East Side Buzz - The East Nashvillian | March-April 2020

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Matters of Development

NEW & NOTEWORTHY

Madison fav, Slow Burn Hot Chicken, surprised East Siders in January with the announcement that they would be opening a second location in East Nashville and then delivered a second surprise with an unannounced opening on Feb. 1. Located in the small, cinder block building at 726 McFerrin Ave., just around the corner from Mas Tacos Por Favor, The Pharmacy, and Lyra, owners Marlon and Joyce Reed and their staff are now serving up their hot chicken burritos, omelets, and more Tuesday-Thursday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. and Friday and Saturday 11 a.m. until 10 p.m. For updates, visit their Facebook page @SlowBurnHotChicken.

New yoga studio, Hola Yoga, located at 1077 E. Trinity Lane, opened in February. Owner Khrystyne Baltodano offers a variety of classes including vinyasa, heated vinyasa, flow foundations, slow flow, yin, restorative, and Bhakti, all set in her intentionally designed boutique fitness space. For more info, visit holayogastudio.com.

A hearty welcome to the new owners of Board & Brush Creative Studio — Chelsea and Daniel Hunter. Located at 337 Cleveland St., Board & Brush offers instructor-led workshops, guiding attendees through the ins and outs of power tools, wood, paint, art and assembly, with all materials supplied by the studio. Each workshop lasts about three hours and attendees can select from hundreds of design templates, most with a vintage farmhouse look. The Hunters held a grand re-opening event on Feb. 15, and are both excited about their new family venture. “Owning a business was on our wish list, although we didn’t know what kind of business,” Chelsea Hunter said in a press release. “We wanted to show our children the value of working hard, and this studio allows us to set that example while also providing much-needed flexibility.” For information on workshops and more visit, them online at boardandbrush.com/nashville.

CLOSINGS & MOVES

The Family Dollar store at 2700A Gallatin Pike closed in February shortly after the announcement of the sale of the retail strip that houses the store and a Pizza Hut location. Family Dollar Stores, Inc., which paid $200,000 for the property in 1986 according to Metro records, sold the property to an undisclosed buyer for $2.1 million. No plans have been announced for the future of the property.

Scout’s Barbershop East Nashville location at 904 Main St. is slated for an April move to the former Holt Brothers Flooring building that is now home to Hardaway Construction located at 1003 Gallatin Ave. The new location will feature more stylists, better parking, and an outdoor deck waiting area.

Reclaimed wood art and furniture company 1767 Design is moving their offices and workshop to East Nashville. The company’s new location will be at 2611 Gallatin Pike, in the former home of Pocket Money Recycling, which closed recently. Lockeland Leatherworks will share the building with 1767 Design. For more info, follow them on Facebook @1767designs.

COMING SOON

The Hill Center Greenwood development at 1111 Gallatin Ave., which includes construction of a new Publix grocery store, will extend to the west side of Gallatin Avenue. In plans filed with Metro codes recently, an additional building, at 1110 Gallatin Ave., was announced. Located on the currently vacant lot at the corner of Gallatin and West Greenwood Avenue, the planned 6,000-square-foot commercial building will feature three retail spaces, with one designated as a possible restaurant space.

Construction on the Hill Center Greenwood began in November 2019. The 72,830-squarefoot mixed-use development will be home to the aforementioned Publix, a Starbucks coffee shop, a Chase Bank branch, and 14 new townhomes. The business and residential space is expected to open in spring 2021.

Plans have been filed with Metro Codes, along with various construction permits issued, for the mixed-use complex that will occupy the corner of Riverside Drive and McGavock Pike. The four-story, 44-residential unit complex will also include 2,000 feet of retail space on the first floor at 2300 Riverside Drive, the former location of beloved neighborhood record shop and music venue, Fond Object.

Property owners Corner Partnership initially proposed a redevelopment plan in 2017 for the property that included a renovated retail strip and six residential buildings with 33 apartments. The plan was met with fierce neighborhood opposition which prompted Corner Partnership to cancel the request for a Specific Plan (SP) zoning and revert to the site’s existing zoning rules, which did not require Planning Commission approval; the moral of the story being, be careful what you wish for.

The owners of Attaboy and Lakeside Lounge have plans for a taste of Down Under on the East Side. In a press release issued in February, plans were announced for Hearts — a new day café, inspired by the world-renowned food and coffee culture of Melbourne, Australia. Serving breakfast, brunch, and lunch, Hearts’ menu will lean heavily on breakfasts and egg-based dishes balanced by lighter food options and a modern take on some classic Aussie dishes. The café will also offer beer, wine, spirits, a seasonal selection of cocktails, and a refreshing spritz menu. Hearts will be located at 914 Gallatin Ave. and is scheduled to open in early summer 2020.

