Nashville Bits and Pieces

[PaulChinetti]

Yeah I think this would probably have to be a state level committee, as they enjoy making mandates on what cities can/cannot do. There is surely some kind of independent commission that could be form and using the enormous amounts of data from our own city and across the world to come up with valuations for properties. 4 years seems too long to me though, especially with the level of automation could put on this. The review process would have to be super fast and transparent though, which would help a lot of people from being disgruntled I would hope.

I like the idea of thinking of it in loops. Everything in the inner loop, boom, this is the law of the land now. You have this year to request any exemptions, but they will be on a severely limited basis. 

The 440 loop, this will happen in the next 3-5 years, with more but also a limited amount of exemptions based on, historic value, location, etc, etc.

Like you said though, I would grant ZERO exemptions for land on main roads. I would go as far to say parcels in neighborhoods that have been sitting empty for years with no improvements while the city/state have been struggling to build new housing for it's citizens build on it or sell it! It's great that you own it and it's your but you must contribute to the city, no more free rides with your tiny tax bills, just because there are no improvements. 

I'm sure the stink that would be raised by citizens and groups would be large. 

[Bos2Nash]

I think another step that would have to be taken is to exempt ALL the R and RS zoned parcels. This may drive the conversation about removing all of those zoning districts, but I don't think any person could justify taxing those property owners who bought within those zones for "not contributing to the city". The "potential" of those properties are limited anyways to literally single family homes so they are technically already taxed at their potential. The funky part of that is there is A LOT of single family zoning tracts within the 440 and Briley Parkway loops.

Unfortunately, this does nothing to halt the other component of the housing crisis though in which investment groups are buying up the single family housing stock around the world. 

[PaulChinetti]

Oh see, I don't think we would want to exempt R and RS. There are too many empty lots just sitting there that are only able to do that because they aren't getting taxed on the actual value of their land.  

I think if the city tied it into banning all SFH in the inner loop and all new permits for SFHs in the 440 loop it could work.

 

The uproar that would cause I assume would be monumental. But by grandfathering in current single family homes, I think it would alleviate the change over time.

[Baronakim]

6 hours ago, PaulChinetti said:

There is already people deciding what property taxes are. 

It seems like a simple solve to a large problem. You can do whatever you want with your property but a city has a finite amount of land. So sure you can use your property in the urban core for a parking lot or leave it empty but you will pay the same in taxes as the residential skyscraper or duplex right next to you. Because that land could be better used for housing/offices/retail. 

The transition from property taxes to land value tax would be an intersting one, long how long is the transition period, who gets relief, etc.

 

Sorry Paul , but I think this idea largely sucks.   Firstly, small holdings that have been owned for years would suddenly pay exhorbitant taxes based on an arbitrary standard of development?  I think the courts would overrule this idea very quickly.  Secondly, Nashville has a plethera of land, enough to build the city 5 t0 10 timws over.  We have been eating away at it for the past 4 decades as we demolished so much in the 70s and 80s.  As far as promoting density along the main roads, I am already beginning to tire of the monoblocks of housing going up  all the same height due to the building of 5 or 6 stories of wood over a concreted parking base.  That needs to go as it seems to limit the construction of complexes with som variety and interest in height.  Empty lots can be quite good id they have some trees.  What is needed is limiting the percentage of vacant lots that can be surface parking.  And how about ENFORCING Metros tree laws to keep nice old trees.   Making every piece of land taxable would absolutely make trees too expensive to keep or plant for that matter. I don't think this kind of tax proposal will result in quality and good design Nashville needs.

 

Edited March 7, 2022 by Baronakim

[PaulChinetti]

I'd never heard of it until this past Friday, but there definitely seems to be some success stories.

https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2019/3/6/non-glamorous-gains-the-pennsylvania-land-tax-experiment

In regards to trees, I don't see why this would stop developers/builders from putting trees on their projects, there would still be regulations around trees and what you can and can't do with them. Buyers aren't going to suddenly stop wanting trees all of a sudden. 

[Baronakim]

14 hours ago, PaulChinetti said:

I'd never heard of it until this past Friday, but there definitely seems to be some success stories.

https://www.strongtowns.org/journal/2019/3/6/non-glamorous-gains-the-pennsylvania-land-tax-experiment

In regards to trees, I don't see why this would stop developers/builders from putting trees on their projects, there would still be regulations around trees and what you can and can't do with them. Buyers aren't going to suddenly stop wanting trees all of a sudden. 

