Plans for new hotel in downtown Nashville garnering mixed reactions

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WSMV) - You could soon see a new hotel pop up in downtown Nashville on the corner of 8th Avenue South and Demonbreun Street.

Some city leaders believe this will help with the influx of travelers visiting the Music City as the entertainment industry bounces back following stay at home orders and travel restrictions during the thick of the pandemic.

Engineers and architects have outlined plans to transform a public parking lot into a hotel with 750 rooms and 250 parking spots. White Lodging Services is the company that bought the parking lot for $35 million.

The proposed hotel would be located across the street from two other hotels and walking distance from the convention center. It would be about 35 stories, making the hotel one of the tallest buildings in Nashville.

Metro Councilman Freddie O’Connell said replacing a parking lot with a hotel near the Music City Center will help Nashville fund more projects. O’Connell said the city had $320 million in new revenue from property improvements and hotel-motel tax the fiscal year 2022 budget.

“It’s going to be a much more appealing option from funding things we are trying to fund: more sidewalks in neighborhoods, better public school system, all of those things come from a conversion of an otherwise empty lot and something that is far more utilized,” O’Connell explained.

Some people are hoping replacing a parking lot with a hotel does not make parking in downtown Nashville more difficult.

“That’s what my son who lives here says. It’s tough to park down here,” Kathy Brown said. “As we drove around last night, there are plenty of hotels.”

The concept for the hotel will be discussed during the Downtown Code Design Review Committee in August.

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