Nashville Bits and Pieces

[markhollin]

Two of Nashville's most prolific home-selling agencies, Parks Realty and Village Real Estate, dissolved their merger just months after celebrating a union. 

Company officials declined to disclose the details of the breakup. They both said troubles emerged as they integrated their operations.

The COVID-19 business shutdown, and resulting tightening of the housing market, was not singled out as a cause. 

"It became apparent that the timing was not right for a merger," officials said in a joint statement. "While this result isn’t what either of us intended, we feel proud of the process we went through and our mutual respect for each other remains intact."

In January, the firms celebrated the merger creating the largest single Nashville-based real estate company. The union would have brought together 1,100 agents who negotiate $4 billion in sales a year. 

More behind the Tennessean paywall here:

https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2020/05/13/parks-realty-village-real-estate-merger-falls-through/3119160001/

[markhollin]

A friend shot this clip of the Blue Angels flyover of midtown and downtown. You should be able to see it if you have a Facebook account:

https://www.facebook.com/glynne.blackwell/videos/pcb.10105430028920576/10105430028421576/?type=3&theater

Slide show of flyover by Martin Cherry of NBJ:

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2020/05/14/blue-angels-fly-over-nashville-honor-health-care.html?iana=hpmvp_nsh_news_headline

Some samples:
 

[jmtunafish]

From city-data:

March was the beginning of Tennessee's shutdown as a response to the coronavirus pandemic. With many businesses closed and employees either laid off or furloughed, the state's robust economy hit a snag. While the state, over all, is doing better than the national average and still gained jobs over the previous year and even over the previous month, the growth was primarily in just a few areas of the state: Nashville and Southeast Tennessee (Chattanooga/Cleveland/Athens/Dayton). Lawrenceburg did surprisingly well, too. April's numbers, which should be released next week, will give additional insight and a better reflection of how this pandemic has affected the state's labor force.

Here's how Tennessee's metropolitan and micropolitan areas did over the last year.

area...March 2020 employment...unemployment %...1-year change in employment

1. Nashville...1,071,612...2.8%...23,252
2. Memphis...614,374...4.3%...-2,286
3. Knoxville...418,411...3.5%...-3,659
4. Chattanooga...270,588...3.7%...4,348
5. Kingsport-Bristol...131,893...4.2%...-2,847
6. Clarksville...113,170...4.8%...-100
7. Johnson City...88,424...4.1%...-1,946
8. Jackson...62,051...3.8%...-1,289
9. Cleveland...58,712...3.8%...2,003
10. Sevierville...51,471...4.1%...-669
11. Morristown...50,989...4.2%...-41
12. Cookeville...48,415...4.0%...235
13. Tullahoma-Manchester...48,184...3.9%...-876
14. Greeneville...28,051...4.9%...-1,049
15. Athens...23,137...4.2%...557
16. Crossville...22,360...5.5%...-210
17. Shelbyville...20,244...4.0%...194
18. Lawrenceburg...18,718...4.2%...608
19. Dyersburg...15,770...5.1%...-150
20. McMinnville...15,690...4.5%...-420
21. Martin...15,509...3.7%...-471
22. Lewisburg...15,240...3.8%...-10
23. Newport...14,150...5.5%...-220
24. Union City...13,902...5.2%...72
25. Paris...13,487...5.0%...-433
26. Dayton...12,860...5.9%...300
27. Brownsville...7,324...5.0%...-86

TENNESSEE TOTAL...3,231,986...3.7%...11,286

https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/workforce/documents/LaborEstimates/LaborForceEstimatesMar20.pdf

https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/workforce/documents/LaborEstimates/LaborForceEstimatesMar19.pdf

[e-dub]

Going to the 505 to deejay with a friend. We'll be on at 8.30 Nashville Daylight Time. Here's the Facebook link, but Zucc will likely take down the stream, so I'll post a Twitch link, too. Only posting because 505, by the way LOL.

 

https://www.facebook.com/nashvilleresistance/videos/272124353918176/UzpfSTc4NTUwNTU2MzoxMDE2MzQ5MDk0NTUzNTU2NA/

https://www.twitch.tv/nashvilleresistance

Edited May 16, 2020 by e-dub

[titanhog]

What was the potential possibility of Tesla doing something in Nashville?  I see where Musk is now saying he's probably going to move his HQ to either Texas or Nevada...and someone also reported Tulsa as an option (which was weird to hear).

Does this leave Nashville out of the equation...or was our Tesla "news" regarding something other than the HQ?

Edited May 16, 2020 by titanhog

[subkyle]

1 hour ago, titanhog said:

What was the potential possibility of Tesla doing something in Nashville?  I see where Musk is now saying he's probably going to move his HQ to either Texas or Nevada...and someone also reported Tulsa as an option (which was weird to hear).