Plans are in place and work has begun on Eastwood Village, the office, retail, and residential redevelopment of the former Hobson United Methodist Church site at 1716 Greenwood Ave. A pdf brochure, which includes blueprints and conceptual illustrations of the project, calls for business offices, restaurants, and boutique retail, in addition to a small number of residences.

The current plans began to formulate after two Nashville-based companies, Vintage South Development and The Legacy Companies, purchased the property for approximately $4.8 million in October 2019. The pdf brochure is available for download at sagemontre.com/properties/eastwood-village.

The former Piggly Wiggly grocery store at 917 Dickerson Pike is slated to undergo a major transformation according to a story in Nashville Post. The 13,600-square-foot building is currently owned by Danielle Rice who is seeking 3-5 restaurant or retail tenants for the building with plans to make it anchor business in the rejuvenation of the Dickerson Pike corridor.

The building, which features a vaulted barrel ceiling, was built in 1946 by Nashville real estate developer Bertie C. Webb for the Grand Central Food Market. The Dickerson Pike location was one of the flagship outlets of a chain of grocery stores owned by Webb and his son James, and featured Nashville’s first self-serve meat department.

Amazon.com Inc. is considering a Madison site for its tenth distribution hub in Middle Tennessee, according to a report in Nashville Business Journal. A permit was recently applied for a facility at 710 Myatt Drive, listing the land planning and engineering firms Panattoni Development Co. and Kimley-Horn and Associates as developers. The development plan calls for a roughly 130,000-square-foot distribution facility on the 40-acre site. Amazon has previously announced plans to create 5,000 jobs at its future Center for Excellence in downtown’s Nashville Yards development.

BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee has announced plans to open eight new primary care centers in the Nashville and Memphis areas this fall. The new clinics will be a joint venture with the international health organization Sanitas and will offer preventive care, urgent care, chronic disease management, and care coordination services. The Nashville-area locations will be in East Nashville, South Nashville, Brentwood, and Murfreesboro.

From the department of East Side success stories spreading to the other parts of Nashville: longtime East Side fav, Bolton’s Spicy Chicken and Fish at 624 Main St., has announced plans to open a second location in Antioch at 1135 Bell Road. Also, Woodland Wine Merchant at 1001 Woodland St. is opening a second location on the west side in the Sylvan Supply mixed-use complex at 4101 Charlotte Ave. in Sylvan Park.

A Metro permit valued at $50,000 has been issued for Sean Brock’s Joyland restaurant. Located at 901 Woodland St., the former home of Stay Golden restaurant, Joyland is scheduled to open in March.

Also under construction, the bowling-alley/ restaurant/music-venue Eastside Bowl has set up a new Facebook page to track its progress @eastsidebowl. Check out the full Eastside Bowl story from the preview issue of The Madisonian in our November-December 2019 edition.

The building that formerly housed Walk Bike Nashville, Turnip Green Creative Reuse, and Woodland Thrift at 943-947 Woodland St. is undergoing extensive renovations. No new tenants have been announced for the building at this time.

Recent commercial property sales include: The New Destiny Christian Fellowship church property at 3808 and 3810 Gallatin Pike for approximately $2 million.

Also sold is the commercial building that is currently home to Results Physiotherapy and Status Dough Bakery at 921 Gallatin Ave. and the adjacent, empty lot at 919B Gallatin Ave. for $2.1 million. As of press time, no plans had been announced for the future use of the properties.

Have any Matters of Development or East Side news you'd like us to consider? Send us an email: randy@theeastnashvillian.com

Armadillos on Riverside

If you’re driving down Riverside and think you see a line of armadillos, your eyes are not fooling you. They’re not nine-banded migrants from the Lone Star State, but new, soft plastic roadway dividers that Metro has installed in an effort to protect cyclists.

Made from recycled plastic and already a success story in several European cities, the traffic dividers are a test project by Metro Nashville Public Works.

The goal is to keep motor vehicles out of designated bicycle lanes and reduce injury accidents among cyclists. If the current test program is deemed a success expect to see more of the hump-backed traffic dividers on Nashville roadways.

Speaking of traffic incidents on Riverside, the Veterans Memorial on Riverside Drive at Golf Street was severely damaged by a speeding driver who crashed head on into the nearly 90-year-old monument in the early morning hours of Saturday, Jan. 25.

Initially dedicated in 1933 to honor neighborhood veterans of the First World War, the monument was refurbished and rededicated in 1959 to include World War II and Korean War veterans. Neighborhood activist and founder of the 501(c)3 non-profit Friends of Riverside Drive, Anthony Viglietti has a set up a fund to restore the monument.

