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‘A game of dominoes’ Dowdle Construction reinvents former lumber mill in The Nations with office, retail space BY WILLIAM WILLIAMS
he Nations has seen an impressive list of noteworthy projects since the Great Recession ended. And now Nashville-based Dowdle Construction Group is nearing completion of the conversion of a two-story, 80,000-square-foot former lumber mill, a project that ranks highly on that list — if anything due to its sheer size. Once finished by late September, Silo Studios — to sit at the intersection of Centennial Boulevard and 54th Avenue North and to be part of the overall Silo Bend community — will offer retail and office space. Charleston, South Carolina-based development company Flyway owns the building, having paid $3.8 million for it in May 2017. Dowdle, in partnership with Southeast Venture (which is handling design work), began reinventing the former industrial lumber mill — located near the iconic and mural-adorned silo in The Nations — in March 2019. Dowdle is experienced with adaptive reuse projects, with its resume including L&L Market on Charlotte Avenue, The 1865 on 21st Avenue North, Hi-Fi Clyde’s on Church Street, Martin’s BBQ in SoBro and Olive & Sinclair in East Nashville. The Post talked with Glynn Dowdle, company president and principal, to get his insights regarding specific elements of the project.
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FALL 2020 | NASHVILLEPOST.COM
ERIC ENGLAND