Nashville Yards Podium and Towers

A former rail yard in downtown Nashville is being transformed into a vibrant mixed-use community space. Baker was contracted to complete the full concrete shell package for two 35-story towers and five levels of shared, below-grade parking for the Nashville Yards project. Total square footage of the towers and parking was 1.3 million square feet.

The concrete package required 55,000 cubic yards of concrete, 1.3 billion pounds of post-tension cables, and 4,200 tons of rebar. Baker was responsible for furnishing and installing the concrete formwork, rebar and post tension material and labor, place and finish of the concrete structure, rock anchors, backfill, cellular concrete, and barrier cables.

The Baker team maintained a steady pace of one floor per week on each tower (two floors per week total) while managing complex logistics and site constraints. Nine tower cranes were used within a six-acre area and with multiple contractors on site, traffic was continuous. Harsh weather conditions and a bridge closure also necessitated detailed traffic and delivery coordination.

Gas lines that remained in place beyond their removal date delayed foundation construction. To regain momentum and minimize further delays, Baker developed a recovery plan. For instance, the team adapted the truss table-forming system used for the residential towers for the below-grade parking garage. Standardizing the slab slopes within the garage streamlined the construction process and enabled early completion of other key milestones, including the pool and amenity decks.

As the towers rose, the team used GPS and robotic total stations to set and monitor control lines. They used 3D scanning to take hundreds of survey shots per pour to ensure consistent and accurate placement of structural elements such as columns, walls, and embedded items. Continuous monitoring helped the team detect building shifts under crane loads and provided additional checks on horizontal control and elevations.

The project team’s strategic approach, resourcefulness, and commitment to safety and excellence earned the team an Eagle Award from the ABC Greater Tennessee chapter and an Eagle Award from ABC’s national organization.