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.