Nashville

The downtown YMCA on Monday announced dramatic plans to redevelop its Church Street property to include a 60-story residential tower.

Developer Tony Giarratana, who led the construction of several residential buildings downtown, will oversee the project.

Why it matters: The massive tower would be the tallest residential building in Nashville and would become part of a new nucleus of downtown development changing the face of the city.

It's near Nashville Yards, home to Amazon's upcoming corporate offices and the Capitol View mixed-use development.

YMCA expects its downtown location to be at the epicenter of a population boom, estimating that some 20,000 residents could be within walking distance in the next five to seven years.

Between the lines: The new development would include 100,000 square feet for the YMCA, more than doubling the size of the current facility.

While final approval is still pending, construction is expected to begin in 2023, with the YMCA remaining operational in its 2008 building throughout the process.

By the numbers: The tower project will cost about $350 million, according to the Nashville Post.

The Post reports the tower will house 500 residential units, including condominiums and rental apartments.

Plans for tallest residential building in Nashville revealed

The YMCA expects its downtown location to be at the epicenter of a population boom.

A rendering of the proposed glass tower that could be built at the downtown YMCA site. 

An image of the proposed tower that could be built at the downtown YMCA site. Rendering provided by YMCA of Middle Tennessee

Business

Williamson Medical Center is moving forward with a $189 million expansion.

A vote this week approved the hospital's request to apply for bond financing for the project.

Why it matters: The construction will change the face of the hospital. Officials said they would add three floors to the existing three-story West Tower as well as a new six-story wing to the building.

It's the first major change to the facility's footprint since 2003, according to hospital officials.

The expansion will increase capacity in the ER and reconfigure the NICU as well as growing the adult ICU and surgery units.

By the numbers: The project, expected to begin next spring, will bring the hospital's capacity from 203 beds to 269, according to a news release.

Existing patient rooms will also be enlarged as part of the project.

What they're saying: "Williamson County is projected to more than double our current population by 2040, and it's imperative that our healthcare system prepares for that growth now," hospital CEO Phil Mazzuca said in a statement.

Williamson Medical Center to expand

It's the first major change to the facility's footprint since 2003.

A rendering shows planned improvements to Williamson Medical Center. 

A rendering shows planned improvements to Williamson Medical Center. Image courtesy of Williamson Medical Center

Hospital industry

Nashville is looking to hire plumbers, nurses, correctional officers and more as multiple city agencies scramble to keep their rosters full.

The city is hosting a wide-ranging career fair Saturday, the latest sign that the national worker shortage is hitting close to home.

Why it matters: Many of the jobs Nashville leaders are looking to fill are central to key city services.

Metro Water Services has 96 openings, department spokesperson Sonia Allman tells Axios. Nearly 25% of budgeted waste services positions are vacant.

Hiring for in-person, labor-intensive jobs has gotten more difficult during the pandemic, Allman says.

The big picture: Heightened competition from the private sector, including a constant stream of construction jobs and major companies relocating to Nashville, is exacerbating the strain of the pandemic.

"We're in a war for talent," Michael Taylor, assistant director of Metro human resources, tells Axios. "It's very competitive here in Nashville and we're just trying to do the best we can."

Another career fair is in the works for next month to meet the demand.

Meanwhile: The health department is looking for animal control officers, dental hygienists and nurses (which hospitals also are competing to hire).

What they're saying: Sheriff Daron Hall tells Axios he has more than 100 vacancies, the biggest hiring pinch he's seen during his decades on the job.

"Yeah, we're desperate," Hall said of his agency. "To me it's the biggest crisis we're dealing with in our environment right now."

The crunch for workers forced Hall's team to get creative, overhauling hiring practices to get applicants in the door faster.

"We've flipped a lot of things upside down and realized that we're going to have to do things differently," Hall said.

Hall added he's considering pay raises and expanding part-time positions in an effort to attract younger applicants.

Yeah, but: Not every participating agency is looking to fill a large number of positions.

Department of Emergency Communications director Stephen Martini tells Axios he only has four vacancies, accounting for 2% of his department. He doesn't plan on hiring additional staff until next spring.

Zoom out: The pandemic has rocked the labor market nationally.

A record number of workers quit their jobs in August, according to new federal data.

Local hospitals, schools and restaurants have all reported a heightened demand for workers.

Nashville's war for talent

"To me it's the biggest crisis we're dealing with in our environment right now."

Nashville road sign with a "we're hiring" sign.