Blocking the Blox
🦩 Stopping the zoo data center won’t be cheap · Early voting partisan comparison · A look at the money flowing into Tennessee primary elections · Much more!
Augustapalooza Two chances for you to schmooze next month. The special guest for our monthly event is writer Scott Greer here to talk about his new book, and we're partnering with children's book publisher Chapter House for a mom's night out (with open bar) the Saturday before. (Greer Info, Mom Info)
Voting & TN U.S. Congressional District lookup Use your address to find your new congressional district here. Check out The Pamphleteer's quick voting guide.
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Defeating the data center next to the zoo could come with a price tag and a payout.
From Megan Podsiedlik
After likely deferring an intergovernmental agreement related to the Music City Center TDZ, taking up first-reading proposals to ban right turns on red and surveillance technology, debating legislation on the Nashville Entertainment Commission, and holding a public hearing on the Vanderbilt Innovation Neighborhood, the Metro Council will make its most anticipated decision of the night: whether to move forward with what will be a multimillion-dollar effort to acquire the land next to the Nashville Zoo. The move could potentially block DC Blox's proposed data center, but at what cost?
DC Blox finalized its $23 million purchase of the 23.49-acre Grassmere Park property in mid-July despite months of opposition. The property is reportedly appraised at more than $36 million—a figure worth keeping in mind as Metro considers using eminent domain, which requires payment of "just compensation" based on the property's fair market value.
If the council approves the legislation, taxpayers will face an expensive outcome regardless of how DC Blox responds: a multimillion-dollar payout, a prolonged legal battle, or both.
Mayor Freddie O'Connell's administration and legal team remain confident the condemnation proposal will hold up in court. The Nashville Zoo is also standing its ground.
Last week, DC Blox proposed a Memorandum of Understanding that would have reduced the project footprint, eliminated the planned expansion, and returned a portion of the property to the Nashville Zoo for future development. The Nashville Zoo's board unanimously rejected the proposal during an emergency meeting on July 23.
You can follow along with the Pamphleteer’s user-friendly Council Watch Agenda starting at 6:30 p.m. tonight.
✹ AUGUST PAMPHLETEER EVENTS
Two Opportunities to Mix and Mingle. In addition to our regular, third Thursday get-together with special guest Scott Greer who is here to talk about his new book Whitepill, we're partnering with children's book publisher Chapter House to host a Mom's Night Out in support of their new line of high-quality children's classics.
For the Whitepilled event with Scott Greer, the first 50 guests to RSVP with code PILLED will receive free admittance. RSVP here.
EARLY VOTING TURNOUT
PRIMARY ELECTION HEADLINES
- 💰 State fixes broken links to campaign finance disclosures covering $2M in spending. A technical problem on Tennessee's campaign finance website temporarily prevented the public from accessing disclosures detailing nearly $2 million in campaign spending, much of it tied to the high-profile Republican gubernatorial primary. State officials corrected the broken links, restoring access to reports that provide a clearer picture of the heavy spending in the race's closing days. (TNJ)
- 💸 Outside spending on legislative races reaches $1.45M in pre-primary period. Outside groups have spent at least $1.45 million on Tennessee legislative primaries before Election Day, with money flowing into a relatively small number of competitive House and Senate contests. The spending has largely funded television, mail, and digital advertising as interest groups and political organizations try to influence the makeup of the next General Assembly. (TNJ)
- 💵 Rose up to $13M in self-funding, Blackburn PAC gets $250K from Anthropic in TN gov primary last days. New campaign finance filings show U.S. Rep. John Rose has boosted his personal investment in his gubernatorial campaign to about $13 million, while a PAC supporting U.S. Sen. Marsha Blackburn received a $250,000 donation from AI company Anthropic during the race's final stretch. The filings underscore the extraordinary amount of money flooding into Tennessee's governor's race, with both candidates and outside groups making major financial pushes ahead of the Aug. 6 primary. (Lookout)
✹ PROPERTY TAX CALCULATOR
What Moved Your Bill? Use our handy new tool to see what contributed to your property tax bill increase: the reappraisal or the rate hike. (Try It Out)
DEVELOPMENT
- The Boring Co. reveals new downtown tunnel station at the JW Marriott hotel (NBJ)
- Rock Harbor Marina site sells for $10.1M (Post)
- Freeman Webb pays $42.15M for east side apartment complex (Post)
✹ METRO COUNCIL WATCH
New Council Watch Features We've added additional features to Council Watch. In addition to who's funding your council member, you can now see how they vote and who they vote with most frequently. (Take a Look)
THINGS TO DO
View our calendar for the week here.
📅 Visit our On The Radar list to find upcoming events around Nashville.
🎧 On Spotify: Pamphleteer's Picks, a playlist of our favorite bands in town this week.
👨🏻🌾 Check out our Nashville farmer's market guide.
TONIGHT
🎸 Tame Impala @ Bridgestone Arena, 7p, $127, Info
🎸 Metric, Broken Social Scene and Stars @ Ryman Auditorium, 7p, $67, Info
🎸 Steel Guitar Jam @ Eastside Bowl, 4p, Free, Info
🪕 Troubadour Blue @ Station Inn, 8p, Info
🎸 Twang Tuesday @ Acme Feed & Seed, 7p, Free, Info
🎸 Honky Tonk Tuesday @ Eastside Bowl, 8p, $10, Info
+ two-step lessons @ 7p, The Cowpokes @ 8p
📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.
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Today's newsletter is brought to you by Davis Hunt, Megan Podsiedlik, and Camelia Brennan.