Villa Rich
by
Jeff Lane is a soft spoken man who chooses his words carefully before he speaks.
The bespectacled man moves to the chain link fence and sighs heavily as he looks at the sub atomic structure being constructed.
The wind here on Love Circle is blowing forcefully, scattering sparks from a welder’s torch. The air is filled with the unmistakable sound of power tools and mechanized chaos.
We are standing at the site of Villa Rich. The controversial home being built at the top of Love Hill.
When completed, the modernized glass tower, will stand 73 feet tall and be a cavernous 11,000 square feet.
On the surface, there is nothing wrong with a home that big. But compared to the rest of Love Circle, this will look like a lanced, bloody boil in the middle of a super model’s face.
Can you say incongruous?
A question resonating on Love Circle among residents is: How tall is too tall?
Love Circle is all ready 744 feet above sea level. According to the historical sign at the park; this hill was known as Bald Hill in the early days of settlement. During the battle of Nashville in December 1864, Union defensive lines ran across Harding Pike near here.
The sign goes on to say: Hillside lots were subdivided for residences in 1910. This site was the highest point in the old city of Nashville and in 1926 the city acquired access mainly from John Love and built the Love Circle reservoir. This two million gallon water supply sits beneath the hill
So that’s the history of Love Circle.
But it is the future that Jeff Lane is concerned about as the wind blows his long silver pony tail back onto his shoulders.
“I think it is crazy,” the owner of a modest 1500 square foot home nearby says. “Because it really doesn’t fit in with anything out here at all, and the bad thing is, it blocks the view from the public park! It doesn’t seem like you should be able to build a structure like this.”
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Lane is mild mannered and respectful of property rights of one resident versus another.
“It is always a balance between people have the right to do what they want and what is reasonable and what is not.”
They say beauty is in the eye of the beholder.
Whether you find VILLA RICH beautiful, may just depend on whom you are and what your association to the project is.
The home in question is nicknamed: VILLA RICH. This is the new super structure currently under construction at the top of Love Circle in Nashville.
Country Music super star John Rich is the building owner. This creative musician designed the project that will reportedly stand 73 feet high and account for some 11,000 square feet.
I am sure that those associated with Mr. Rich think this unique, glass enclosed edifice is beautiful.
From the inside, 73 feet above the hill which all ready stands 744 feet above sea level, affording one a dramatic and unencumbered vista in which to view all of Nashville.
Aesthetically, Villa Rich is unlike anything ever built.
To some it is a glass tower that will afford residents inside this spectacular domicile, unfettered visual access to the splendor that is Nashville.
An unencumbered 360 degree view, more than 800 feet above sea level. When completed, this glass lined edifice will allow John Rich and his family to visually inhale the marvels of Middle Tennessee.
From this lofty, pristine perch in the sky, what won’t you be able to see?
As Mr. Lane stares at the welders sparks floating up from the metallic super structure, he wonders if his new neighbor’s house will blot out the sun well before sundown.
Let’s make this perfectly clear.
Mr. Rich has done everything by the book. He has broken no laws. He has crossed every “T” and dotted every “I”. He has dealt with every obstacle the city placed before him.
In a nutshell: Mr. Rich had a dream and he is going to build that dream and he is doing it according to law.
But the project does not come without controversy and debate and revision of plans.
According to the Metro Codes Department, the project has single handedly changed the way tall super structures in the downtown corridor will be built in the future.
According to Billy Fields, the problem was, the Rich camp wanted to build a three story structure. Apparently metro codes never specified how big a story is. For instance, in a conventional world, if a story is 10 feet, then Villa Rich would be 7 stories tall.
But in this pre-Villa Rich world, a story was never classified.
“The Pyramid in Memphis, tall as the sky, is only considered 2 stories.”
Imagine that!
The pyramid is 290-feet tall. That works out to about 145 feet per story.
Billy Fields tells me that Codes looked at this project from every angle, and essentially, except for a few details, the project did not violate any laws in Metro.
“The role of the codes dept. is to review the plans and compare to what the codes are and if they are in compliance then it is to issue the permit. there were issues. They went back and made some re-drawings, they came back, it was in compliance and the permits were issued based on that. Of course there were other reviews by government agencies, but they were within their rights to build this house the way they are building it. bottom line, if it is in compliance, based on the laws, passed by metro council, then it is our responsibility and our duty to issue that.”
Publicists for Mr. Rich decline to comment for this story, but in a March 2007 interview with G.A.C. TV – Rich is quoted as saying,
“It’s going to be a Nashville landmark when it’s done without a doubt. It’s going to be one of those places people drive by and take pictures of.”
Rich also tells the publication that his home will increase property values for the entire neighborhood.
“I am within codes and everything is legal,” the publication quotes Rich as saying. “What I am building there will increase property values in the entire neighborhood. It’s going to be great. I feel for people who are concerned, because they don’t understand what I’m doing. I’m here to help; I am not here to hurt anything.”
what IS love circle? is the current love circle the best that love circle can be?
i think if one were to take a more expansive look at modern day nashville they may ask if it is the 1500 sqft bungalows that are right for love circle
with such views and such access to the most exciting neighborhoods of nashville why aren’t more millionaires snatching up this prime real estate
i don’t know if john rich is a visionary or not but it seems that he may have the right idea, first
by the way, just take a quick tour of the hill and surrounding streets and ask yourself again what is so precious about the existing houses, many of them are rented to college kids, most don’t take advantage of their elevation to look down on our town, and very few are interesting or beautiful at all
and if you go up into the park on top of love circle you’ll see that this villa is too far to the right to block views of downtown…
It all boils down to the simple fact that it is John Rich’s piece of dirt. He payed the money to buy it, he designed the house, he got a building permit and he is building it. Sounds to me like he is living the ” American Dream “.
