MRP Realty has shared the latest renderings of its upcoming River North project; it includes new interior and exterior views of the site as well as visuals of its newest addition – Contour. The developer has also updated its aerial map which now shows Contour vs. the office tower and parking structure. It also removed structures which aren’t currently part of the developer’s Portfolio. CityNowNext toured the site with the D.C.-based developer as the project can now be seen from the Cumberland River and surrounding areas. The project is located along Waterside Drive in East Bank Nashville.
River North is a transformational project for Nashville and the East Bank. The development presents a unique opportunity that embraces and engages the river through a riverfront park, apartments, office space and a retail experience fronting both active streetscapes and the river.
“Many aspects of the project have been designed to take advantage of its unique waterfront location. The residential buildings have elevated courtyards that open towards and provide views of the Cumberland River, allowing sunlight in and maximizing the number of units with views of the river. Many of the retail spaces include patios for outdoor dining that will provide views of the river and Nashville skyline.”
Matthew Robinson, Principal at MRP Realty
“The Retail Pavilion is the conversion of what was a pre-existing industrial warehouse building into a one-story retail structure. Clad in black metal and glass, the pavilion building provides an active human scale component adjacent to river”.
Mike Robinson, Senior Development Manager at MRP Realty
Formerly the site of a rail yard and shipping terminal, the project’s design pays homage to its historical setting by embracing the river as a central theme of the development. Designed by SK+I, River North incorporates artfully recreated warehouses and modern industrial finishes into the architecture and design of the project.
The first phase is currently under construction and contains 651 residential units, 73,000 SF of ground floor retail space and 78,000 SF of commercial office space across four buildings. It also includes four new internal streets within the site. The project will create pedestrian oriented retail street frontages and an urban plaza that connects the heart of the development to the riverfront park.
The second riverfront phase is also in pre-development which includes the mixed-use building – Contour. Together both phases will create the first generation of residential density with a total of +/-1,084 units in the East Bank. The riverfront park shown closest to the river is owned and developed by Oracle across the River North development. It also includes a multimodal bridge from River North to Germantown across the river.
The pedestrian scale and street activation of River North will provide more of a local feel. From a social perspective, it’s a common theme that a lot of residents say is missing from the tourist-centric Downtown core. It’s also worth noting that some recent large scale development proposals, in the central business district, are starting to pivot to more of an established neighborhood feel through its pedestrian activation. This is a move that some developers hope will become a place that appeals to families as well as local and regional residents. Here’s the quick rundown:
River North Phase 1
2141 Waterside Drive
What’s Now: | Former Warehouse Campus |
What’s Next: | Mixed-Use Development |
Developer: | MRP Realty / Creek Lane Capital |
Architect: | SK+I |
Landscape: | CDSG |
Civil: | CDSG |
Traffic Eng. | KCI |
Apartments: | 651 Units Phase 1 |
Office: | 78,000 SF |
Retail: | 73,000 SF |
Contractor: | Walsh |
The new street grid (shown above) displays the proposed street names along this segment of River North. Waterside Drive serves as a resident zone and includes the building entrances and street level amenity spaces. The side streets between the 3 buildings (Marine & Ironside Drives) serve as a transition between the residential and retail zones. The main uses on these streets consist of back-of-house and amenity spaces which transitions to retail. Bowline Drive is the main interior street and intersects Waterside Drive at the roundabout.
The Wayward
The Wayward is a 7-story mixed use building with 19,950 SF of street facing retail. The Wayward is situated closest to TopGolf and is the largest of the 3 buildings and has a concealed 7-story parking deck. The building will consist of 355 apartments featuring a full suite of amenities including co-working spaces, podcast room, dog spa, swimming pool, and rooftop lounge. Street level resident amenities are located on Waterside Drive; retail for the Wayward is located along Marine Drive & Bowline Avenue.
The Oxbow
The Oxbow is a 7-story mixed use building with 20,000 SF of retail space and situated between The Wayward and Contour. The building will contain 296 apartments and includes amenities such as co-working spaces, swimming pool, rooftop lounge, and an oversized fitness center for use by residents and office tenants. The coworking space, shared gym, and leasing center are located on Waterside Drive. The retail space is located along Marine Drive & Bowline Avenue.
Contour
Contour is in the pre-development phase and is proposed as a 7-story mixed use building with 13,453 SF of riverfront-facing retail. The resident lobby and amenity space is located along Waterside Drive while the fitness center faces the parcel owned by Oracle to the North. Contour has 2 courtyards facing the riverfront, one on the 1st level and another above the retail space. The third courtyard has a pool deck amenity which is visually shown internal to the building. Contour is currently proposed as a 433-unit building which can potentially change.
2000 Bowline
2000 Bowline Ave is a four story, 78,000 SF Office building separated from the Retail Pavilion by outdoor dining and events plaza. The Class A creative office will offer views of the river and downtown Nashville while having a direct connection to Bowline Avenue as well as the riverfront park. The Retail Pavilion is located across from 2000 Bowline and includes 20,763 SF of retail. Both buildings are anchored by a central open-air plaza located at the intersection Marine Drive & Bowline Avenue. With nearly 86,000 SF of pedestrian-centric retail across all 5 buildings, this will become a frequent destination for visitors and residents alike.
River North’s retail offering will fill a void for East Nashville and Germantown residents, serving as a place that will provide river views and unprecedented convenience for the area. The project will offer a variety of restaurant and retail experiences offering an appealing gathering place for families and groups of friends.
Elam Freeman, Founder & Principal at Ojas Partners
Construction of Phase 1 started in October of 2021; the anticipated completion of this phase is Q4 of 2024.
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