Country music superstar Garth Brooks is building a new Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) substation and Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT) traffic control room on Lower Broadway.
The facilities will be developed by Brooks at no cost to Metro taxpayers and will add critical resources to both departments’ efforts to reduce traffic congestion and keep the city’s busiest few blocks secure, the Nashville mayor’s office said in a press release.
As part of the agreement, which is subject to Metro Council approval, Metro will authorize a commonplace condemnation of an alley adjacent to 411 Broadway, the site of a future Brooks entertainment concept. Metro Government authorizes approximately between 15 and 30 alleyways each year to developers, property owners and other third parties as part of the standard city planning and permitting process.
“Lower Broadway is an iconic destination for fans of world-class music, sports and a good time, but as Nashvillians know well, it can also create safety and traffic challenges that my office is working hard to tackle across multiple fronts,” said Mayor John Cooper. “I commend Garth Brooks for stepping up to help make Lower Broadway safer and more enjoyable for everyone. These additional resources will add new tools to reduce traffic and improve community safety downtown while continuing to prioritize other initiatives for neighborhoods and families throughout Davidson County.”
"I am deeply grateful to Garth and his team for including space that will serve as a mini hub for our operations in the Broadway entertainment district,” said Metro Nashville Police Chief John Drake. “This unique partnership will help enhance public safety for downtown residents and visitors."
In April, Brooks first announced his plans to open a new entertainment concept and bar in Nashville at 411 Broadway, in a 3-story, 40,000-plus square foot property that he purchased in December 2021. Nashville’s historic Lower Broadway is home to famous honky-tonks and a stone’s throw from the historic Ryman Auditorium, the “Mother Church of Country Music,” the mayor’s office said.
Managing traffic and congestion across Nashville is a big priority for NDOT,” said Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure Director Diana Alarcon. “As we continue building out our city-wide traffic management center, we’re excited for the opportunity to be a partner in the development of a smaller TMC downtown. The benefits are enormous—from managing large-scale special events to enhancing safety and utilizing infrastructure more efficiently.”
