Save Historic Lower Broadway!

After years of neglect, Nashville's Second Avenue and Lower Broadway historic district are once again vibrant and teeming with life. It has taken the last twenty something years of hard work and dedication from our local government and community to revive our downtown area. Now the downtown district in Nashville attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors, if not millions, annually.

Many of Nashville's visitors, with a majority being Lovers of Country Music, come for the atmosphere that Lower Broad offers. This historic atmosphere and charm are, once again, in jeopardy of destruction.

Do you recall that about 20 years ago the Ryman Auditorium, home for many years to the Grand Old Opry, was nearly demolished by a wrecking ball?
The Ryman, it's heritage, and history were preserved through many local efforts and the extensive renovation by Gaylord Entertainment. Today the Ryman brings in about 400, 000 visitors annually and is considered to be one of the best venues in the nation.

The wrecking ball has returned to Lower Broadway, this time by the Barber Group of Arkansas, who want to place a 19 story Westin Hotel on Lower Broadway between 2nd and 3rd Avenues. This in effect would demolish three buildings that are eligible for the National Register of Historic Places, not to mention it could, and most likely will, be the beginning of the demise of the charm of Lower Broad.

But here's the real kicker, the owner of the Barber Group , Brandon Barber doesn't even like country music... when interviewed in December of 2005 by Susan Wallace of nwacitiscapes.com the article quotes "They like everything from hip-hop to Frank Sinatra, but absolutely no country!" when referring to his favorite music.
Link to Entire Article

What! They want to put a hotel in a historic part of downtown Nashville and they don't even like country music??? After reading the entire article, I'll take a guess and say that they aren't members of any historical society or similar organization either as they don't seem to care about preserving our heritage and I'll also venture to say that the chances of them becoming residents of Tennessee are slim to none.

So with no vested interest or regard in Historical Preservation, our Nashville Community, or our Country Music Heritage that would leave me thinking that the only vested interest that the Barber group has is to make money and in this case at the expense of our community.

Do you want to see this happen?
If you answered No, then time is of the essence as the public hearing is set for 7:00 p.m. on January 2nd at Historic Metro Courthouse.

How can you Help?
The Tennessee Preservation Trust offers these suggestions:

Contact the Mayor!
E-mail: mayor@nashville.gov
Online: www.nashville.gov/mayor
Phone: 615-862-6000
Fax: 615-862-6040

Contact the Metro Council!
E-mail: councilmembers@nashville.gov
Online: www.nashville.gov
Phone: 615-862-6780
Fax: 615-862-6784

Attend the Public Hearing
It's being held at the Historic Metro Courthouse on January 2nd at 7:00p.m. and is open to the public.

Contact your Local Paper
Write a letter to the Editor of your local paper.
Click Here for a listing of local Middle Tennessee Papers.

Contact the Westin Corporation
Let them know that you do not support their current hotel plans.
Online: Starwood Hotels

A thought to ponder: What Nashville really be like without the Ryman Auditorium? What will Lower Broad look and be like in the next decade?

For more information on Save Historic Lower Broadway! please visit Tennessee Preservation Trust online at: www.tennesseepreservationtrust.org