A private equity firm would like to build a modern 12-story building in our downtown. It would hold about 120 condominiums, offices, several upscale retail shops, a restaurant and an art gallery. The development would include a parking garage at the rear of the building.
The neighborhood association for this part of downtown has significant concerns about the location they are currently considering. It is on Market Street at the Aquarium Way intersection. Sitar Indian restaurant is on the corner.
Next door is the former 212 Market restaurant.
This is the wrong location for the proposed building. It conflicts with sound planning principles and the zoning ordinance. It is incompatible with the adjacent townhomes on Cherry Street, which share a property line.
Downtown zoning received a much-needed overhaul a few years ago when the City Council adopted a Form-Based Code. The City paid a consulting firm in Austin, Tx. about $300,000 to write the code and prepare the zoning map.
The new zoning thoughtfully and gradually raised the height limit as it stepped back from the Tennessee River. It honors the Tennessee Aquarium as the tall building in the Riverfront District and considers compatibility with adjacent land uses.
The current zoning establishes a maximum height of six stories in the 200 block of Market Street. A 12-story building would require a zone change through the Planning Commission and City Council, and the application would likely trigger considerable neighborhood opposition.
Height maximums on Market Street gradually increase from six to eight to 12 stories as you reach the downtown core. Zoning that allows 12-story buildings is also in place at the Bend on Riverfront Parkway and near the new baseball stadium.
I hope the developers find a suitable site for their exciting 12-story vision. 200 and 212 Market is not it.
Helen Burns Sharp, president
Downtown Owners Collective