Nashville is proud of the fact that it offers up the best the places to hear great music any night of the week. From honky tonks along Broadway, to the Ryman Auditorium, to the impressive new Country Music Hall of Fame, Nashville honors its country music heritage. However, there is more to Nashville than just county music.

Over the last couple of decades, Nashville has been quietly hard at work to transform itself into a great American city. The Frist Center museum, world class Schermerhorn Concert Symphony Hall, and the new public library instantly became city landmarks. The addition of the Bridgestone arena for concerts and professional hockey (Predators), and LP Coliseum (home of the Titans) have provided the city with two new venues for major events.

The state-of-the-art Music City Convention Center is the latest planned development which will continue to revitalize the urban center. With over a million square feet to fill, the convention center is already taking reservations. A medical mall which will service the health industry is planned to take over the space from the old convention center.

The downtown real estate market has also grown substantially in the last few years. There were virtually no highrises until the 31 story Viridian came along in 2006 and tapped into the huge, previously unmet demand. Once proposed as the tallest building in the southeast, plans for the Signature Tower have been temporarily put on hold. However, the luxury highrise, Encore!, was able to successfully add 21 stories to the Nashville skyline.

A converted cotton mill, Werthan Mills in Germantown (north Nashville) is a unique alternative to downtown living space. Bennie Dillion is another option for someone looking for the urban loft experience. The modern 5th and Main ran into financial problems, but is an example of the great opportunities that are currently available for the owner/investor.

With the projected growth in downtown Nashville, there will certainly be more projects to come on-line in the future, making this a great time to take advantage of the possibilities in the downtown area. If you would like to discuss your downtown options, feel free to contact me at 615-545-8611 or at jeff@jefffulmer.com.

(Ryman photo courtesy of Tim Hall. Also, see more photos at http://www.nashville.gov/htmlpgs/gallery/index.htm)