Donations may be mailed to Friends of Riverside Drive, 1306 Haysboro Ave., Nashville, TN 37216-1410. For more information and updates visit the Friends of Riverside Drive Facebook page @friendsofriversidedrive.

Go for a Stoplight at Gallatin and Stratford

Plans for a new stoplight at the intersection of Gallatin Pike and Stratford Avenue were approved by the Metro Traffic and Parking Commission at their Feb. 10 meeting. The stoplight has been the subject of campaign by concerned citizens and Metro District 7 Councilperson Emily Benedict for several months, following two serious pedestrian accidents in the past year. On July 10, 2019, 53-year-old Paul Chovan was struck and killed by a car traveling north on Gallatin Pike, and on Dec. 13, 2019 another pedestrian was hit and seriously injured while crossing Gallatin at the same intersection.

The next steps will involve a traffic study to determine the exact layout and details for the stoplight. In an interview with WRKN Channel 2 News, Councilperson Benedict expressed a hope for a stoplight and designated crosswalk. The project could cost as much as $250,000 and is expected to take six months to a year to complete.

Home Studio Reform Finally on the Way?

The long-standing impasse over Nashville’s regulation of commercial recording studios operating in residences may be finally coming to a resolution. Current Metro ordinance expressly forbids home-based businesses from working with paying clients in person, primarily out of concerns over parking, signage, noise, and the potential for a disruption to neighborhood cohesiveness. (Airbnbs, anyone?) East Nashvillian Lij Shaw has been at the center of fight since his Toy Box Studio, located in a detached garage at his Renraw neighborhood home, was shut down by Metro in the fall of 2015. After years of appeals, failed applications for waivers, several attempts to amend the law, and a lawsuit that was dismissed in October, Shaw has turned to rallying public opinion through a Change.org petition.

Shaw’s efforts have not only garnered more than 19,000 signatures to his petition, but they have also prompted proposed legislation from Metro Council District 35 representative Dave Rosenberg. Rosenberg’s proposal, known as Substitute BL2019-48, is cosponsored by Council Members Joy Styles, Zachary Young, Colby Sledge. The proposed legislation aims to amend the current Metro ordinance in Section 17.16.250 of Title 17 of the Metropolitan Code of Laws by creating specific guidelines that will allow home businesses to serve clients in person while still regulating vehicle traffic, parking, and signage. The amendment received its first public hearing at the Jan. 7, 2020 council meeting and was referred to the Planning Commission, who reviewed the bill at their Feb. 27 meeting and referred it back to the Council for second reading. For updates and more information, visit savehomestudios.com.

Short-Term Rental Zoning Approved

A new zoning option aimed specifically at new short-term rentals units was approved by the Metro Nashville Council at their Feb. 18, 2020 meeting. The zoning will prevent short-term rentals, such as those booked through Airbnb and other homestay and tourist rental brokers, in new construction homes and condos.

Sponsored by District 5 Councilperson Sean Parker, the ordinance is aimed at streamlining the approval process for new, multi-family housing construction by alleviating concerns from neighboring residents that the properties will be used for short-term rentals. The ordinance does not affect existing short-term rental properties or projects that have already received approval. More information on the new ordinance can be found at the Metro Council website, nashville.gov/Metro-Council.

Score for Cooper – Soccer Stadium Deal Announced

In a press release issued Thursday, Feb. 11, 2020, Mayor Cooper announced an agreement with Nashville Soccer Holdings owner John Ingram on the stalled soccer stadium deal. The agreement removes the rent guarantee on the stadium intended for the new, Major League Soccer team, Nashville SC, a move that Cooper says will save taxpayers up to $35 million over the next decade, along with Nashville Soccer Holdings agreeing to pay for infrastructure work around the stadium estimated to cost at least $19 million.

“This agreement allows for a better site plan, providing great civic space that connects the stadium, historic speedway, state fair and exhibition halls, and it will bring up to $650 million of investment to the Fairgrounds,” Cooper said in the statement. He also noted that work on the project should begin “in a matter of days.”

The previous stadium plan had been approved by the Metro Fair Board, Metro Council, and previous Mayor David Briley, with demolition of the old fairgrounds buildings scheduled to begin on Oct. 1, 2019. When Mayor Cooper took office in Sept. 2019, construction plans were placed on hold over financing and site infrastructure concerns.

Nashville SC played their first game on Feb. 29 at Nissan Stadium. Plans call for the team to relocate to their new facility in the 2022 season. —Randy Fox