Getahn Ward

USA TODAY NETWORK – Tennessee

The World One Hotel is targeted for SoBro property once eyed for a Hard Rock Hotel.

A four-story curved video wall wrapped around three sides of the proposed building.

"it's the best land property still left in that district," said Stuart Wiston, listing broker for the targeted site.

The property includes the parking lot at 133 Korean Veterans Blvd. and two parcels behind it.

A property management and development firm is pursuing 1.2 acres south of Broadway for a $500 million-plus project that could include a 40-story, 829 room hotel and a shopping center.

Father-and-son duo Barry and Josh Disney, distant relatives of Walt Disney, are leading efforts to build the World One Hotel. If built, it would be downtown Nashville's largest hotel and could include a 2,500-seat 3-D holographic and live theater plus the Science Rocks science center and a rooftop water park.

Project entity Big T Building Co. Inc. hired Nashville-based ESa Architects to design World One Hotel, which is expected to include a four-story curved video wall wrapped around three sides of the building.

That group is the latest to target a Nashville hotel market whose strong growth in occupancy and room rates is appealing to investors. However, with many hotel projects underway, on the drawing board or announced for the local market, some developers are facing challenges getting financing from lenders.

"You have to have a great lodging operating history and a really strong global brand," said local real estate investor Mark Bloom, whose holdings include a stake in the Hilton Downtown Nashville hotel.

Josh Disney, chief business development officer with Big T Building, said the group has held talks with major lodging brands in hopes of developing a five-star hotel on the targeted Nashville property. Disney said after being introduced to available developable sites in Nashville by Florida-based Dream Builders Consulting LLC, he and his Big T Building partners decided to take the lead with the World One project.

"We have tremendous love for Nashville and are hoping to make it a home for us," Disney said, citing pursuing more local building projects, opening a full operation or the principals personally moving here as possibilities.

The World One project would be the first hotel development by the Big T Building partners, who Disney said have spent $3 million towards the effort. "We're very confident we can do this hotel," Disney said, adding he and his father through New York-based management, acquisition and project development consultancy firm The Disney Group International Inc. have managed or overseen real estate projects for other clients.

Nashville real estate investor Frank May owns the SoBro site on which Big T Building wants to build World One Hotel and that was once eyed for a Hard Rock Hotel. It includes the parking lot at 133 Korean Veterans Blvd. and two parcels behind it, which May bought for $6 million in the fall of 2015.

Stuart Wiston, the local broker marketing the site, said the property isn't under any contract although there's a lot of interest. "In my opinion, it's the best land property still left in that district," he added.

Oak Ridge, Tenn. native Barry Disney spent 45 years in business development, including with giant accounting and consulting firms KPMG and Deloitte & Touche. His son, Josh Disney, is 33 years old.

"Certainly, it would have the WOW factor!," hotel industry consultant Drew Dimond, chief executive officer of Dimond Hotel Consulting Group, which has offices in Indianapolis and Nashville, said about the World One hotel concept. "I'm not sure they completely understand the demand segments (guest profiles) for Nashville's hotel market. However, people laughed at Walt Disney and look at what he did!"

Reach Getahn Ward at gward@tennessean.com or 615-726-5968 and on Twitter @getahn.