In the heart of downtown Nashville, Prime at 801 Church Street doesn’t just rise above the skyline, it stands out from it. The building’s distinctive offset design gives it the look of stacked packages, an intentional nod to its neighbor, the Amazon Operations Center.
Behind that striking silhouette is a complex mechanical story: ground-level retail, multiple levels of parking, shared amenities, and a vertical stack of residential apartments, all powered by high-performance VRF systems and carefully coordinated plumbing. Lee Company delivered the full mechanical scope, helping transform this 38-story high rise into a comfortable, efficient place to live and gather.
A Mixed-Use Tower With Layers of Life
Prime is more than a residential tower; it’s a mixed-use vertical neighborhood. The building includes:
- Street-level retail, lobby, and office space
- Parking from levels 2–10, including three levels below grade
- Shared amenities on level 11, with a pool, fitness center, and workspace
- Residential apartments on the tower’s upper floors, from levels 12 through 38M
Altogether, the project covers approximately 593,810 square feet and was completed over 38 months.
Mechanical Scope: VRF From Street to Skyline Lee Company’s role was to provide plumbing, heating, and cooling for the residential, amenity, and garage levels — with a focus on energy performance and long-term reliability.
Key elements of the scope included:
- Installation of a VRF (Variable Refrigerant Flow) system across the building
- Rooftop units crane-lifted in segments and reassembled onsite
- Mechanical units at the garage level set on custom fabricated stands with safety railings
- Plumbing across 29 floors, including drainage, stormwater, domestic systems, toilets, sinks, showers, and storm drains
The advanced VRF systems installed throughout the building helped maximize energy efficiency, earning a $150,000 energy rebate and an extended warranty. A win for both the owner and future residents.
Overcoming Tight Logistics and Limited Space
Building tall in a dense urban environment means there is very little room for error or staging. Prime at 801 Church presented several logistical challenges:
- Limited laydown and staging space in a busy downtown corridor
- A rooftop unit too large for a standard crane pick, requiring it to be lifted in sections and reassembled at the top of the tower
- Tight coordination between mechanical work, plumbing, structure, and finishes across dozens of floors
Lee Company addressed these challenges through strategic planning, fabrication, and close collaboration with the general contractor and trade partners. Dual superintendents managed simultaneous scopes (such as garage and tower work) to keep activities moving in parallel rather than in sequence, helping the team stay ahead of schedule and minimize congestion.
Clean Work, Safe Site, Strong Finish
From early layout through final punch, the goal was simple: deliver clean, high-quality work that blends into the architecture and performs behind the scenes. On this project, that meant:
- Careful planning for vertical routing of refrigerant lines and plumbing stacks
- Safe crane operations and rooftop assembly in a tight urban site
- Consistent coordination with other trades to keep ceilings and shafts uncluttered
- A strong safety culture that supported crews working at height and in confined spaces
The project finished safely, on time, and on budget, with minimal punch list items which is a testament to the field teams, fabrication support, and planning that went into every phase.
The LeeWay in the Nashville Skyline
Prime at 801 Church Street is now a recognizable part of the Nashville skyline. A stacked, sculptural tower that reflects the energy of the city around it. For Lee Company, it’s also a clear example of the LeeWay in action:
- Innovation in system selection and installation methods
- Collaboration with developers, designers, and trade partners
- Commitment to safety, quality, and performance from street level to the mechanical penthouse
As Nashville continues to grow upward, projects like Prime show what’s possible when thoughtful design and disciplined mechanical delivery come together in one landmark building.