Does this leave Nashville out of the equation...or was our Tesla "news" regarding something other than the HQ?

Tesla has shown interest in building their truck here. I’d kill for the hq!!

[The ATX]

The two finalists for the Cybertruck (and Model Y car) "Terafactory" are Austin and Tulsa.  Any HQ move is a whole other thing.  Most likely just a twitter rant. 

[rolly]

I'd like to see Tulsa get the factory. Just to spread the love better.   And it's slightly more central. 

[MLBrumby]

Say "The Tesla factory in Tulsa." ten-times fast. 

[titanhog]

1 hour ago, MLBrumby said:

Say "The Tesla factory in Tulsa." ten-times fast. 

Try saying "Musk's Tesla Tulsa factory" 

[Hey_Hey]

I suspect there will be future opportunities for Tesla factories in Nashville. With this latest factory, Fremont, Shanghai, and Germany they will still only have the capacity to make ~2.5-3 million cars/year worldwide. They may very well add another US factory or two in the next 5 years. 

[PruneTracy]

Meh, let's hold out for the zettafactory. I don't want to get into a testy Tesla tussle with Tulsa.

[rolly]

What's the best location for a mega/giga/zettafactory in Middle Tennessee? Maybe down by the Saturn plant... close to I-65 / I-840.

[TheRaglander]

52 minutes ago, rolly said:

What's the best location for a mega/giga/zettafactory in Middle Tennessee? Maybe down by the Saturn plant... close to I-65 / I-840.

It would have to be a few miles south of 840 on 65 because it's very hilly around that intersection.  Further east on 840 towards MBoro or Wilson Co it flattens out.  So along 840 would totally make sense.  Infrastructure is already there versus along 65 which would need new intersections.   I know the area along 840 just south of Franklin (Arno, College Grove, Arrington) doesn't have city sewer so that has been a hindrance for large scale developments.  

[titanhog]

3 hours ago, rolly said:

What's the best location for a mega/giga/zettafactory in Middle Tennessee? Maybe down by the Saturn plant... close to I-65 / I-840.

The speedway property would have been perfect.  You’d have a test track right there if you needed one! 

[markhollin]

A drone light show to salute and thank healthcare heroes, frontline workers and first responders flies above Vanderbilt Stadium in Nashville, Tenn., Friday, May 15, 2020. During the 10-minute show by Nashville based StrictlyFX, 140 drones flew 500 feet above the stadium, as a thank you after the recent tornado and current pandemic.

Video:
 

 

[jmtunafish]

The 2019 city population estimates were released today by the Census.  As can be expected, the bulk of Tennessee's fastest-growing cities are in Middle Tennessee.  The ones in the Nashville MSA are in bold, the ones in Middle Tennessee are in italics.

rank...city...2019 pop...1-yr change

1. Nashville...670,820...3,814
2. Memphis...651,073...-31
3. Knoxville...187,603...241
4. Chattanooga...182,799...881
5. Clarksville...158,146...1,770
6. Murfreesboro...146,900...5,458
7. Franklin...83,097...2,070
8. Jackson...67,191...239
9. Johnson City...66,906...147
10. Bartlett...59,440...37
11. Hendersonville...58,113...479
12. Kingsport...54,127...121
13. Smyrna...51,586...838
14. Collierville...51,040...369
15. Cleveland...45,504...269
16. Spring Hill...43,769...2,314
17. Gallatin...42,918...2,308
18. Brentwood...42,783...216
19. Columbia...40,335...973
20. Germantown...39,225...74
21. Mount Juliet...37,029...1,368
22. Lebanon...36,479...1,108
23. LaVergne...35,716...13
24. Cookeville...34,706...662
25. Morristown...30,193...166
26. Maryville...29,742...400
27. Oak Ridge...29,156...114
28. Bristol...26,987...119
29. Farragut...23,778...878
30. Shelbyville...22,101...203

https://www.census.gov/data/tables/time-series/demo/popest/2010s-total-cities-and-towns.html

Here are the 30 largest-gaining cities.  Of the 30 largest-gaining cities in Tennessee, 21 are in Middle Tennessee, 6 are in East Tennessee, and 3 are in West Tennessee.

rank...city...1-year change...2019 pop.

