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Nashville Fairgrounds


smeagolsfree

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I do not know how I missed this the other day in the City paper. Another development opportunity maybe.

http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/index.cf...p;news_id=56276

What are your recommendations as to what the best use for the fairgrounds Property?

One thing I would do is make the entire corridor on 2nd and 4th Ave. to the fairgrounds a redevelopment district. I know this has nothing to do with the Fairgrounds proper but it would be a start. There needs to be connectivity between this area and DT.

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How about a beautiful horse racing track? Something like Churchill Downs? The site was historically for horse races.

I don't see the beautiful southern belles of Green Hills, Brentwood, and Belle Meade galloping down to them parts of town.

No, I'm thinking more along the lines of a monster truck arena.

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  • 7 months later...

This has not been addressed in a while and it looks as if there are going to be public meeting to address the possible new uses of the Fairgrounds. I have included a couple of local websites for discussion.

Just wanted to know what the thoughts are here about the best use for this land. I am undecided at this time but the fairgrounds are very dated and will need a major overhaul soon. If there are new fairgrounds build, Where would it go? One of my first ideas would be the old zoo site in Joelton but I don

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I say, if the motorplex people want to do all of that, why not let them? It is my understanding that the racing component actually pays for itself. While I think that the facilities could be a lot better, I personally don't spend enough time there to really notice. And I have much higher priorities for Nashville development focus. This would maybe come on my radar screen AFTER the convention center. And besides, I don't think that new fairgrounds facilities would spawn a tremendous amount of development nearby anyway. There is some residential, but mostly aging industrial around there (actually, here where I work across the tracks from the fairgrounds.)

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Could this be an alternative for the Sounds stadium? This was part of the plan. This would be a giant entertainment facility.

There is another option and that is turn it into a park. I am surprised this has not gotten a lot of attention as this is a Metro facility and not a State run operation.

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I think that we should start a big tire burn like they do in Springfield (the simpsons)! Lol seriously though if the fairgrounds does get vacated then it will most likely just be replaced with a wal mart or something of the like. Personally I would like to see a park as there is a lot of residential areas around there that would benefit.

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Could this be an alternative for the Sounds stadium? This was part of the plan. This would be a giant entertainment facility.

There is another option and that is turn it into a park. I am surprised this has not gotten a lot of attention as this is a Metro facility and not a State run operation.

Maybe this could be the site of the new convention center! (Just kidding.)

Actually, I like the baseball idea, assuming that one cannot go somewhere downtown.

As for parks, I agree that it could be nice, but there are already lots of parks in Nashville that could use the improvement. At least in its current use, the fairgrounds do generate some level of taxes. How is this land currently zoned? That area overall is so industrial, with the exception of the strip of residential along Bransford along the western edge, and a little bit of residential to the north and perhaps the trailer park on Nolensville. If it were just a park, I think that many of the local residents would justifyable be afraid to cross the dangerous roads and the railroad tracks to use it, even if they didn't have other concerns.

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I think that area has gotten a really bad rep when it comes to crime when it really is just run down looking. I'm not saying nothing ever happens there but then again crime happens all over Nashville. Remember when east nashville used to be the hood? Now people have fixed it up and made it look nice. Not the hood anymore. I think people see a run down area and instantly associate it with crime. Plus the news pumps us up so full of crime that we've become instinctivly paranoid. I live right across from the fairgrounds on the other side of 8th toward Belmont in an area that was also referred to as the hood back in the day. I've never once seen or heard of a crime happening in my area or the neighborhoods over by the fairgrounds. I've even had friends tell me that they wouldn't ever live in the area that I live in. I think "oh brother" when I hear something like that. I don't feel in any danger when I walk outside.

Build the park. Maybe it will free this area from the bad rep if it looks nice.

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I would like to see the fairgrounds turned into a large-scale, multi-use walkable development with retail, commercial, mixed-income residential and some green space. This is such a huge contiguous amount of space that I feel, if properly developed, it could really spark great things for the surrounding area. I do like the idea of it having a large entertainment component as an indoor water park.

