Matters of Development NOVEMBER | DECEMBER 2021 By Randy Fox and Jack Evan Johnson
Tornado Recovery Updates After suffering considerable damage from the March 3, 2020 tornado — including a tree literally cutting the building in half — Beyond The Edge Sportsbar in Five Points reopened Sept. 9, with limited hours and a limited menu. “We weren’t ready, but we didn’t want to miss football season,” owner Matt Charette said. The nearby Boston Commons and Drifters Tennessee Barbeque restaurants, also owned by Charette, were damaged in the tornado as well. Boston Commons was able to open in February, but Drifters has yet to open, and Charette does not yet have an opening date. “It was just too much, mentally, to be working on all three places at the same time,” says Charette. “Drifters is almost ready to go, we’re just waiting on staff.” A construction crew was spotted working on the 1000 Woodland St. lot recently, formerly home to Family Dollar. The property, owned by Nashville-based Magnolia Investment Partners, will eventually be home to two new restaurants, in two new buildings. “For some
reason, that parcel has taken forever to get their grading permit from Metro Water,” Metro Nashville District 6 Councilmember Brett Withers said. “Construction is just now beginning.” Edley’s Bar-B-Que will be one of the restaurants, moving from its Main Street location. Across 10th Street, the two tornado-damaged Hill Center Five Points buildings — formerly home to Burger Up and other businesses — are being rebuilt. The property’s two-story office building appears to be nearing completion. The second floor will be home to the Hawkins Partners landscape architecture firm. The new corner restaurant building, with a rooftop bar, remains under construction. “Burger Up decided not to return,” said Councilmember Withers. “Some of the stuff in that block, from the restaurant standpoint, they did not have the foot traffic they would have wanted.” East End United Methodist Church, located at 1212 Holly St., is set to be demolished after post-tornado efforts to save the 115-year-old structure were unsuccessful. The church plans to save the large stained glass window depict-
ing Jesus as the Good Shepherd and will use it at a new church to be constructed at the same location, according to WZTV. The decision to demo was recently approved by the Historic Planning Commission. The new building is expected to be completed by mid-2023. After months of delay, renovation work has begun on the historic Russell Street Presbyterian Church property at 122 S. 11th St. Built in 1911, the property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places and was most recently part of a three-building complex owned by Y-CAP (YMCA Community Action Programs). The roof of the main building was severely damaged by the March 3 tornado. After months of assessment the building was determined to be salvageable. In September 2020, veteran East Side developer and real estate manager, Mark Sanders and wife Patti, who have lived across the street from the building for almost 40 years, purchased the property from the YMCA of Middle Tennessee. The complete renovation that has now begun will transform the building into a restaurant space →
November | December 2021 theeastnashvillian.com
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