Good morning, Nashville! Happy Friday! It’s August 21st. Sending today’s newsletter from beautiful Greeneville, Tennessee while researching for next week.
⚡ Quick hits
Weather: ☀️ Patchy fog this morning. High: 91, Low: 68. 90s and sunny this weekend.
What’s new in Nashville’s neighborhoods, including neighbors vs. Cheekwood and demolition after the Christmas Day bombing.
Plus, an update on the new Nissan Stadium’s construction, ICE in Nashville, and a local retailer closing after more than 170 years
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🏠 What’s new in Nashville’s neighborhoods
Belle Meade
Cheekwood survived a zoning appeal that it claimed would have shut down the botanical garden. A neighborhood group, upset about traffic, argued a new parking garage project violates the city’s zoning rules as Cheekwood expanded far beyond what was approved in the 1990s, while Cheekwood said its evolution was grandfathered under the law. The fight isn’t over, despite yesterday’s ruling from Metro’s Board of Zoning Appeals. Neighbors also sued Metro, claiming the city allowed Cheekwood to operate illegally under zoning law. Also, a zoning appeals board member said, “there are real questions about what's happened with Cheekwood and where they've gone with this nonconformity, and does it exceed what they should be allowed.”
Downtown(ish)
Demolition on Second Avenue: nearly five years after the 2020 Christmas bombing, Metro granted a permit to demolish 170, 172, and 174 Second Avenue North. Several plans for the properties have come and gone over the years. I’m still trying to find out what the next plan is.
SweatHouz, an “infrared sauna and cold plunge studio”, plans to open at 921 Division Street, according to a new building permit.
“Rock Block Developments Move Forward Following Yearslong Halt”, Nashville Scene reports.
East Nashville
Crashes dropped by 70% on South 11th Street, NDOT said, after changes under the “Adopt a Corner” pilot program. It aims to stop illegal parking near intersections, which can block drivers’ view of oncoming traffic. Neighborhood sponsors can partner with NDOT to add barriers like planters. The pilot rolled out to 34 street corners in East Nashville.
New yoga studio: Farenheit Yoga plans to expand from the 12 South neighborhood to East Nashville at 203 North 11th Street, a building permit application indicates.
Antioch
“Repeat offender”: a strip mall at 809 Hamilton Crossings that Metro Codes has called a “repeat offender” was cited this week for junk and trash on the property.
The property codes audit I reported on last week hasn’t let up in Antioch. About 10 properties were flagged yesterday on Kinwood Drive, Cold Spring Drive, Nautilus Drive, and Holder Drive.
Bellevue
A new Fifth Third Bank location is planned for a shopping center at 7613 Highway 70 South, based on a new building permit.
Madison
67 new townhomes are coming to 406B Lanier Drive, according to a master building permit. It doesn’t allow construction to start, but it indicates the project is moving forward.
📰 A few final headlines…
The missing man from Colorado who disappeared after visiting an East Nashville bar was found dead, Metro Police said. “There are no immediate indications of foul play,” according to police.
Progress on new Nissan Stadium: the Tennessee Titans expect the new stadium to be fully enclosed by the middle of October, the team said at this week’s Sports Authority meeting. The building team will start installing about 10,000 seats per month starting next month.
The TVA’s board voted yesterday to create a power rate for data centers, which it says will “protect consumers and keep energy affordable amid rising energy demand.”
“After surviving the Civil War, the Great Depression, the Great Recession and the COVID-19 pandemic, Nashville retailer Levy’s Clothiers will close its doors permanently at the end of 2026,” The Tennessean reports.
“Gov. Bill Lee hesitant to call special session on Nashville honky-tonk taxes” (WPLN)
“Beloved Nashville nonprofit, Last Minute Toy Store, suspends operations” because it couldn’t find a location for the event (NewsChannel5)
“ICE changes location of Tennessee call center site from Adams to Nashville” (Tennessee Lookout)
Protecting historic landmarks: the Metro Council approved historic landmark designations for Mount Olive Missionary Baptist Church (3411 Albion Street) and First Evangelical Lutheran Church (113 8th Avenue South), which protects the properties from changes and demolition without review by Metro. Metro’s Historical Commission also decided to apply for putting the former Coca-Cola bottling plant on Church Street on the National Register of Historic Places. You can read the property’s history here.
🍔 MAP: click here for restaurant inspections across Nashville
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