Proposed high-rise development worries members of Berry Hill community

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — Throughout 8th Avenue South, there are posters advocating against a proposed residential high-rise in an area that has never had such a development before.

The poster compares the project to the Gulch and suggests it will bring more high-rises to the community.

The Nashville-based developer is Mainland 8th, LLC. According to Metropolitan Board of Zoning Appeals, the proposed high-rise is 12 stories tall, will feature up to 120 residential units, and is planned near the Publix Grocery Store in Melrose.

The company is asking Metro Zoning to approve a special exemption in order to construct the building. Mainland 8th, LLC, sent News 2 the following statement about the poster:

8th avenue, with its proximity to downtown and mix of existing buildings and uses presents a unique opportunity to create an enhanced sense of place through thoughtfully executed development.  The Mainland Companies, a local developer with strong Nashville roots, hopes to bring our expertise and vision to the 8th Avenue corridor by bringing a beautiful building with high-quality homes and new neighborhood retail to the community.  We are not proposing a chain hotel.  We are not proposing a short-term rental building.  We are not in favor of Gulch 2.0.  And we are not requesting to build a larger building than what the zoning already allows.

We do however have an opportunity to enhance the streetscape to allow 8th Avenue to continue to evolve as a neighborhood amenity and become more than just a thoroughfare; and we will give people more opportunities to afford to live in this very attractive but increasingly expensive neighborhood.  There is a large amount of local support for what we are doing, and we think the more folks know about the project, the more support we will have.

We wholeheartedly welcome the engagement of the community and hope that there will be plenty of participation at the next hearing.  In fact, we have been involved in outreach in the neighborhood seeking participation and feedback. The sign is colorful, but it is giving people the wrong impression of who we are and the good the project can do.

Cindy DeFrancesco, executive vice president of Mainland 8th, LLC

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Several people across the 8th Avenue South community are not happy with the current growth, saying short-term rentals and people littering their streets are common.

“You don’t even know your neighbors anymore,” Longtime resident Franklin Gooch said.

Gooch, who moved into his home in the 1970s, explained how many of the families who lived in the area for decades have left. In addition, homes in his community have turned into short-term rentals.

Other residents said they believe Nashville has lost its charm, adding that, for the people who grew up here, the city has just become a tourist trap.

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