Nashville's three-tower Rutledge Hill 'culinary district' plan under review

Mackensy Lunsford and Sandy Mazza, Nashville Tennessean

Nashville planning officials are mulling over a sleek three-tower proposal for Rutledge Hill, a booming downtown subdistrict framed by views of downtown, Nissan Stadium and East Nashville across the river.

The "Rutledge Hill Culinary District" project promises housing, high-end restaurants and services like a medical walk-in clinic, grocery market, makers market and a Metro Nashville Police Department office near Rolling Mill Hill's Trolley Barns.

Design details were submitted this month for Metro Planning Commission approval.

An upper paseo crosses through the proposed "Rutledge Hill Culinary District," lined by retail, dining and outdoor amenities.
An upper paseo crosses through the proposed "Rutledge Hill Culinary District," lined by retail, dining and outdoor amenities.

Last week, renowned Chicago-based supper club restaurant The Meadowlark led by Chef Michael Bolen announced a location coming to 627 Second Ave. S. later this year or early 2025, in one of Nashville's original firehouses renovated as part of this project.

Other notable dining tenants are the speakeasy Hello Darlin', by Otto's Bar owners James and Louisa Green, in late 2024 or early 2025 and Mr. J's Original in June 2024.

It's all part of a burgeoning South Bank neighborhood facing East Nashville south of downtown.

Three striking towers are proposed for the Rutledge Hill Culinary District including high-end retail, dining, hotel and residences connected by landscaped paseos.
Three striking towers are proposed for the Rutledge Hill Culinary District including high-end retail, dining, hotel and residences connected by landscaped paseos.

Nashville-based Essex Development is working with historic preservation specialist GBX Group to build the complex, designed by world-renowned Norwegian architecture firm Snohetta. The towers are 17, 21 and 37 stories tall.

The designs mirror the area's historic Victorian architectural styles and emphasize a "dynamic pedestrian experience and adding to the iconic Nashville skyline," said Essex Development cofounder Jai Patel, in an email.

"Snohetta meticulously designed three new towers for this master-planned district, respecting the prominence and prestige of the existing, historic Victorian-era homes on the block," Essex cofounder Jai Patel said in an email.

Norwegian architectural firm Snohetta proposed sleek geometric architectural facades for three towers in the Rutledge Hill Culinary District.
Norwegian architectural firm Snohetta proposed sleek geometric architectural facades for three towers in the Rutledge Hill Culinary District.

The plan includes renovation of six historic buildings to be repurposed as "culinary destinations" near Hermitage Avenue and Middleton Street, by Sean Brock's Husk restaurant. Those include the Meadowlark, Hello Darlin' and Mr. J's Original.

The development will also include:

  • A luxury, 200-room hotel with 100 condominiums, a restaurant and lounge, rooftop bar and coffee shop.

  • A "lifestyle hotel," or a boutique-chain hotel, tower with 125 hotel rooms, 100 condominiums, a coffee shop, restaurant and lounge, and rooftop bar.

  • A residential tower with 154 apartments or condominiums.

  • A 97,500-square-foot retail village anchored by a central marketplace with a farmer's market, retail and entertainment such as a theater.

Plans also include shared underground parking with 777 spaces.

The Rutledge Hill Culinary District would be located on a hilly lot near Rolling Mill Hill, in view of downtown and East Nashville.
The Rutledge Hill Culinary District would be located on a hilly lot near Rolling Mill Hill, in view of downtown and East Nashville.

The proposal is part of a larger effort by several developers to build a culinary hub for high-end restaurants amid new residences, offices and shops in Rutledge Hill. Congress Group’s 2nd & Peabody and Centrum Realty’s Cumulus projects also envision mixed-use, pedestrian-friendly districts with lots of desirable eateries.

"We hope our fellow Nashvillians will rally around a project that aims to preserve our rich history and provide a platform for our bright local talent to shine within the new development," Patel said. "Several developments are currently being planned, which would expand the urban core beyond SoBro and into the Rutledge Hill neighborhood."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: New Nashville culinary hub could be sprouting in Rutledge Hill

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