It's not about planting them .  It is about both preserving mature ones  internally on the site and planting limited new ones in rows at streetscapes.  Making the value per square foot so high reduces the probability of retaining good specimens in favor of boring cookie cutter plantings.  Examples of preservation or replacement  I recall that were very desirable were the tree in front of the new Belmont concert hall, the large tree at the corner of stadium at the pedestrian bridge or the magnolia in the front of Loews Hotel.  When you destroy a large existing tree, there is a formula for new trees to be panted based on the size of the removed tree in terms of caliper and the number and size required as replacement.  This idea of taxation seems to me to assure probabilty of being boring and contributing to the sameness I see in these megablock complexes.   It looks to be weighted to havens rather than Albions IMO.  This is a qualitative rather than quantitative issue I am inclined to believe.

 

Edited March 8, 2022 by Baronakim

[titanhog]

Ok…so thinking ahead a bit.

We have several sections in or near DT with multiple tall towers on the horizon.  I’m thinking of Nashville Yards / YMCA…Music City Roundabout area…River North (hopefully)…Beaman…Reed District…and Titans Stadium land.  

Any thoughts on other potential areas where we may see multiple towers rise one day?

[smeagolsfree]

More land to sprout towers in SoBro.

[Bos2Nash]

Sad news...

https://www.wkrn.com/news/broadway-nashville/ernest-tubb-record-shop-to-close-its-doors-this-spring/

https://www.wkrn.com/news/broadway-nashville/ernest-tubb-record-shop-to-close-its-doors-this-spring/

[titanhog]

39 minutes ago, Bos2Nash said:

Sad news...

https://www.wkrn.com/news/broadway-nashville/ernest-tubb-record-shop-to-close-its-doors-this-spring/

https://www.wkrn.com/news/broadway-nashville/ernest-tubb-record-shop-to-close-its-doors-this-spring/

We seriously have to find a way to save this business.  As Music City, USA, we CAN NOT let this business fail.  As I posted elsewhere, this is a “canary in the coal mine” moment.  This isn’t “Planet Hollywood” or “Hard Rock Cafe”….this is a music institution in Nashville, one business on Lower Broadway that NEEDS to never go away if we are to remain Music City.  Tootsies, The Ryman and Ernest Tubb are 3 that CAN NOT fail.

As someone mentioned, at the very least, the CMA will purchase this and keep it running.  The Midnite Jamboree is an institution, as well…2nd only to The Grand Ole Opry.  It runs every Sat night at Midnight on WSM after the Opry…as it has for decades.

If the CMA doesn’t buy it, I have to feel someone like Aubrey Preston…or some major country star (even Dolly or Loretta Lynn) would buy it and hire people to keep it going.

Edited March 11, 2022 by titanhog

[titanhog]

https://www.grammy.com/news/music-citys-midnite-jamboree

Music City's "Midnite Jamboree" 

Ernest Tubb's "Midnite Jamboree" radio show has been a country music fixture for 65 years

J. POET

|GRAMMYS/DEC 2, 2014 - 11:06 PM

Country singer/songwriter Ernest Tubb never took his fans for granted and was an artist who went the extra mile to show them his gratitude for their support. Case in point, in 1947 Tubb started an informal concert radio show from his record store on 720 Commerce Street in Nashville with the idea of presenting an intimate experience as a contrast to the Grand Ole Opry, where he'd only get to sing a couple songs on any given night. His show was an hour long and free, while the smaller venue allowed him to interact with the audience directly. Tubb, who was nicknamed the Texas Troubadour, called his show the "Midnite Jamboree."

Amazingly, 65 years later, the show still airs on WSM-AM in Nashville every Sunday from midnight – 1:30 a.m. A fixture in Music City, it is the second-longest running country music show on radio — only the Grand Ole Opry's show has been on the air longer.

"We've never missed a week in all these years," says Jennifer Herron, current MC of "Midnite Jamboree." "March 17 [was] program number 3,397. These days, we're broadcast live from the Texas Troubadour Theatre near Opryland, with a simultaneous TV webcast on our website. It's still free and we have regular audience members that have been coming for years and sit in the same seat every week. They bring pictures of themselves from 20 years back to show off."

Though he died in 1984, Tubb's legacy also lives on through the Ernest Tubb Record Shop, which shares a lobby with the Texas Troubadour Theatre. The record store was another venture Tubb started with his fans in mind. 

