Happy Friday, Nashville! It’s October 23. New in Nashville’s neighborhoods: an increase in home teardowns, “Just Walk Out” tech at the new Titans stadium, Davidson County’s busiest location for early voting, a community cleanup, a drive-thru pet food pantry, and more.
☀️ Weather
Still no rain in the forecast through at least Wednesday. High: 76, Low: 48.
🚨 Pedal tavern hit by driver who said he was distracted
Metro Police shared pictures of the crash scene here. An SUV rear-ended a pedal tavern near 1033 Demonbreun Street at about 8:30 p.m. last night.
Police initially said nine of 12 pedal tavern passengers were hurt, and at least two of them had serious injuries. Their conditions improved overnight. Police posted to X that six of the riders are still in the hospital, but their conditions are stable and non-critical.
The driver of the SUV told police he was distracted. Police haven’t said whether he’ll be charged.
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🏠 What’s new in Nashville’s neighborhoods
All of Nashville
Home teardown increase: Demolish an old home. Replace it with a new luxury home. I review permit data every day for this newsletter, and I sensed this was happening more frequently around Belle Meade as luxury home sales surge in Nashville. To confirm whether there’s a trend, I pulled residential demolition permits going back to January 2025. Those permits are largely used to tear down homes but can sometimes be used for smaller projects. Then, I used artificial intelligence to help analyze the data. Here’s how the first 10 months of 2026 compare to the same period last year (the overall county increase is 7%):
37210 (Wedgewood-Houston, Chestnut Hill): 9 → 16, up 78%
37216 (Inglewood): 18 → 25, up 39%
37204 (12South, Melrose, Berry Hill): 26 → 36, up 38%
37205 (Belle Meade, West Meade): 53 → 71, up 34%
37207 (North Nashville, Dickerson Pike): 29 → 33, up 14%
Downtown (and nearby)
Inside the new Titans stadium: The roof is closed, and now the field slab is being poured. 23,000 out of 60,000 seats have been installed. At yesterday’s Metro Sports Authority meeting, I learned the stadium will have 50 markets that use Amazon’s Just Walk Out technology. You can scan your credit card to enter the market. Then, cameras in the store track what you take out and automatically charge you without you waiting in a checkout line. Titans staff expect to start moving into the stadium in January.
Dimming the lights: Broadway businesses and bars will dim their lights at 9 p.m. tonight to honor Jack Cawthon, WKRN reported. Cawthon’s restaurant, Jack’s Bar-B-Que, announced yesterday that he died of cancer. He was 80 years old.
Construction warning: In case you’re heading to Centennial Park in the next few weeks, here’s a warning from Metro Parks. “There are temporary closures from the west side of the Parthenon toward 31st Avenue due to ongoing construction. Please expect detours and limited access in the area,” the department said in a Facebook post. Here’s a link to a map.
Hermitage
Early voting leader: The Hermitage branch of the Nashville Public Library leads Davidson County for the number of people who’ve voted in the midterm election. As of Wednesday, 7,870 people had voted at this location, according to the Davidson County Election Commission. I reported on Monday a 600% increase in early voting in Davidson County compared to the 2022 midterm. The difference has since fallen to less than 200%, according to Tennessee’s Secretary of State, and Davidson County is still pacing about 20% behind 2018.
The Nations
“The reality for many restaurants”: Yesterday, I shared two restaurant closures around The Nations and Sylvan Park, including 51 North Taproom. It shared this video from lunchtime yesterday, making the point of why it’s closing. “We have zero customers and have had one small togo order,” the restaurant said. “Our post about closing has reached over 102K with such a wonderful outpouring of love and support, BUT this is REALITY.”
Antioch
Community cleanup: The 2nd Annual All Antioch Clean Up continues tomorrow morning. You can go to Compton’s Foodland at 2808 Old Smith Springs Road to get rid of bulk items at no charge. You can also donate, recycle, or shred. The event runs from 9 a.m. to 12 p.m. More details here.
And speaking of cleanup: After someone reported that a home on Legacy Drive looked like it had been looted with open windows, screens slashed, and junk on the property, Metro Codes ordered the property’s owner to clean it up. Among the requests: remove all flaking or peeling paint from wood on the house.
Music Row
Studio to restaurant: A former radio-television studio at 802 18th Avenue South will become a restaurant, according to a new permit for nearly $700,000 in renovations. The Nashville Business Journal reported earlier this year that Hive Hospitality, a Washington, D.C.-based company, planned to open Studio by Jônt at this location. The company’s website says its portfolio “includes multiple Michelin-recognized establishments.”
North Nashville
“Repeat offender”: Metro Codes cited two property owners that it calls “repeat” offenders for property standards issues like tall grass. One is at 1501 21st Avenue North (filing here). The other is at 2014 24th Avenue North, which the inspector called “Repeat Offender x3.” When a property issue escalates to a citation, a judge can order cleanup and possibly fine the owner.
South Nashville
Pet food pantry: Know someone who needs help with food for their dog or cat? The Pet Community Center will host a drive-thru pet food pantry tomorrow from 9 a.m. to 11 a.m. Just go to 5233 Harding Place. “Food will be provided on a first-come, first-served basis,” the organization said. Here’s its full post.
📰 A few final headlines…
Respiratory virus activity increasing: Vanderbilt Health warned that confirmed cases of RSV and flu are “on the rise” in Middle Tennessee, and people are still getting sick with COVID. I checked state health data, and it shows a “moderate” level of flu-like illnesses while activity in most of the state remains “minimal.”
Nashville layoffs: I shared this week that the General Jackson Showboat would end service in December. A new notice filed with the state, which is required for mass layoffs, says 114 people will lose their jobs. And separately, a manufacturing company called AkzoNobel says 76 people will lose their jobs when it closes its facility at 20 Culvert Street. Davidson County’s unemployment rate dropped last month to 2.8% from 3% in August, according to new state data.
The Reba Collection: This morning at Nashville’s Municipal Auditorium, country star Reba McEntire is auctioning off gowns, awards, jewelry, a signed script, and much more to benefit The Reba McEntire Fund. The fund supports charitable projects across the country. You can see the full list of items here. The auction starts at 10 a.m.
“Crush the Crisis”: Have prescription drugs you need to get rid of? TriStar Health says it’ll offer a “safe and anonymous way” for you to do so at multiple locations tomorrow. Here’s the list.
🍔 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. Talk to you next week! —Ryan