Almost Friday, Nashville! It’s September 10th. New in Nashville’s neighborhoods: an updated timeline for Rivergate’s transformation, a restaurant gets a 65 on its health inspection, and a home cleanup ordered.
⚡ Top stories
Weather: ⛈️ High: 95, Low: 72. Chance of showers and thunderstorms through Saturday.
Visa crackdown takes out Nashville Zoo event: after the Nashville Zoo announced it had to cancel this year’s Zoolumination Festival of Lights because visa applications for Chinese artisans traveling to the United States were denied, I quickly found Nashville’s not alone. The Des Moines Register covered a Chinese lights festival canceled there earlier this year over visa issues. “The visa process for visiting artists has always been complicated and expensive. Under the current administration, it’s gotten significantly worse,” Houston Public Media reported in July. It tells the story of a music group having to cut its tour short, and a comedian being detained at the border despite having “their petition approved and their passport stamped.” The Department of State told the outlet “Under President Trump, the United States is unapologetic in implementing America First visa policies. We welcome the many foreign artists who follow the required procedures and meet all of the visa requirements under U.S. law.” Back in Nashville, the zoo said it will host a holiday light show “featuring glowing wildlife, holiday displays, and an 85-foot synchronized Christmas tree” starting on November 13. Tickets are on sale now.
$30 million in Starbucks incentives approved: Before yesterday’s 4-3 vote in favor of a state grant to Starbucks in exchange for 2,000 new jobs with an average salary of $125,000 at a new corporate office in Downtown Nashville, the city’s Industrial Development Board heard from members of Starbucks Workers United. They have a unionized store in Green Hills and have recently called for a boycott of Starbucks because the union still hasn’t reached an agreement with Starbucks. “All the money that’s going into Starbucks is being spent everywhere except in bettering the worker experience,” barista Veronica Gonzalez said. A state representative pointed out Starbucks will have to pay back the money if it doesn’t meet hiring targets, and the incentives are for jobs at the corporate office, not stores.
🏠 What’s new in Nashville’s neighborhoods
Rivergate
When building will start on Rivergate Mall property: the developer said this week that demolition of the mall is on track to be finished by November, and the first vertical construction will start early next year. Plans include 715 apartments, more than 100 townhomes, a hotel, 130,000 square feet of commercial space, and an affordable housing project for seniors. The developers hope to be the first in Nashville to take advantage of a new state law that allows a special assessment on property owners in the development to help pay for infrastructure costs. For example, someone in the commercial spaces could pay $750 per month while townhome owners could pay about $90 per month.
East Nashville
65 restaurant health score: An inspector who visited Deli Raspados, a food truck based at 3225 Gallatin Pike, flagged issues with “hand washing, sanitization, food temperature,” and more. You can read the full inspection here. I also shared recent restaurant inspections across Nashville at the end of the newsletter.
Traffic calming meetings: If you want to have input on NDOT’s ideas to slow down traffic and make streets safer in East Nashville, you can join virtual traffic calming meetings tonight. One is focused on Bullock Avenue (meeting info) and the other is for McKennell Drive (meeting info).
Near Sylvan Park
Brewery to Italian restaurant: the former Bearded Iris taproom at Sylvan Supply (4101 Charlotte Avenue) will become an Italian restaurant, according to a new building permit filing. I haven’t confirmed the name of the new restaurant.
Downtown (and nearby)
“A major street directly across our property”: one of the property owners in Wasioto Bend (this is on the East Bank around the old scrap yard) told Metro’s Planning Commission they support the neighborhood’s transformation, but a draft street plan cuts through their property at 210 Sylvan Street. “It has done so without the landowner’s consultation that the City’s own process promises, and that its own planning principles require,” the owner’s letter to the commission says. Nashville’s Vision Zero committee, which aims to eliminate traffic deaths, also criticized one of the planned roads because it says the “straight and wide expanses of pavement” would encourage speeding. The commission’s staff asked to delay a vote on the plan until later this month.
Transforming Pietown: Before I share what’s new, am I the only Nashvillian who never heard the neighborhood name Pietown until seeing it on Google Maps a few years ago? Regardless, its transformation from mostly warehouses continues with a new steakhouse from the same company that brought Pastis to Wedgewood-Houston. St. Anselm received a $5 million permit to build a new restaurant at 730 Ewing Avenue. I’ve seen several reports that it’ll open next summer. Just across the street: plans for a new seven-story Listening Room hotel and music venue.
Wedgewood-Houston
Managing traffic from new music venue: The Truth at 440 Chestnut Street opens October 1 with Miranda Lambert, and if you’ve driven in that area recently, you’ve probably wondered what the plan for traffic is before and after a show. Metro Council member Terry Vo will host a town hall tonight at 6:30 p.m. to talk about updates to the traffic plan after community feedback, along with other impacts to the neighborhood. More details here.
Madison (and nearby)
More housing: the developer behind the Heritage Creek neighborhood off Hunters Lane just filed with Metro its plans for 80 more lots. And separately at 120 West Due West Avenue, a developer filed for a permit to build a multi-story apartment building with 161 new units that it says will be affordable. Madison is booming right now with apartments.
Bellevue
Home cleanup ordered: Metro Codes responded after a complaint that a home on Highland Park Court “is a disgrace to our neighborhood. Please please help us! This house is falling apart and trash debris all over.” The codes inspector gave the owner notice to address structural damage, junk and debris, and broken glass, among other things.
Antioch
New neighborhood: a developer filed for rezoning to build 43 new homes at 4070 LaVergne Couchville Pike. You can see the plans here.
📰 A few final headlines…
Hospitals at risk of closing after drug mix-up: Ascension Saint Thomas Midtown and West could lose their TennCare and Medicare funding after three of four patients given the wrong medicine during surgery were paralyzed, WTVF reported. The hospital has until September 18 to come up with a safety plan that’s acceptable to the federal government.
Bus service expansion: I told nash.news subscribers this was coming a few weeks ago, and now it’s official with details. WeGo Transit announced this week a new bus route in Antioch and increased service on other routes starting this winter. This link gives you details about the changes and how to share your feedback. The expansion is part of Nashville’s Choose How You Move transit plan, which voters agreed to fund through a sales tax increase.
O’Charley’s closing: I’m sad to share this, because people are losing their jobs, and I grew up going to O’Charley’s (loved the potato soup). The restaurant closed all of its locations last night, WKRN reported. I can’t say I’m surprised because my experience eating there a few years ago wasn’t what I grew up with — barely any customers, not a lot of employees.
🧠 Today’s quiz: Timeline
Test your memory of yesterday’s newsletter. Put these events in chronological order.
Nashville airport board votes on Dolly Parton renaming proposal
Wawa expected to open in Nashville
Dolly’s hotel in Downtown Nashville opens
Construction begins on Coley Davis Road
🍔 MAP: click here for restaurant inspections across Nashville
Correction, feedback, question? Just reply to this email or email me directly at ryan@nash.news. Talk to you tomorrow! —Ryan