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I like the Motorplex exec's ideas.

Nothing against any of the other ideas being offered, but I don't think we should turn every place in the city into a park and/or multi-use development. We've already lost Starwood, almost lost the Preds & the Sounds... i'd hate to lose the Motorplex/fairgrounds too.

I definitely say, if the Motorplex wants to invent in the property, fix it up, and add all that stuff to it - let them.

Just my two cents..

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  • 3 months later...
  • 2 months later...

An article from the CP yesterday from Richard.

http://nashvillecitypaper.com/news.php?viewStory=61391

Looks as if the Fairgrounds site may go the way of developers. As the article states about the other Metro redevelopment projects, I hope they do a better job than the other things they have started or tried to start. Metro needs to go ahead and sale the property to a developer and do away with their own useless red tape..

Anyone got any suggestion as to where they need to move the fairgrounds? OR do we even need the fairgrounds anymore?

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Just read through the thread. The problem with keeping the racetrack there is the neighborhood simply doesn't want it. The hotel and indoor waterpark ideas are viewed as nice but still many of the neighbors want something that's a bit more sedate and neighborhood friendly. So developing it into a mixed use development with parks and ball fields in the flood plain may have the most bang for the buck politically and financially for the mayor

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Just read through the thread. The problem with keeping the racetrack there is the neighborhood simply doesn't want it. The hotel and indoor waterpark ideas are viewed as nice but still many of the neighbors want something that's a bit more sedate and neighborhood friendly. So developing it into a mixed use development with parks and ball fields in the flood plain may have the most bang for the buck politically and financially for the mayor

I've always enjoyed the monthly flea markets, and I haven't heard anything negative about them. I think, as a flea market, it's reputation crosses state lines. Maybe that is a theme that could be expanded upon; perhaps incorporate daily markets that include a farmer's market. Maybe it is designed as a destination open-air ethnically-diverse marketplace with water features, food courts, antique stores and some permanent attractions for adults and kids? H2O talks about Portland's Pearl district, but the fairground site could have the flavor and composition of such a place, just less upscale and a bit more open space.

The reacetrack, and even an improved fairground if they want to keep it, could be located in a dead area near the airport on flat land that is away from homes and near a major road.

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Problem with an amphitheater here is the same as the race track. Noise, not to mention huge traffic jams and parking if you have other entertainment venues at this location. Anyone remember going to Star-wood and getting stuck in traffic at that site. Two ways in and out only. That is the same with the fairgrounds site. I do see the need for an amphitheater and the East bank would be that place IMO.

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  • 4 weeks later...

This was in the news earlier this week and no one picked up on it so I figured I would go ahead and post. The committee for choosing the best use of the property has narrowed the list to four proposals.

From the City Paper.

http://www.nashvillecitypaper.com/news.php?viewStory=61911

I am surprised that there were two mixed use proposals but the reasoning is offered up as the Wedgwood group has ideas on placement of the fairgrounds in the County.

The media village seems to me a little far fetched. It would take a lot of unique expertise to get that one off the ground, IMO. It would defiantly be a one of a kind project in the state and interesting to see if they could pull it off.

The mixed use sites are just like what is either already in Nashville or other areas of the midstate, so they would not be unique.

I think the entertainment complex could work and would save the expense of moving the fairgrounds; however they would have to really upgrade the fair facilities.

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The Tower Investments 'media village' idea sounds very interesting.. definitely something unique i'd say. That would probably be my vote. The two mixed use ideas are pretty boring.

Although, I do like what Wedgewood Partners has in mind regarding relocation of the fairgrounds, and encouraging existing homeowners to stay in the neighborhood.

I suppose Music City Motorplex's plans are ok too.. just seems like the neighborhood would be more likely to shoot it down.. and of course, we all would prefer a downtown ballpark, right? :)

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