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Good morning, Nashville! It’s Tuesday, October 6. New in Nashville’s neighborhoods: a last-minute interstate closure, a survivor of a skydiving accident sues, turning wastewater leftovers into money, tearing down a church, and much more.
☀️ Weather
Cool mornings while daytime temperature rises to near 90 by tomorrow. High: 83, Low: 57.
💻 Where large data centers could go in Nashville
Metro’s new data center regulations limit large data centers “to only a handful of areas of the county, such as Cockrill Bend, the area just east of Nashville International Airport, and industrial land off of Interstate 24 adjacent to Hurricane Creek,” a new report from the Nashville mayor’s office said.
The report lays out the practical effects of rules passed by the Metro Council in July after hundreds of thousands of people signed a petition against a proposed data center next to the Nashville Zoo. A lawsuit filed against Metro by the data center company is moving through federal court. And a data center moratorium is in effect in Metro until December.
Among other things, the rules ban large data centers from opening within half a mile of residential zones and schools. The law also bans large data centers from being within half a mile of each other, which the report said “is not common among peer cities.” The few locations that would technically allow a large data center in Nashville are either “close to an airport, a major highway, or a floodplain, which may be locations practically less well-suited for data center siting for a variety of reasons,” the report said.
It calls on Metro to “evaluate any unintended consequences” because of the law’s broad definition of data centers. Among them: systems for universities, hospitals, and major employers could be swept up in the new rules, which could prevent them “from maintaining the scale of internal data infrastructure they need for effective operations and services.” You can read the full report here.
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🏠 What’s new in Nashville’s neighborhoods
Downtown (and nearby)
Last-minute interstate closure: “The Hamilton Avenue bridge deck over I-65 needs to be replaced ASAP — and that means demolition,” TDOT just announced. And that means lane closures on part of I-65 South on Thursday night and a 30-minute overnight interstate closure. Then, next week, I-65 around the bridge will be fully closed from 8 p.m. Friday, October 16 to 5 a.m. Monday, October 19, TDOT said. Here’s TDOT’s post with a fuller explanation of the impacts.
Music City Loop: The Boring Company said a third tunnel boring machine will launch this month for its underground Tesla tunnel between downtown Nashville and the airport, and a fourth should be in the ground before the end of the year. The company did not say how far it’s gotten with digging, and it didn’t respond when I asked a few months ago. You can read The Boring Company’s full monthly update here.
Northwest Nashville
Skydiving accident lawsuit: It’s been about a year since this tragic accident. A tandem skydiving instructor died and a student said he suffered serious injuries when he hit treetops around the 4500 block of Ashland City Highway. Now the student is suing the skydiving company and the instructor’s estate. He alleges the instructor was “under the influence of drugs” and “prioritizing the capturing of footage” of a dive when they got stuck on part of the aircraft more than 9,000 feet up in the air. WZTV previously cited sources who said the instructor freed himself “to save the student’s life.” The lawsuit asks for at least $250,000 in punitive damages on top of up to $1.25 million in other damages. The skydiving company told me it doesn’t comment on pending legal matters. You can read the full lawsuit here. The allegations have not been proven in court.
Wedgewood-Houston
Racing at the fairgrounds: About 50 people are working to verify signatures on a petition to eliminate racing at the Nashville Fairgrounds, the Nashville Banner reported. If signatures from more than 10% of Davidson County's registered voters (about 40,000 people) are verified, the question could go to Nashville’s voters in next year’s election. The group behind the petition said nearly 75,000 people signed it.
Near Germantown
Flush money: The solids that are left over from Metro cleaning our wastewater could become a moneymaker. Right now, Metro essentially burns off much of the “biogas” that comes from processing the solids. Tonight, the Metro Council will consider contracting with a company that would turn the gas into renewable natural gas. A Metro Water official said the deal could generate between $2 million and $3 million for the city each year. The company would build its facility at 1815 Cement Plant Road next to Metro’s Central Water Reclamation Facility.
Old Hickory
Rebuilding from storm damage: WSMV covered the collapse at 2401 Old Hickory Boulevard in January. “Strong winds caused part of an old mechanic shop to collapse Wednesday evening, sending bricks and concrete flying onto Old Hickory Boulevard and hitting several cars during rush hour,” it reported. Now it’s time to rebuild. The Gun Crew, a local gun store, received a building permit “to construct a 4,000-square-foot, single-story retail building.”
Green Hills
Restaurant bankruptcy: True Food Kitchen filed for bankruptcy but the location at Vertis Green Hills (3996 Hillsboro Pike) appears to be staying open. Twelve of the restaurant’s other locations closed on Sunday. “This process is the best path forward to simplify the business and focus on what we do best,” the restaurant said.
East Nashville
Nightly road closure: Riverwood Drive from Gallatin Pike to Eastdale Place will close each night from 8 p.m. to 5 a.m. through Friday, NDOT said. It’s part of construction on Gallatin Pike. More: in addition to repaving, I covered several safety projects in the works on Gallatin Pike, including new pedestrian crossings that have popped up in other parts of town.
Selling property to pay property tax bill: The former owner of the Hawkers restaurant building at 626 Main Street told WKRN he sold the building to pay the property tax bills on his other properties.
Antioch
New restaurant: FirePot Korean BBQ & Hot Pot plans to open at 825 Bell Road, according to a building permit application. The restaurant already has a location in Clarksville. I messaged the restaurant to ask about a timeline for opening in Antioch, and I’ll update you if it responds.
Donelson & Hermitage
Tearing down former church: I reported a week ago that an unidentified drive-thru restaurant is coming to 605 Stewarts Ferry Pike. A new demolition permit confirms the church on the property will be torn down. Metro Council approved a rezoning for the property in 2024 that would allow commercial space, a hotel, and apartments.
Another addition to the Memory Lab: Just a few weeks ago, I shared that you can digitize old cassette tapes at the Nashville Public Library’s Donelson Branch. Now the library has added Hi8/Digital 8 media. More details + how to get an appointment at this link.
📰 A few final headlines…
Free flu shots today: Flu activity in Tennessee remains minimal, according to this map from the CDC, but I’ve seen reports of flu season starting early out west. Flu activity has also ticked up not too far away in South Carolina and Louisiana. If you’re interested in a flu shot, you can get one for free today from the Metro Health Department. It’ll be set up at city hall from 3 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. More details here.
What I’m following today: The Metro Council’s second of three votes on a bill to ban right turns at red lights in 59 intersections — and whether it’ll be amended again. The bill’s sponsor just responded to several proposed amendments in her newsletter. Here’s my map of the affected intersections. Also at Metro Council: a proposal to take out $544 million in bonds for projects across Nashville, including a new school, new fire stations, and progress on greenways and a library. I shared a list of projects with nash.news readers last week.
Poll results: And speaking of “No Right on Red,” I asked nash.news readers whether they support the scaled-back version of the bill and it’s a nearly even split. 51% of respondents said yes. 49% said no.
Honoring Dolly: The Country Music Association revealed who will perform during a tribute to Dolly Parton broadcasting live from Belmont University on October 21. You can read the full list here. The show will air on WKRN/ABC and Disney+ at 8 p.m. You can watch the next day on Hulu.
🍔 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 tomorrow! —Ryan