way.
  • Jamie
    I have worked at Sambuca nearly 3 years, suffering through seemingly endless roadblocks and noisy construction.
    There were months when everyday, during our 11-3 pm lunch hours, the whole building shook off and on as either the Velocity, Icon. or Terrazo construction teams blasted into the earth around us.
    I have gotten so used to the constant noise, dust in the air, and construction vehicles blocking the street....I don't even pay attention anymore.
    Even though the hill where the Icon now stands used to be the best sledding hill (for tipsy Sambuca employees after work)...it is nice to see the Icon near completion and to hear about all of the great retail coming to the neighborhood.
    I am very excited about the Urban Outfitters!
    I know for a fact that IKEA in the gulch is simply a rumor...(100 oaks mall would be a brilliant place to house a Nashville IKEA location though.)
    I do know for a fact that the ICON will also house a Mexican Restaurant that plans to be open lunch and dinner....the new owners eat lunch here often..
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