What will be the tallest residential high-rise in Nashville is now as tall as it’s going to get. The building, called the 505, is forty-five stories and changes the skyline of Music City.
The building’s developer, Tony Giarratana, looked on as a beam, signed by the construction crew and draped with an American flag, was hoisted by a crane to the top of the tower on Thursday.
“That puts it all in perspective,” Giarratana said, his eyes trained at the top of the massive building.
Construction workers have spent the past 18 months racing to complete the 505, using a construction technique that is new for Nashville. Dave Stout worked on the building’s plumbing, which is a challenge on a tower so tall.
“You get 30 stories up and you might have 20, 30-mile-an-hour winds,” Stout said. “We usually wear harnesses tied off, the whole nine yards. You’re sitting on top of an 8-foot ladder and everything’s fine. And the next thing you know, the wind kicks up 40 miles an hour and you gotta hang on.”
Across the street, Elvis Batey works as a security guard. He’s also a Nashville native and enjoyed watching a half acre parking lot turn into a skyscraper.
“It changes Nashville’s skyline,” Batey said. “But I like the change. Let’s celebrate with a building and a Stanley Cup, hopefully.
The 505 was originally planned as a 70-story building known as Signature Tower. But the recession caused plans to be scaled back and the building to be rebranded.
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