Today, Mayor John Cooper announced a new agreement to bring additional safety measures and traffic control tools to Lower Broadway, thanks to an innovative arrangement between Metro Nashville and Garth Brooks related to the redevelopment of 411 Broadway.
The construction of a new Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) substation and Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT) traffic control room located on Lower Broadway 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. 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+ square foot property that he purchased in December 2021 via 411, LLC. 411 Broadway is located on Nashville’s historic Lower Broadway, home to its famous honky-tonks and a stone’s throw from the historic Ryman Auditorium, the “Mother Church of Country Music.”
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.”
Garth Brooks is the 7-time CMA Entertainer of the Year, a first for any artist. He is also the first and only artist in history to receive nine Diamond Awards for the now nine albums certified by the RIAA at over 10 million album sales each. He remains the #1-selling solo artist in U.S. history, certified by the RIAA with 157 million album sales.