While there have been plenty of downtown businesses over the last few decades that have received Eminent Domain walking papers, fewer are more colorful that the 1992 razing of a popular gay club that essentially put Nashville's Gay Scene on the map; The Connection.
The Connection was originally located at the corner Fifth and Demonbreun (138 Fifth Ave. South) and leased out by Albert Del Favero, the former & very popular Nashville Scene editor. While Del Favoro and his associates sold the property to the MDHA rather than being evicted by them, they all still ended up in the Nashville courts (for over 6 years) with a mixture of folks that included the owners of The Connection, Del Favero, and the MDHA.
Currently, the property is part of the Downtown Hilton and Hall of Fame park property that sits right in front of the Country Music Hall of Fame!
Another high profile local Emminent Domain case occurred in the Farmer's Market area when the Eaton Auto Village property was commandeered by MDHA in 2001 to make way for low income housing. The former owner was Kenneth Eaton, a candidate in Nashville's 2007 Mayoral. Today, these same low-income housing units are selling for around $250,000 each.
But I don't think any one case created more turmoil than that of the local sports writer Margaret Lindsley Warden. Ms. Warden was not only a very popular equestrian writer, she was also a part of one of Nashville's oldest & most prestigious families that dated back to long time relationships to the McGavock, Jackson, and Grundy families in the early 1800's.
It has been said that she fought so hard to remain in her home on Belmont Circle that Belmont University eventually built her a replica home on another piece of Belmont land located on Acklen Avenue.
We think that just maybe Margaret got a bit of sweet revenge because she donated her equestrian collection, one of the nation's largest known individual equestrian collections, to MTSU in 1998 and some of her Lindsley Family Collection to the TSLA.
But the last laugh actually came after her death, at the age of 103, when the remainder of her estate was auctioned off in 2008. This incredible collection included everything from war letters written in 1812 to an exceptional copy of an 1887 edition of Goodspeed's "History of Tennessee." If the folks of Belmont & Nashville Government (the MHDA in particular) had treated her just a tad bit better, then just maybe, many of these priceless historical items would've been donated locally to some of Nashville's Historical Organizations instead of finding their way to an auction block.
While we're talking about nice ole ladies, one can't forget to mention Fannie Mae Dees. Her eminent domain fight over the Vanderbilt University Expansion lasted well over a decade and until her death. The city did eventually name a nearby park after her, but this entire 1970's expansion has left a bittersweet memory for many locals.
Recently there have been several Middle Tennessee Communities affected by the current Tennessee Eminent Domain Laws including;
- Spring Hill
A forced the sale of two Spring Hill properties that are under consideration as school sites.
- Franklin
businesses condemned in Franklin so that the city can build a new $36 million police headquarters.
- Cookville
A Cookeville landowner being displaced to make way for a new interstate interchange that also includes the mention of a private development being included so that it may reach its full potential for the area.
- Clarksville Center Redevelopment plan
The Clarksville Center Redevelopment plan in Clarksville Tennessee (Montgomery County) affects over 1,100-acres and includes over 1,800 pieces of property which also includes the downtown area hit by the 1998 tornado. Clarksville Mayor Johnny Piper has been quoted as saying "Eminent domain could be part of the redevelopment, but we don't anticipate it." Now, I don't know about you but I'm tending to think that someone's trying really hard to pull a fast one over on the folks within this city plan and some of the locals have the same sentiments as they continue to try and fill the huge loop-holes that have been listed within this redevelopment plan.
- Blighted Music Row
This Eminent domain issue, happened over on Music Row and was all over a parcel of land that's, get this, 1/5 of an acre. After eight years of trying to buy the property, a development firm has turned to MDHA in order that the MDHA can serve the owners their Eminent domain notice and then sell the property back to the development company. In the end, the property was split - leaving Joy Ford only her building and minimal parking arrangements
- In early 2010, the Musicians Hall of Fame and Museum was seized to make way for a new Nashville Convention Center.
Note: The photo above is of the Adelphi Theatre (also known as the Grand and Bijou)and it stood for over 100 years only to be demolished in 1957 to make way for the Municipal Auditorium. This is a good example of what damage a urban renewal plans can do when making way for the new.