"When [Ernest] played small towns, people would ask him where they could find his records," says Gary Bennett, manager of the Ernest Tubb Record Shop and Texas Troubadour Theatre. "He got the idea for a mail order service and even sold records by his competitors."  The mail order business spawned a record store and the idea for a radio show broadcast from the store.

"They built a stage in the back of the store," says Bennett. "There's a scene in Coal Miner's Daughter [the 1980 Loretta Lynn biopic staring Sissy Spacek] where she's on the stage of the 'Midnite Jamboree.' It was filmed on the stage of the store at 417 Broadway, [the shop's second location, just around the corner from the Grand Ole Opry's Ryman Auditorium]. It's still there and artists often ask to have their record release parties on that stage. The shop is as crowded as Times Square on Friday and Saturday nights."

The current "Midnite Jamboree" follows the same format Tubb introduced in 1947. After an introduction by the night's host, they play a Jimmie Rodgers track and a commercial for one of his compilations.

"Jimmie Rodgers was Ernest's idol," says Herron. "He always featured a Jimmie Rodgers record on the show and so do we."

With the show broadcast over the Internet, regular listeners are able to interact with the show while it's on the air. "If we don't open with a Jimmie Rodgers song, people immediately email us," says Bennett says. "The fans are steadfast. They like the sound of traditional country music, and that's what we give them."

After the show, headliners and fans head to the autograph tables where the stars sign CDs, posters and old albums. "If Marty Stuart or Mel Tillis come in, we may not get done with the autographs until 3:30 in the morning," says Bennett. "They'll sign every last album, and sell their records too. It's a country tradition and helps bring them closer to their fans."

Tubb also utilized "Midnite Jamboree" as a means to introduce up-and-coming talent to his audience. The show has given early exposure to artists such as Randy Travis (when he was still Randy Traywick), the Wilburn Brothers, Johnny Cash, Loretta Lynn, Garth Brooks, and a kid named Elvis Presley. The Jamboree showcases intimate performances by both established and up-and-coming artists alike.

"David McCormick [CEO of Ernest Tubb Record Shop] told me that Presley got booed off the stage the only time he was on the Opry," says Herron. "Ernest invited him to come on the Jamboree, where the crowd was more accepting. He sent [Ernest] a thank you note that he carried around in his wallet for years. It said, 'Thanks for saving the weekend and making me feel like part of the country music family. '"

"[Tubb] liked to introduce talent nobody had ever heard to give them a chance," says Bennett. "The show's host can bring in a guest for one or two songs and I've seen unknowns come in and wow the crowd."

"Midnite Jamboree" airs live 10 months a year, with archived shows running during January and February. "We started running shows from the archives two years ago," says Bennett. "We don't mess with them, just play them the way they were recorded. If a record skipped, we leave it in."

Despite the Internet's potential reach, Herron said she's always surprised by how many international listeners the show attracts. "I was on vacation in the Australian outback, visiting an Aboriginal homestead. We had an Aboriginal guide and he was wearing an Ernest Tubb baseball cap. He told me he got it in Nashville when we went to the Jamboree. He said he listens to the show every week."

(J. Poet lives in San Francisco and writes about Native, folk, country, Americana, and world music for many national and international publications and websites.)

[donNdonelson2]

Gaylord is frequently (and deservedly) vilified for their decision to shutter the Opryland USA theme park. One thing they deserve credit for was that they purchased Hatch Show Print and then donated it to the Country Music Foundation, so that it would be preserved and protected. I’m hopeful, but not necessarily optimistic, that a corporate “knight in shiny armor” might come along to rescue this iconic “damsel in distress!”

[bnacincy]

Yes, it must be saved.

The problem is the property values on Lower Broadway have skyrocketed -so in order for someone to save it they will need very deep pockets.

The next problem is whether it is actually turning a profit now or could in the future-at least to the point where an investor would actually see any measurable return.

[titanhog]

6 hours ago, bnacincy said:

Yes, it must be saved.

The problem is the property values on Lower Broadway have skyrocketed -so in order for someone to save it they will need very deep pockets.

The next problem is whether it is actually turning a profit now or could in the future-at least to the point where an investor would actually see any measurable return.

It's definitely going to take someone interested in preserving it “as is” that is very, very wealthy…or an organization that can fundraise…like the CMHoF.  