Hey Andy: We sort of did the same thing on Outlook Drive!
I love it. I think love circle is kind of nasty looking anyway. This will definitely make Nashville a better place. I am glad there is finally a country music star that has good taste, he is a star right?
i dont live in nashville but i think that some people in that neighborhood are just upset that they can not afford to build a house that big or nice and i think that they are just jealous of john rich because he is famous and they should just leave the man and his family alone .
I agree with everyone else’s comments. It IS his lot, his house and as long as he does not break any laws or building codes, then he an d_ amn well do what he pleases. Tell the gentleman who is complaining to cut his 1960’s hair, he lives in 2008 now, get a job, if he doesnt have one, and stop living in the demonstration era….Flower Power is over…get on with your life and quit trying to run everyone else’s.
Funny that Mr. Rich makes his dough by being a homophobic country boy icon, yet he builds something that looks like a San Francisco artist’s retreat. I always think it’s funny that these new “country” stars are idolized by poor boys in rusty trucks, yet they live like New York City socialites. I guess I won’t be invited to his cocktail parties when he purchases his next Van Gogh. At least Johnny Cash’s mansion was a log home. But he was a real country star.
Go Figure!
I used to have tons of respect for John and personality wise, he’s still a great guy!
But lets face it here, he gonna do what every childish kid will do when they have that much money and owns the music business. He was never accepted as a rocker till he dreamed up his latest venture with “BIG & Rich” which is nothing but rock and spat on everything that is history in the music business or historic to Nashville.
I can’t blame the rockers, they need a place to play and will happily call their music anything you choose as long as you give them attention and show them the money. Why don’t John just buy back MTV from BET television so he and the rest of his rocker buds will have a place to play, make his own label, and market rock from an LA based location where he should be in the first place instead of messing up more of history and nice places like Nashville since it went rock.
My question is where the Hell did Country music move too, it’s sure as hell no longer in Nashville.
Face it John, as a man, your letting us all down by contributing to messing things up again by tearing up a nice part of Nashville like you did with country music. Here’s
a title I will let you have free of charge, “Devil in disguise” which is what you have become to country music and to Nashville in general.
Your first seasons show was a complete farce! The second season appears to be even a bigger joke with the combination of idiots you have this time around. WHAT A JOKE! You should be ashamed of everything you have done to music and to Nashville.
Cast Announced for Season Two of Gone Country
May 5, 2008
A diverse cast for the second season of CMT’s Gone Country was announced Tuesday (May 6). Hosted by singer-songwriter John Rich, Gone Country 2 will feature seven celebrities from every realm of the entertainment industry and immerse them in all things country for a chance to break out as a country star.—> they are NOT country John! Try again!
This year’s cast includes:
Sebastian Bach (singer, songwriter, former lead singer of Skid Row); —> Great singer! Not country and never will be!
Irene Cara (Grammy and Academy Award-winning singer, songwriter and actress best known for her role in Fame,—> Don’t matter what she won, it wasn’t in country music and never will be!
Mikalah Gordon (singer, host, actress and 2005 American Idol finalist),—> Who the hell is this? Just get some jackass off the street in Nashville john, then you may accomplish something worth while but, knowing you probably not!
Jermaine Jackson (TV personality, solo recording artist and member of the Jackson 5);–> Thats a career thats been over from the beginning and will never be country, your becoming a bigger joke by the second John!
Chris Kirkpatrick (TV personality, music producer and member of *NSYNC),—> NSYNC huh John, no… none of us see the Pat McMakin influence here!
Lorenzo Lamas (musical theater actor and star of Renegade and Falcon Crest)—> Dude… he is an actor of “B” rated movies at best and could never sing!
Sean Young (actress whose credits include Blade Runner and Ace Ventura: Pet Detective).—> Another joke huh John, no one is laughing!
And If I had my way, no one would watch this crap either!
Why don’t you just quite messing up Nashville, take your toy box and rockers and move to LA, they’ll love you!
That hat don’t make you Country John, it’s a way of life & Music!
You know me and I am not hard for you to find when you want too!
Gary
Gary we don’t care that you don’t like john
Who challenges someone to a pissing contest on an obscure bulletin board?
you sound like a coward who doesn’t really want a fight
I’m sure there are more effective ways to get to john
if that is really your aim
I think it is an EYESORE and I don’t live near it but I am in Nashville. It doesn’t look like anything else around here. I heard it does also violate some building codes but lets face it the rules do not apply to famous people it seems. Oh well at least I won’t be looking at it for the next 20 years but I feel sorry for those who have to. I have no problem with this particular person or people with money in general but this is no California, the design just doesn’t fit in. He should build it in a more modern place. I like modern but this is not a modern town.