Landowner Says City Trying To Push Her Out
Joy Ford Has Written, Produced For Country Music Singers
POSTED: 5:25 pm CDT April 29,
2008
UPDATED: 11:34 pm CDT April 29,
2008
NASHVILLE, Tenn. -- Over the years the city has invested a lot of time and energy into sprucing up Music Row, but some are wondering if the city is going too far.
Watch This StoryWalking the halls of Country International Records is like taking a trip back in time to 1974. Some people call the time period "Old Nashville.""I'm as much a part of this town as the Capitol is," said Joy Ford.Ford can rattle off a string of Country Music hit makers she's written for, published or promoted over the past 34 years."Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley. I could go on and on," she said. "There's billions of music industry songs that have come out of this little house right there; this little building."But if the city has its way, Ford's little building will be leveled in favor of a high-rise office building. If she doesn't sell, the Metro Housing Authority is considering taking it anyway."MDHA has sent her quite threatening letters threatening telling her that they want this property and they're willing to use eminent domain," said Institute for Justice attorney Chip Miller.On Tuesday, attorneys from the Institute for Justice came all the way from Washington, D.C., to politely encourage city leaders to back down."Eminent domain should not be used for private business development. It is incredible that Nashville is talking about taking this part of history to give to another private party to put up yet another office tower," said Miller.Ford's family even offered to spruce up the non-descript exterior of her office in the hopes of blending in with the new and improved Music Row."Our position was, 'How can we be part of it? Can we remodel the building to match? Can we put up some brick? Stucco?'" said Ford's son, Carole Ford.But they said their offer didn’t help. Now neighbors and Ford are wondering what will happen next or who may be next on the list."If they can do it to Joy, they will. And if they can do it for profit, they'll do it to the rest of us," said studio owner Danny White.MDHA has turned what used to be an abandoned part of Nashville into a thriving business district.MDHA's director said eminent domain is merely a tool and that they hope the issue doesn't come to that.
Watch This StoryWalking the halls of Country International Records is like taking a trip back in time to 1974. Some people call the time period "Old Nashville.""I'm as much a part of this town as the Capitol is," said Joy Ford.Ford can rattle off a string of Country Music hit makers she's written for, published or promoted over the past 34 years."Jerry Lee Lewis, Elvis Presley. I could go on and on," she said. "There's billions of music industry songs that have come out of this little house right there; this little building."But if the city has its way, Ford's little building will be leveled in favor of a high-rise office building. If she doesn't sell, the Metro Housing Authority is considering taking it anyway."MDHA has sent her quite threatening letters threatening telling her that they want this property and they're willing to use eminent domain," said Institute for Justice attorney Chip Miller.On Tuesday, attorneys from the Institute for Justice came all the way from Washington, D.C., to politely encourage city leaders to back down."Eminent domain should not be used for private business development. It is incredible that Nashville is talking about taking this part of history to give to another private party to put up yet another office tower," said Miller.Ford's family even offered to spruce up the non-descript exterior of her office in the hopes of blending in with the new and improved Music Row."Our position was, 'How can we be part of it? Can we remodel the building to match? Can we put up some brick? Stucco?'" said Ford's son, Carole Ford.But they said their offer didn’t help. Now neighbors and Ford are wondering what will happen next or who may be next on the list."If they can do it to Joy, they will. And if they can do it for profit, they'll do it to the rest of us," said studio owner Danny White.MDHA has turned what used to be an abandoned part of Nashville into a thriving business district.MDHA's director said eminent domain is merely a tool and that they hope the issue doesn't come to that.Copyright 2008 by WSMV.com. All rights reserved.
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