Kingsport hotel towers?

[JMT]

Originally Posted by jabogitlu

Tall, skinny towers are just as ugly. JMT well knows the humongous apartment building near UT's campus, right off Alcoa/Cumberland. I forget its name.

What I'd love to see is a better designed dense urban core.

I don't know the official name of that building, either, but everyone just refers to it as The Cereal Box. It's got a very Soviet-style element, a People's Bloc theme set against Alcoa Highway and Tyson Park. Sadly, it's now abandoned and sits dark and empty except for one small light bulb hanging in an upper floor window.

At any rate, if Kingsport were to ever see a hotel tower, I wish it would be in downtown instead of in the rolling hills outside of town. I enjoy a nice, dense, walkable downtown instead of sprawling, manicured roadways in the countryside. I'd rather see a high-rise built where nature has already been obliterated (downtown) rather than bulldozing woods and fields outside of town, particularly when the countryside is as beautiful as it is in NE TN.

[jjbradleynyc]

Originally Posted by JMT

I don't know the official name of that building, either, but everyone just refers to it as The Cereal Box. It's got a very Soviet-style element, a People's Bloc theme set against Alcoa Highway and Tyson Park. Sadly, it's now abandoned and sits dark and empty except for one small light bulb hanging in an upper floor window.

At any rate, if Kingsport were to ever see a hotel tower, I wish it would be in downtown instead of in the rolling hills outside of town. I enjoy a nice, dense, walkable downtown instead of sprawling, manicured roadways in the countryside. I'd rather see a high-rise built where nature has already been obliterated (downtown) rather than bulldozing woods and fields outside of town, particularly when the countryside is as beautiful as it is in NE TN.

Absolutely agree. Kingsport is in a prime position with its history of urban planning--plus its nice, walkable downtown--to build a couple of 15-20 story buildings actually in downtown. It'd be nice to see. The population would have to grow another 20 or 30k before a taller tower would go up--or, the city would have to see some major companies express interest in locating there to finance a tower of that size. I could see it happening though, in the future.

[JMT]

Originally Posted by jjbradleynyc

Absolutely agree. Kingsport is in a prime position with its history of urban planning--plus its nice, walkable downtown--to build a couple of 15-20 story buildings actually in downtown. It'd be nice to see. The population would have to grow another 20 or 30k before a taller tower would go up--or, the city would have to see some major companies express interest in locating there to finance a tower of that size. I could see it happening though, in the future.

I hope you're right! I would love to see Kingsport get some more prominent buildings in its downtown like Johnson City and Bristol have. It is so nice to be able to walk from your house or hotel to restaurants, the bank, the theater, the market, the doctor, etc. without having to gas up the car and drive across town.

[mbmouse]

I too agree about Kingsport. It is becoming a very walkable city. There are more and more urban lofts going in for just that reason. The project I happen to be working on right now (part of the reason I had been absent from C-D for a month! hahahah) is going to be adding 4 more residential lofts and at least 2 more business right in the heart of downtown. It is growing. However, I am not sure how I feel about any buildings over 4 or 5 stories going in there. There is already the one Regions Bank building that is what?........10 or so stories I think. It kinda sticks out verses blend in. Tall buildings, taller than what is around them, seems to cut off the areas behind them don't you think.? I think it would cause a city like Kingsport to loose it's "quaintness" that it already has.

[Tennesseestorm]

Originally Posted by jabogitlu

What I'd love to see is a better designed dense urban core.

Originally Posted by JMT

At any rate, if Kingsport were to ever see a hotel tower, I wish it would be in downtown instead of in the rolling hills outside of town.

Originally Posted by jjbradleynyc

to build a couple of 15-20 story buildings actually in downtown. It'd be nice to see.

Originally Posted by JMT

I hope you're right! I would love to see Kingsport get some more prominent buildings in its downtown like Johnson City and Bristol have.

Originally Posted by mbmouse

However, I am not sure how I feel about any buildings over 4 or 5 stories going in there. There is already the one Regions Bank building that is what?........10 or so stories I think. It kinda sticks out verses blend in. Tall buildings, taller than what is around them, seems to cut off the areas behind them don't you think.?

I strongly agree with all of the above statements. I think that if Kingsport were to build taller buildings, it would be better in the downtown area, rather than near Bays Mountain. I still find it odd that Kingsport is "behind" Bristol and Johnson City in the taller buildings situation. Like MB said, in KPT where that one taller building is, it kinda looks out of place. One thing about Bristol is that the 6-10 story tall buildings are closer together- more confined. Bristol has about 4 buildings that are 10-11 stories tall and several that are 5-7 stories. One of the 10-stories is up on exit 7 (Holiday Inn) and it sticks out a bit.

Here are some photos I took awhile back from a distance of downtown Bristol... (sorry for the low quality.. this was with my old camera)









The thing about Bristol is that the buildings are old and outdated. Most were built in the 70s, save for the "Executive Plaza" which was built in 1901!

[jabogitlu]

I've always loved that Wachovia in downtown Bristol. Very neat looking!

[Tennesseestorm]

Originally Posted by jabogitlu

I've always loved that Wachovia in downtown Bristol. Very neat looking!

Yeah, its definitely got that "70s" look to it. It was built in 1974.
It was not until about 2 years ago that I discovered that the floor above the first floor is a parking garage.

[jabogitlu]

BTW, JMT, why in the world is the 'Cereal Box' abandoned??? Are the innards bad? Someone could make a nice penny with so many UT students looking for cheap/good housing so close to campus.

[youngdonjr]

It would look nice! Kingsport already has the hospital, They just added a 9 story not too long ago. I think up by the hospital, downtown, and up near eastman, like an "Eastman Tower" would be great. At night eastman looks like a city by its self, it has many 10 story structures, the rest of the city just needs to catch up!