So far all of the development in the Gulch has been in the south part of the area. I'm hoping there will be announcements to develop the north area of the Gulch. I hope the development of the south area of the Gulch will broaden the scope of the area to make it more of a destination for not only the residents of the Gulch but for people working in downtown and people living in Germantown around to mid-town. music row and Edgehill. In order to make it such a destination and to create a pedestrian environment, they will need a complex that is very much like Pentagon Row in Arlington, VA. This complex takes what in most areas would amount to a strip mall, but create instead a village of residential, retail and dinning. Check out these links to get an idea...
Pentagon Row Apartments http://www.postproperties.com/mycomm...mmunity=216400
Pentagon Row Shopping/Dining
Pentagon Row offers enough of the basic resources needed for residents to literally walk out there door to go grocery shopping (Harris Teeter), drug store run (Rite Aid), fitness (LA Fitness), shoes (DSW), throw in furniture stores, clothiers, and plenty of places to eat and you've got a perfect scene for everyday living. It is set-up to be an open and truly pedestrian as it has minimal surface parking and ample underground parking for residents and patrons.
One other benefit to Pentagon Row is it's proximity to interstates and a major mall that provides even more shopping. See
Fashon Centre at Pentagon City. It is within the same block of land that Pentagon Row sits on. And, they work together cohesively. People going to the mall will venture over to Pentagon Row and vice versa. The Mall which is about 4 levels and has a parking garage is anchored by a Macy's and Nordstrom's and it also has a Ritz Carlton Hotel and there are other condo, apartment and office buidlings surrounding it ranging in heights of 10-20 stories. Since downtown Nashville is lacking in shopping, having such a complex could bring shopping back inside the I-65/24/40 loop. Also, one block over from the Mall and Pentagon Row is another complex that houses a Costco, Best Buy, Marshalls and Nordstrom Rack. Now, granted all of these businesses also benefit from the high density living of Washington, DC and Northern, VA. it also has a metro stop. But, it always feels like a neighborhood, not just a shopping destination. That is why is think it would work well for the Gulch and would provide great infill as well. If you think about the north Gulch area is already surrounded by high density living that is well underserved. As that area continues to grow it will need something major like this type of complex or people will find themselves driving to burbs to shop.