Happy Dolly Parton Day, Nashville! It’s September 25, or 9-2-5. More on today’s celebrations at the end of the newsletter. New in Nashville’s neighborhoods: possible toxic algae at a park, an update on potential property tax relief for Broadway bar owners, the top places for arrests in West Nashville, and two restaurant health scores in the 60s.
Also, I’m taking a long weekend. I’ll be back in your inbox on Tuesday morning.
☀️ Weather
Sunny through at least Monday with rain chances returning late Tuesday. High: 82, Low: 57.
🏠 What’s new in Nashville’s neighborhoods
Downtown (and nearby)
Toxic algae warning: Metro Parks issued a warning about potentially toxic algae at Centennial Park’s Watauga Lake. Until lab results are back, Metro Parks said people and pets should stay away from the water.
Property tax relief on Broadway: I told nash.news readers last month this was coming, and now it’s official. Tennessee’s new Joint Capital Tourism Board is scheduled to meet for the first time on October 1. That board could eventually give grants to restaurants and bars after property tax bills quadrupled in some cases. The legislature limited any grants to businesses in Nashville’s Tourism Development Zone, which is essentially downtown. Any grants would be funded with excess tax revenue tied to the Music City Center. It’s unclear if a decision will be made at the first meeting. The agenda describes a “board discussion on how to allocate excess revenues.”
Interstate work impacts 8th Avenue: If you noticed traffic down to one lane heading out of downtown Nashville on 8th Avenue, here’s what’s going on. TDOT is replacing the I-40 bridges going over 8th Avenue. “All four bridges have reached the end of their service life and are showing signs of deterioration, prompting the need for full replacement,” TDOT said. That means southbound traffic below the bridge will be down to one lane through fall 2027. TDOT shares more closures coming over the next few years in this post.
69 restaurant score: Los Toritos at 1302 Division Street had “numerous and repeated critical violations,” according to a new health inspection. Among other things, the inspector noted food temperature and dating issues, along with “raw ground beef and raw bacon stored on top of ready-to-eat precooked chicken nuggets in prep cooler.” You can read the full inspection here. I link to all restaurant inspections at the end of the newsletter.
West Nashville
Top places for arrests: Every week, I review Metro crime data to look for any interesting trends, especially ones that could impact you. I came across the top places for arrests in Metro Police’s West Precinct over the past 12 weeks. This map shows which areas the precinct covers. Target at 26 White Bridge Road tops the list with 17 arrests — nearly all related to retail theft. Same story at Walmart at 7044 Charlotte Pike. It has 14 arrests, mostly theft. That’s followed by nine arrests at the Richland Hills Apartments at 5800 Maudina Avenue for a variety of reasons and eight arrests at the Target at 6814 Charlotte Pike for mostly theft.
Hermitage
Codes is back: A homeowner on Frist Boulevard is heading back to court. Metro Codes issued a citation for parking on the grass, junk on the property, and high grass. Codes has dealt with this property before. A database shows 11 cases over about 23 years, including one just last year. This article explains what happens when someone reports a codes violation, and you can submit a violation at hub.nashville.gov.
Antioch
Old shoes to playgrounds: If you have some shoes to get rid of, Tanger Outlets at 4060 Cane Ridge Parkway will collect them tomorrow from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m. Instead of going to a landfill, they’ll be “repurposed into raw materials for future soft-play surfaces at Tanger Nashville and throughout the community,” the outlet mall says. More info here, and if you can’t make it out tomorrow, you can donate at the mall’s office.
South Nashville
Road closure: Another closure is coming next month for the Nolensville Road widening project. Metro Council member John Rutherford shared upcoming impacts to the Barnes Road area and potential detours in this Facebook post.
New kid-friendly restaurant: A restaurant with “space for children to play and … rooms for parties similar to Chuck E. Cheese” is planned for a shopping center at 1027 Murfreesboro Pike, according to a new building permit application. I wasn’t able to track down contact information for the person behind the project, but I’ll let you know if I learn more.
Wedgewood-Houston
Town hall tomorrow: Metro Council member Terry Vo will host her quarterly town hall tomorrow from 1 p.m. to 3 p.m. Topics include transportation projects around Edgehill and Chestnut Street. I reported yesterday that the “Complete Street” project on Chestnut Street is expected to be finished in May or June. Vo also plans to discuss “property tax freeze information” and have an “interfaith and affordable housing panel.” More details, including location, here.
East Nashville
Community clean-up: If you’re looking for something to do tomorrow, two clean-up events are planned for Meridian Street. Here’s info for the 8 a.m. event. And this links to the 10 a.m. event.
62 restaurant score: The health inspector who visited Flamie’s Hot Chicken at 3231 Gallatin Pike noted issues with hand washing, date marking on food, and not being able to “answer basic food safety questions.” You can read the full inspection here.
📰 A few final headlines…
Water request: Metro doesn’t have a water shortage, but water demand has gotten so high recently that the pumping system struggled to send water to higher elevations. To help, Metro Water asked people with irrigation systems to stagger their watering schedules. If you live at an odd-numbered address, you should water only on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. People at even-numbered addresses should water only on Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday.
Dolly Parton Day/9-2-5 Day: This is the most comprehensive list I’ve found of everything going on today to honor Dolly Parton. It includes several events and venues with tickets for $9.25. And if you want to give in Dolly’s honor, Give Like Dolly launches today. It’s tied to organizations like the Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee. “Give Like Dolly – Middle Tennessee will make it easy to support local nonprofits working in areas close to Dolly’s heart, from helping children succeed and neighbors in need to supporting healing, creativity and a lifelong love of reading,” Give Like Dolly’s website says.
Free Predsfest: The Nashville Predators will host a free festival for fans tomorrow from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. ahead of the team’s final preseason game. “Enjoy live music, player & alumni appearances, food trucks, custom giveaways, kids zone, tailgate area & more as we celebrate the return of Music City Hockey with the ultimate pregame party,” the team says. More information here.
🧠 Today’s quiz: Name the business
Test your memory. Using these clues, name the business mentioned in yesterday’s newsletter.
First Tennessee location
Madison
Viral menu item
Mexican food
🍔 MAP: click here for restaurant inspections across Nashville. And here’s a list version.
Correction, feedback, question? Just reply to this email or email me directly at ryan@nash.news. Hope you have a great weekend! I’ll be back in your inbox on Tuesday. —Ryan
Lot's a varied, useful information. I especially liked the tip about donating old shoes to be recycled. I love that idea and will take some either on the donate day or later at the mall office. Thanks for sharing!