1. Murfreesboro...5,458...146,900
2. Nashville...3,814...670,820
3. Spring Hill...2,314...43,769
4. Gallatin...2,308...42,918
5. Franklin...2,070...83,097
6. Clarksville...1,770...158,146
7. Mount Juliet...1,368...37,029
8. Lebanon...1,108...36,479
9. Nolensville...1,040...10,062
10. Columbia...973...40,335
11. Chattanooga...881...182,799
12. Farragut...878...23,778
13. Smyrna...838...51,586
14. Cookeville...662...34,706
15. Hendersonville...479...58,113
16. Thompson's Station...454...6,567
17. Maryville...400...29,742
18. Collierville...369...51,040
19. Sevierville...368...17,117
20. Cleveland...269...45,504
21. Hartsville...251...11,284
22. Oakland...251...8,345
23. Knoxville...241...187,603
24. Jackson...239...67,191
25. Brentwood...216...42,783
26. Shelbyville...203...22,101
27. Tullahoma...203...19,555
28. Portland...197...13,030
29. Winchester...185...8,982
30. Lewisburg...168...12,368

 

And, for the decade, Murfreesboro and Franklin are both ranked among the 15 fastest-growing large cities in the country.

Edited May 22, 2020 by jmtunafish

[nashvylle]

Perhaps Cooper likes tourism now????

 

[MLBrumby]

Makes you wonder which one got on his hands and knees to beg forgiveness. Does Mr. Elliott expound on that? 

[BnaBreaker]

Hopefully Cooper has learned to appreciate the tourism industry through this crisis.  I mean, I agree that residents should come first and that a city should always be evolving and trying to diversify it's economy where it can.  But man... before any of that happens ya gotta know who you are and where your meals come from.  

[titanhog]

2 hours ago, BnaBreaker said:

Hopefully Cooper has learned to appreciate the tourism industry through this crisis.  I mean, I agree that residents should come first and that a city should always be evolving and trying to diversify it's economy where it can.  But man... before any of that happens ya gotta know who you are and where your meals come from.  

He basically comes across as someone who hates tourism and hates big business (two of the reasons Nashville is growing...and two of the entities that can help the city financially).  Pretty sure he's getting a lesson in just how wrong he's been.

3 hours ago, jmtunafish said:

The 2019 city population estimates were released today by the Census.  As can be expected, the bulk of Tennessee's fastest-growing cities are in Middle Tennessee.  The ones in the Nashville MSA are in bold, the ones in Middle Tennessee are in italics.

rank...city...2019 pop...1-yr change

1. Nashville...670,820...3,814
2. Memphis...651,073...-31
3. Knoxville...187,603...241
4. Chattanooga...182,799...881
5. Clarksville...158,146...1,770
6. Murfreesboro...146,900...5,458
7. Franklin...83,097...2,070
8. Jackson...67,191...239
9. Johnson City...66,906...147
10. Bartlett...59,440...3737

 

Murfreesboro actually has a legit shot at being the state's 3rd largest city in the not-too-distant future.

[MLBrumby]

5 minutes ago, titanhog said:

He basically comes across as someone who hates tourism and hates big business (two of the reasons Nashville is growing...and two of the entities that can help the city financially).  Pretty sure he's getting a lesson in just how wrong he's been.

Murfreesboro actually has a legit shot at being the state's 3rd largest city in the not-too-distant future.

Yeah, I don't get why Knoxville (especially) and Chattanooga haven't shown greater y-o-y numbers. Our downtown has been booming for the past 10 years. And there are hundreds of new neighborhoods underway in the inner ring and next-outer-rings. 

[downtownresident]

2 hours ago, BnaBreaker said:

Hopefully Cooper has learned to appreciate the tourism industry through this crisis.  I mean, I agree that residents should come first and that a city should always be evolving and trying to diversify it's economy where it can.  But man... before any of that happens ya gotta know who you are and where your meals come from.  

I think Cooper knows that the key to rolling back any portion of the huge property tax increase he's proposed is getting tourism rolling again, and to do that he needs Butch Spyridon. Thank god we have Butch promoting us, he's been the driving force behind the tourism industry's explosion in the last few years. 

[Nash_12South]

I’m not a Cooper fan, but I don’t think he hates tourism or business exactly, but wants less government involvement and tax dollars going to support them.

[jmtunafish]

15 hours ago, titanhog said:

Murfreesboro actually has a legit shot at being the state's 3rd largest city in the not-too-distant future.

I hadn't thought about that, but you're right.  If current trends continue, in 10 years Murfreesboro will leapfrog over Clarksville, Chattanooga, and Knoxville to become the state's 3rd largest city.

Honestly, I don't see Knoxville growing much.  Knox County, yes.  Knoxville city, no.  The trend in Tennessee's largest cities seems to be families leaving the cities for suburbs and selling their homes to childless singles or couples.  I saw that in my old neighborhood in Knoxville where the local elementary school has only about half the enrollment it did just 20 years ago even though every house is still occupied and even with a few new infills.  In the case of cities like Murfreesboro and Franklin, they're surrounded by wide open spaces that can be annexed first and then developed later.