Sleek black fixtures, sliding interior doors, custom countertops and high-rise units with views of the Nashville skyline.
Sound familiar? No, it's not the model unit of the latest condo development making its debut in downtown Nashville. However, these amenities can all be found inside the renovated units at the I.W. Gernert high-rise on Edgehill Avenue.
The Metro Development and Housing Agency is taking advantage of the unique structure at the Gernert towers and bringing the loft concept to affordable housing. The first floor of renovations is complete, and residents are moving into units that have been transformed into lofts. By taking out walls to create open floor plans, adding movable closets and sliding doors and new concept kitchens, the improvements will allow residents to enjoy the same quality of space that others in urban housing do, MDHA officials said.
The renovations are a welcome addition for residents living in the 176-unit tower. Aside from security and sprinkler upgrades, the building hadn't been remodeled since it was built in 1965. The new design incorporates modern elements that will appeal to seniors and baby boomers, such as high-efficiency heating and cooling systems and sliding interior doors for better floor-space utilization. The loft units could become the prototype for MDHA high-rise properties throughout the city.
"A lot of residents want to get into the new units," said Willie Fisher, president of the I.W. Gernert Homes Resident Association. "It will change the environment. It's long overdue."
James Harris, who has been living in the Gernert apartment building for the past 12 years, spent most of last week getting ready to make the transition.
He's ready to move inHarris is looking forward to the open floor plan, which will ease the clutter in his one-bedroom apartment, and also to the modern appliances, which replace dated ones.
"It's like moving to another world," said Harris, 82. "It's something that has been needed for some time."
The renovations are being done one floor at a time to minimize disruption of the residents. Displaced seniors are living in other nearby public housing units, said Phil Ryan, executive director of MDHA.
The improvements come at a time when development is continuing to transform The Gulch, the emerging neighborhood nestled between Edgehill and downtown.
Some hope investments being made in The Gulch will spill over into Edgehill, a predominantly African-American community, which would better connect the two areas. Since the neighborhood is considered a food desert, a neighborhood where there is no supermarket and where convenience stores offer no fresh produce, residents hope the additional rooftops will bring such needed amenities.
"You can see the change coming," Fisher said. "The neighborhood is changing, with high-rises coming up all around us. This is good for us because the seniors want nice things, and this is making life better for them. They will have more pride in their home."
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