July 19, 2006

Towering Over His Critics

The builder of the world's current tallest skyscraper is also going to build Nashville's new tallest skyscraper, Signature Tower, which will also be the tallest in the southeastern U.S. Details here. Fifteen years ago, when I was covering the real estate and development beat for the Nashville Business Journal, I heard many an off-the-record comment from members of Nashville's then quite insular real estate development good ol' boys club slamming a young developer by the name of Tony Giarratana and telling me he'd never get any of his proposed buildings built. Today, Giarratana is setting the pace in downtown development, and is the prime reason downtown Nashville is such developing such a hot residential scene. It's his Signature Tower that Turner Construction will be building. Not bad for the nicest person I met on the real estate beat.