HISTORIC HOUSTON STATION
Houston Station resides in a pair of historic aged brick, stone, and heavy timber factory structures located at 434/438 Houston Street in Nashville, Tennessee. Built on a lot of 1.53 acres, the 98,500 square foot complex is zoned industrial. The western building at 438 Houston Street was constructed in 1885 as the original home for the May Hosiery Mill. Hosiery and stocking production shifted to the manufacture of parachutes during the second world war, after which the May family moved to a larger facility adjacent to Houston Station. The eastern factory building at 434 Houston Street dates from about 1900 and was home to the American Syrup Company, where jams, jellies, and syrups were manufactured. With direct rail access, the second floor space housed a tobacco “loose room” where some locally raised tobacco was made into twist chewing tobacco sweetened with syrup and molasses products and some tobacco brought from regional farms was moved on its way to cigarette manufacturers. The American Syrup Company left the preserve business in the 1970′s to create molded styrofoam building products. Largely vacant through the 1990′s, the complex was purchased by Houston Street Partners in 2005, when restoration efforts began.
RESTORATION TO DATE
Exterior restoration of the Houston Station complex is largely complete. The buildings have been sandblasted and masonry has been tuck pointed. A top quality PVC roof covers the complex. Gutters have been restored. Windows and door restoration/replacement is in progress.
The buildings are fully sprinklered. New state of the art electric service has been installed throughout, and new exterior lighting illuminates Houston Station at night. The streetscape has been rehabilitated, with new sidewalks. Houston Station is situated a few blocks from downtown and within sight of the downtown skyline and Greer Stadium, home to the Nashville Sounds AAA baseball team. Access to two interstates is nearby and convenient, and city buses serve the neighborhood. Vanderbilt University and Music Row are several blocks to the west. Current and long term parking plans have been approved by Metro Codes and Zoning.
THE EVENT, MUSIC AND ART COMMUNITY
The historic warehouse and manufacturing complex is being renovated and redeveloped in three interior phases. Phase I restoration and development is largely complete, with the eastern third of the complex occupied by Events Nashville event venue spaces and Noteable Blends Coffees on the second floor, and renovated streetfront offices and rear warehouse spaces on the first floor. Artdogs Production and Design Services, the Dovetail, LLC design/build construction firm, and Smoke et al, our resident mobile BBQ and fine food vendor, are Houston Station Phase I residents.
Phase II work underway will provide up to eighteen more second story business spaces.
The project will conclude with a final phase which creates business and warehouse spaces in 30,000 square feet of street level area. Houston Station will ultimately be home to thirty or more family members, forming a self-referring and cross marketing community of Event, Art, and Music related businesses. For consumers, Houston Station serves up one stop shopping for planning, hosting, performing, and enjoying events and entertainment. For Houston Station community business members, affordable lease rates starting at $14/square foot provide high value in an environment where business referred by community neighbors pays the rent early in the month. Houston Station promotes incubation and growth. Locating to Houston Station a stand alone revenue plan. Houston Station provides an environment where the traits that make Nashville unique are front and center in everyday activities of commerce and play. Visitors come from all over the world to Nashville for music, history, art, great food, and friendly treatment. An experience at Houston Station is like visiting Nashville for the first time. Going to work every day at Houston Station is like the bell ringing for recess. Life should be fun.