[markhollin]

Nice historical overview of the Ernest Tubb Record Shop and Lower Broadway at The Tennessean here:

https://www.tennessean.com/story/entertainment/2022/03/11/lower-broadways-ernest-tubb-record-shop-close-spring/7002863001/?utm_source=tennessean&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_briefing_greeting&utm_term=list_article_thumb&utm_content=1056TN-E-NLETTER65

[grilled_cheese]

https://www.newschannel5.com/news/newschannel-5-investigates/revealed-airbnb-legislation-shows-how-capitol-hill-culture-affects-tennessee-communities

[CenterHill]

33 minutes ago, grilled_cheese said:

https://www.newschannel5.com/news/newschannel-5-investigates/revealed-airbnb-legislation-shows-how-capitol-hill-culture-affects-tennessee-communities

Airbnb have figured out it’s not hard to get state legislators to override Metro council.  They will not stop until they have unrestricted access in all neighborhoods. 

[andywildman]

6 hours ago, grilled_cheese said:

https://www.newschannel5.com/news/newschannel-5-investigates/revealed-airbnb-legislation-shows-how-capitol-hill-culture-affects-tennessee-communities

I mean we just gotta buy a property in Dickson next to a certain state legislator to set up as a “grand old party” house (until the time we intend to return to live in that house). Would change that tune real quick.

[Pdt2f]

8 hours ago, grilled_cheese said:

https://www.newschannel5.com/news/newschannel-5-investigates/revealed-airbnb-legislation-shows-how-capitol-hill-culture-affects-tennessee-communities

Lol I love the rep from Knoxville that basically said “dude nobody wants to do AirBnB’s in freaking Dickson, so why do you care so much?!”

[UTgrad09]

1 hour ago, andywildman said:

I mean we just gotta buy a property in Dickson next to a certain state legislator to set up as a “grand old party” house (until the time we intend to return to live in that house). Would change that tune real quick.

I've thought about that before. And I mean no ill will against the people of, say, Dickson, or any other area. But if someone with the means could buy a meaningful amount of property in one of these areas, and absolutely exploit some of the laws that come through the TN legislature aimed at Nashville....it would be....interesting.

[markhollin]

Nashville hotel bookings down 29% from 2019 levels, but that is better than the national average.  Room rates are also down about 30% from a couple years ago.  But , overall, things are slowly climbing back. 

More at The Tennessean here:

https://www.tennessean.com/story/money/2022/03/15/nashville-hotels-fight-regain-business-pandemic-travel-industry/7037563001/?utm_source=tennessean&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_briefing_greeting&utm_term=hero&utm_content=1056TN-E-NLETTER65

[PruneTracy]

11 hours ago, Pdt2f said:

Lol I love the rep from Knoxville that basically said “dude nobody wants to do AirBnB’s in freaking Dickson, so why do you care so much?!”

I know this is a flippant response but you'd be surprised. I've been on several road projects in very rural parts of the state in the past few years where we had to do commercial ROW takes because the property owners were operating them as STRs.

Airbnb, et al. market their services as facilitating vacation rentals (and we obviously see that side in Nashville and other urban areas) but it seems like people are using them for more mundane purposes. We are relocating a family right now where the dad moved here to take a job from out of state and they are staying in an STR in the middle of nowhere until they find a house (not an easy task right now). We had one that was a legit mobile home a couple of years ago, which I thought was against the terms of service of many of these companies. One guy was in effect running a timeshare near Kentucky Lake where he had a couple of houses set up for boating/fishing and apparently had regular "customers" who were coordinating when they would be able to use them on the side.

Some of these I imagine are not STRs in the legal sense but they are using STR companies, if inefficiently (the timeshare guy especially did not seem to be getting much out of his deal other than coordinating housekeeping, which I think was with Marriott or at least not one of the "retail" services). I have not been on the owner side either so I'm not sure how helpful or profitable it is. But the moral of the story I guess is that in today's world the urban/rural divides are becoming less clear and I could hypothetically see how state legislators would have a dog in the fight. It could have just as easily gone the other way in different circumstances where the state would look to restrict STRs in areas where residents/homeowners were fine with them, with a little money from, say, hoteliers greasing the skids.

Of course that's all irrelevant as this is simply an issue of politicians getting paid to do what they do, as always.

[PaulChinetti]

I know during covid the farther out ones blew up a lot just because people where wanting to get away from cities and density. 

The off the beaten path lifestyle and all.

[KJHburg]

Linkedin ranked their top opportunity cities and see where Nashville ranks   Major NC metro areas also in the top 10 as well. 

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/looking-job-hunting-edge-15-metros-opportunity-magnets-george-anders/

[PaulChinetti]

I won’t even try to act like I know but what is going on in Fayetteville, Arkansas?