Bobby will see 1956 Greyhound serve as lounge

In what likely ranks as among the most unusual design moves in Nashville hotel building history, a restored 1956 Greyhound Bus will serve as a rooftop bar/lounge for the future Bobby hotel downtown.

Castlerock Asset Management, which is undertaking the adaptive reuse of the Wells Fargo Plaza building, enlisted Hemphill Brothers to redesign the bus. The Nashville-based company is a creator of custom tour buses.

The hoisting of the bus via crane will take place Saturday, June 3, at 10 a.m. at 230 Fourth Ave. N.

According to a release, the bus will offer “a glimpse into the overall ‘gritty chic’ design and aesthetic” of the boutique hotel, slated to open in spring 2018.

Castlerock envisions the Bobby “to create an immersive hotel that feels like the quintessential Nashville experience and mirrors the musician's life on the road,” the release adds.

Castlerock is not disclosing the cost to purchase and retrofit the approximately 20,000-pound bus nor the cost to install it.

Opened in 1975, the Wells Fargo Plaza rises eight stories. As such, the bus bar will offer its visitors views of downtown from about 100 feet above street level.

Janet Kurtz, president of downtown Nashville-based Kurtz Hospitality Marketing, said the rooftop bus bar can be a distinctive marketing tool.

“As hotel supply in the Nashville market continues to grow at a meteoric rate, and with many of the new hotels offering rooftop dining and entertainment options, it will be crucial for new properties to include newer and more unique options,” she said. “Including elements — like this tour bus — that speak to the fabric of the Music City personality will not only be a fun design feature but will offer something different for the property to market, and ultimately help Bobby stand out.”

The building to accommodate Bobby, the back of which addresses historic Printers Alley, will include 144 guest rooms, a music room and four food and beverage outlets including a café, a restaurant, a bar facing Fourth Avenue and the bus-themed rooftop lounge/bar.

New York-based David Mexico Design Group is the architect for the project. DF Chase of Nashville is the construction manager.

Other companies involved include Bullock Smith and Partners, Structural Design Group, I.C. Thomasson Associates and Civil Site Design Group.