Shelby Commons

Home
United States
Nashville, TN
Shelby Commons

Shelby Commons An arts and community hub at the former Naval Reserve Training Center.

11/11/2024

Happy Veterans Day!

Beginning today, the Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville and Friends of Shelby Park and Bottoms invite anyone who served and trained at the former U.S. Naval Reserve Training Center in Nashville, Tenn. to share their stories to become part of the creation of Shelby Commons.

Established in 1948 and decommissioned in 2009, the U.S. Naval Reserve Training Center at Shelby Park will be reimagined as Shelby Commons, a state-of-the-art community arts hub. Construction on the new center is now underway and is scheduled for completion in 2026.

As plans continue to take shape for the interior design of the new building, Shelby Commons wants to honor those sailors who served there by telling their personal stories via photos, videos, interviews and more.

Submit your story at shelbycommons.org.

08/10/2024

All Hands on Deck for Shelby Commons!

Join and at and help us design the sail for the building!

Look for us across from

08/08/2024

Join the and this Saturday at to learn more about !

Look for our crew ⚓️in the parade or ketchup with us at our booth where you can design a piece of the temporary sail that will fly over the building during construction.

Our booth will be located near Fanny's.

Hope to see you there! 🍅

05/06/2024

We have some news!

Friends of Shelby Park and Bottoms and the Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville, which are teaming up on the project, have received their first $1 million gift from the Nashville-based Dettwiller Foundation. They have about $14 million more to raise. It will take an estimated $18 million to convert the former U.S. Naval Reserve Training Center at 1515 Davidson Ave. to Shelby Commons.

Photo:

Read the whole article here: https://www.nashvillepost.com/business/development/shelby-commons-moves-forward-with-gutting-following-first-1m-gift/article_d0cdf6e0-0af2-11ef-a9a8-379e8e13b0eb.html

03/07/2024

What do these iconic Nashville buildings have in common?

1 - L&C Tower - Nashville’s first skyscraper, completed in 1957

2 - Memorial Gym, Vanderbilt University, completed in 1952

3 - Hillsboro High School, completed in 1954

4 - Immanuel Baptist Church, completed in 1969

5 - Woodmont Terrace Apartments, completed in 1939

6 - Woodmont Christian Church, completed in 1949

7 - U.S. Naval Reserve Training Center, completed in 1948

They were all designed by Nashville architect, Edwin Keeble.

Keeble grew up across the street from Vanderbilt University, where he later attended, and graduated in 1924 (slide 8). After completing an architecture degree from the University of Pennsylvania, Keeble returned to Nashville, going into private practice before joining up with another notable architect, Francis B. Warfield. Keeble was commissioned as a lieutenant in the United States Navy in 1944. In 1946 he reopened a private practice in Nashville, completing numerous projects in Tennessee and across the nation until his retirement in 1970. Many of the churches he designed are known as “Keeble’s Needles” known for their prominent spires.

The U.S. Naval Reserve Training Center, completed in 1948, was used as a training facility for the U.S. Navy until 2009 when the building and the surrounding site were decommissioned and transferred to the Metro Parks Department. The structure’s unique “Nautical Moderne” style led to its listing on the National Register of Historic Places, which is one of the many reasons we believe it will be the perfect location to serve as a new parks, arts, and cultural campus for all of Nashville to enjoy.

We cannot wait to honor the legacy of the building’s history and noted architecture by restoring and transforming it into Shelby Commons.

If you would like to donate to the project go to: https://friendsofshelby.kindful.com/?campaign=1237449.

&ctower

@

03/04/2024

Built in 1948, the US Naval Reserve Training Center was built as a result of the United States Navy’s need for additional reserve facilities across the nation following the close of World War II. I
The structure is listed on the National Register both for local significance in military history and for its design by notable Nashville architect Edwin A. Keeble.

It is a two-story, steel-clad modified "Butler" hut armory building with a Nautical Moderne central projection, which resembles the prow of a ship, complete with a large yardarm (flagpole) extending from a curved deck above the second floor.

The interior of the building reflects the nautical theme of the exterior, including narrow stairs with rails wrapped in white rope and doors featuring porthole windows that closely resemble those on a naval ship.

Years of heavy use, limited maintenance, and over 10 years of abandonment have left this iconic building in disrepair.

02/21/2024

Now that the lease is approved, we're able to take the next steps towards transforming the U.S. Naval Reserve Training Center into Shelby Commons, a vibrant collaborative civic hub and arts campus.

Our next steps include:

-Securing & cleaning the building
-Selecting a contractor
-More fundraising!

Go to shelbycommons.org to donate and join our newsletter.

02/06/2024

Thank you so much to our friends at the Kirkpatrick Community Center for hosting our second community meeting.

We loved seeing everyone and getting to hear their feedback on what they would like Shelby Commons to be!

To stay updated on our progress, visit shelbycommons.org.

01/31/2024

JOIN US TOMORROW!

Friends of Shelby Park and Bottoms, the Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville and District 6 Council Member Clay Capp invite you to the second Shelby Commons public community meeting tomorrow, Thursday, Feb 1st at the Kirkpatrick Community Center, 988 Sevier St.

Drop by anytime between 4:30 to 6:30 pm.

We want to hear from you! Your input is extremely important.

RSVP for the meeting or sign up for our mailing list at shelbycommons.org.

01/17/2024

UPDATE: THE COMMUNITY MEETING HAS BEEN MOVED FROM TOMORROW TO FEB 1ST DUE TO SNOW.

Friends of Shelby Park and Bottoms, the Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville and District 6 Council Member Clay Capp invite you to the second Shelby Commons public community meeting on Thursday, Feb 1st at the Kirkpatrick Community Center, 988 Sevier St.

Drop by anytime between 4:30 to 6:30 pm.

We want to hear from you! Your input is extremely important.

RSVP for the meeting or sign up for our mailing list at shelbycommons.org.

12/20/2023

THANK YOU!

Thank you so much to everyone who came to our first community meeting! We had 165 people attend and 136 gave us feedback on what they would like Shelby Commons to be.

Scroll to see some of the ideas and feel free to contribute yours in the comments.

Our next community meeting is Thurs, Jan 18th from 4:30-6:30 PM.

You can RSVP and fill out our survey at shelbycommons.org.

Address

1515 Davidson Street
Nashville, TN
37206

Website

http://shelbycommons.org/

Alerts

Be the first to know and let us send you an email when Shelby Commons posts news and promotions. Your email address will not be used for any other purpose, and you can unsubscribe at any time.

Videos

Cleanup is starting at the U.S. Naval Reserve Training Center to transform it into Shelby Commons. Check out a sneak peek at the building before work begins with Friends of Shelby Park ED @reebokhatz and ABC Nashville ED @jillmcmill! Look for us at @tomatoartfest parade or at our booth this Sat. Aug. 10th to learn more about our plans! You can also find out more at www.shelbycommons.org.

Shelby Commons is a unique partnership between two nonprofit organizations: Friends of Shelby Park & Bottoms and the Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville. Today we're highlighting the Arts & Business Council. Learn more at abcnashville.org.

Shelby Commons is a unique partnership between two nonprofit organizations: Friends of Shelby Park & Bottoms and the Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville. Today we're highlighting Friends of Shelby Park & Bottoms. Learn more at friendsofshelby.org.