Major redevelopment headed for Noshville's Midtown site

An upscale redevelopment project with residential and retail space, along with a hotel, is planned for property in Midtown, including the current location of the Noshville diner.

Demolition is also underway on the century-old former home of Manuel American Designs at 1922 Broadway under a permit obtained by property owner Land Development.com Inc.

In a related move, Land Development.com, which is led by real estate investor Ardavan Afrakhteh, is seeking to rezone both that property and Noshville's home next door.

Afrakhteh declined to provide specific details, but a filing with Metro planners shows a building with a 24,500-square-foot footprint at the corner of Broadway and 20th Avenue South. All current structures on that 0.68-acre property, including the Noshville building Land Development.com has an option to buy, would be demolished.

Glen Smith, Noshville's director of operations, said the diner is pursuing a short-term lease on space where it would move and continue to offer its staple items on a limited menu while redevelopment is underway.

"We'll be going back into the new building," he said, adding work on the project won't start for another year.

Noshville has been at the Midtown building for 18 years.

Preservation group Historic Nashville Inc. sounded the alarm bells about demolition of the former House of Manuel in a weekend Facebook post.

"In our opinion, it's a historic landmark worthy of preservation," said Robbie Jones, the group's past president. "It's one of those places you can't find in (Los Angeles), Atlanta or Chicago. It's one of those buildings that adds to Nashville's unique character and really captures people's imagination."

Land Development.com bought the building in March 2013 from Manuel Cuevas, who moved his fashion design shop to another building on the corner of Eighth Avenue and Broadway.

For 25 years, Manuel was in the handsome 107-year-old red brick building, which isn't protected by conservation zoning. Among music industry luminaries, the fashion icon designed stage outfits for Elton John, Elvis Presley, Johnny Cash and Little Jimmy Dickens.

Manny Cuevas, who helped his father relocate his fashion business from Los Angeles to Nashville in 1991, had recently inquired about leasing the building when he learned it would be torn down.

"The memories will be grand and it will be missed, but we've got to move on with life," he said.

Developer Land Development.com's filing with Metro planners listed Hastings Architecture Associates as the architect and Dale & Associates as the civil engineer for the proposed redevelopment project.

The project site is in an area of Midtown seeing redevelopment, including Hill Center Broadway, Buckingham Cos.' planned $100 million-plus project and a mixed-used project an Atlanta-based developer plans at 1812 Broadway, which is the home of the 126-year-old Albert Samuel Warren House.

Afrakhteh, also the president of Land South Tennessee LLC, has been involved in residential projects in Nashville and conservation efforts across the state.

Reach Getahn Ward at 615-726-5968 and on Twitter @getahn.