Capitol Boulevard Revisited

CAPITOL BOULEVARD REVISITED

N ASHVILLE C IVIC D ESIGN C ENTER

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

TABLE

The Capitol Boulevard Study was conducted in May of 2002 by the following Nashville Civic Design Center Staff: John Houghton, Blythe Bailey, Mark Schimmenti, and Douglas Romines. The text in this document was written when the work was completed in 2002; however, this publication was assembled in July of 2003. Questions and comments should be directed to:

Revisiting Capitol Boulevard Overview

3

Historic Plan

4

Existing Conditions

5

Analysis of Site

10

Proposals City Promenade City Park Civic Axis

14 17 20

Appendix Early Studies

23

Capitol Boulevard Revisited Nashville Civic Design Center 700 Church Street, Suite 102 Nashville, Tennessee 37203 (615)248-4280 telephone (615)248-4282 fax info@civicdesigncenter.org www.civicdesigncenter.org

The Nashville Civic Design Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit corporation with funding from the Frist Foundation, the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency, the University of Tennessee, and Vanderbilt University. Š2003 Nashville Civic Design Center

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REVISITING CAPITOL BOULEVARD OVERVIEW Military parade passing War Memorial Building, World War II

Church Street looking north circa 1971

Capitol Boulevard as seen from the library’s grand reading room

Since the opening of the Main Public Library last May, there has been renewed interest in the role that Capitol Boulevard, the street directly in front of the Library, plays in the life of the city. The Nashville Civic Design Center, the Library’s neighbor at 7th and Church, has been studying public space downtown over the past year and placed Capitol Boulevard at the top of its research agenda because of its prominence and potential. The drawings presented here are three, of possibly many, concepts for what Capitol Boulevard can become as we continuously try to improve the quality of downtown Nashville.

Capitol Boulevard’s history dates to 1912 when a 15-foot alley was widened 34-feet on each side and a new street was created. Capitol Boulevard extended from Church Street to Charlotte Avenue for the first 60 years, and during that time, the Boulevard transitioned from a desirable residential area to a place that held both the War Memorial Building and Square (1925) and shops, theaters, restaurants, and hotels.

Important events in the civic life of the city, such as parades, rallies, inaugurations, and troop returns, also took place on Capitol Boulevard during this period. A 1960 proposal called for extending Capitol Boulevard to Broadway, but that plan was not implemented. In 1974, however, the War Memorial Plaza Legislative Office Building and parking garage opened, closing Capitol Boulevard from Union Street to Charlotte, and in 1979, the current design of Capitol Boulevard was completed.

The Nashville Civic Design Center presents, then, three concepts for Capitol Boulevard and invites the public to provide comments and additional ideas as we revisit this important street. The Design Center’s proposals are titled, “City Promenade,” “City Park,” and “Civic Axis.” The first concept, “City Promenade,” proposes two tree lined walks on either side of the street and two lanes of traffic, or one lane of traffic and one lane of parking, on the street. “City Park” introduces a planted and terraced median for walking and sitting as well as street trees along both sidewalks.

The scheme shows two lanes of traffic, but could be widened to include two lanes of parking as well. The third concept, “Civic Axis,” reinforces the relationship between the Capitol and the Library with simple rows of street trees on either side and two lanes of traffic and two lanes of parking. In each of the concepts, the goal is to reestablish Capitol Boulevard’s prominence now that the new Library is open and to experience the street as a citywide gathering place for book festivals, art fairs, and important civic events.

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HISTORIC PLAN

Nashville, Tennessee Figure Ground 1814

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Capitol Boulevard Figure Ground 1814

EXISTING CONDITIONS

Existing Plan/Section Capitol Boulevard

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EXISTING CONDITIONS

Section through Downtown Library

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EXISTING CONDITIONS

Capitol Boulevard Section - West

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EXISTING CONDITIONS

War Memorial Elevation - West

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EXISTING CONDITIONS

Capitol Building Section - West

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ANALYSIS

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SITE

Civic Space Shadow Diagram, Capitol Boulevard to Courthouse Square

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ANALYSIS

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Massing sections through Capitol Boulevard

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ANALYSIS

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Experiential Diagram - Capitol Boulevard

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Materials Diagram - Capitol Boulevard

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PROPOSALS CITY PROMENADE CONCEPT Detail Plan, Diagram, Perspective

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PROPOSALS CITY PROMENADE CONCEPT Proposal represented in site plan and south-facing sections

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PROPOSALS CITY PROMENADE CONCEPT Capitol Boulevard proposal in section looking west

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PROPOSALS CITY PARK CONCEPT Detail Plan, Diagram, Perspective

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PROPOSALS CITY PARK CONCEPT Proposal represented in site plan and south-facing sections

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PROPOSALS CITY PARK CONCEPT Capitol Boulevard proposal in section looking west

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PROPOSALS CIVIC AXIS CONCEPT Detail Plan, Diagram, Perspective

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PROPOSALS CIVIC AXIS CONCEPT Proposal represented in site plan and south-facing sections

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PROPOSALS CIVIC AXIS CONCEPT Capitol Boulevard proposal in section looking west

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APPENDIX EARLY STUDIES Two-way street, parallel parking - historical configuration

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Two-way street, two traffic lanes in each direction, median

One-way street, parallel parking, median, pedestrian walkway