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🏎 Fairgrounds Speedway’s future could shape Nashville’s 2027 campaign trail · Paramount won't be coming to Music City · 2030 Super Bowl puts pressure on the East Bank · Much more!
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Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway faces a new fight over its future, and it could affect the 2027 campaign trail.
From Megan Podsiedlik
Nashville has been circling under a caution flag over the fate of the Fairgrounds Speedway for over a decade, but the latest petition filed by an anti-racing coalition could finally settle the track’s future once and for all.
Last week, Restore Our Fairgrounds turned up to the Metro Courthouse with boxes of petitions. The group submitted nearly 75,000 signatures from Nashvillians supporting a referendum to ban auto racing at the fairgrounds, far exceeding the amount needed to get the issue on the ballot.
But Restore Our Fairgrounds will have plenty of hurdles to clear before getting the green light. The group has already had to remove signatures from its petition after several signers said the proposal misrepresented the promise of affordable housing (which is not actually required) while downplaying the central issue that could appear on the ballot: a ban on racing.
Beyond facing opposition from pro-racing groups and the possibility of another legal battle, Restore Our Fairgrounds still needs the Davidson County Election Commission to verify enough of its remaining signatures for the referendum to appear on the August 2027 ballot, where Nashville voters would decide the issue.
Pay-to-Play In 2022, Nashville voters approved a Charter Amendment that significantly increased the number of signatures required to file a petition to get a referendum on the ballot in Davidson County. Adding insult to injury, only 40,443 voters supported the change—fewer than the number of signatures it would require to qualify a petition for the ballot at that time.
Former Councilmember Bob Mendes initially introduced the proposal, arguing that the higher threshold was necessary because legal challenges involving referendum petitions were costing Metro too much in litigation fees.
But did that trade-off create an entry fee for the democratic process? In order for Restore Our Fairgrounds to get enough signatures within 90 days, it hired consultants. The group has yet to disclose how much its efforts cost or who footed the bill, but it’s safe to say that those 75,000 endorsements came with a price tag.
Back in May, Darden Copeland, who formed Save My Fairgrounds to save the track and fairgrounds from demolition 16 years ago, spoke against the petition.
“Mr. Ingram and the Gulch developers are seeking to bypass Metro Council to eliminate an activity and replace it with a land use that is beneficial for his real estate holders,” said Copeland, who also happened to work for John Ingram to bring Major League Soccer to Nashville, when speaking to the Charter Revision Commission. “This is a real estate deal; Ingram has said as much."
“This is a very specific land-use decision,” continued Copeland. “These guys are asking you to pick winners and losers in a power struggle over a sandbox.”
2027 Elections If the referendum to ban auto racing at the Fairgrounds Nashville makes it onto the August 2027 ballot, it could become a significant issue in the city’s council and mayoral races. Not only could the referendum draw more voters to the polls during what is typically an underwhelming, off-cycle local election, but it could also put the future of racing, the preservation of Nashville’s history, and the complexities surrounding affordable housing at the center of campaign conversations.
✹ UPCOMING PAMPHLETEER ACTIVITIES
Upcoming Pamphleteer Activities We have a flurry of events over the next two months, with more on the way. From our end-of-summer happy hour this week to Peter Thiel's series of lectures. Bard-level perks apply to all of these events. We hope to see you out there. (View Events)
HEADLINES
- 🎬 Paramount to maintain Los Angeles headquarters. Paramount Skydance CEO David Ellison has confirmed that Los Angeles will remain the company’s headquarters, resolving speculation that the company might relocate to Nashville or elsewhere. The announcement follows Paramount’s settlement with California and other states over its planned Warner Bros. Discovery merger, which includes commitments to maintain a major studio presence in California. (NBJ)
- 🏈 Super Bowl puts pressure on East Bank timelines. Nashville’s 2030 Super Bowl is accelerating expectations for East Bank development, including a newly approved $75 million extension of the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge to the new Nissan Stadium. The East Bank Development Authority is also pressing Fallon Company and other partners to identify a “critical path” for infrastructure, while Fallon says its planned hotel will not open until months after the Super Bowl; the discussion highlights the challenge of having major portions of the district under construction in 2030. (Scene)
- 🎓 MNPS defends it credit recovery and grading processes at meeting. Metro Nashville Public Schools defended its credit-recovery and grading procedures amid allegations from former educators that students were sometimes awarded credit without demonstrating sufficient mastery. MNPS says it follows established policies and that an earlier district investigation did not substantiate the allegations, while the Tennessee Department of Education is conducting a civil-rights investigation into Stratford High School and the district covering 2022 through the 2025–26 school year. (Banner)
- 🚧 James Robertson Parkway bridge to close for months next year as part of East Bank development. The James Robertson Parkway/Victory Memorial Bridge will close for several months in 2027 as part of East Bank construction. Metro and TDOT plan to lower the East Bank portion of the bridge by 25 feet to make room for the future East Bank Boulevard, with the project expected to finish by late 2029; during the closure, the Woodland Street and Shelby Avenue bridges will be the primary direct vehicle crossings into downtown. (NewsChannel 5)
✹ PAMPHLETEER TOOLS
Pamphleteer Tools Council Watch tells you who funds your councilmember and how they vote. The Property Tax Calculator tells you what that cost you.
DEVELOPMENT
- Green Hills office building sells for $24.87M (Post)
- Marathon Village-area property listed for $1.5M (Post)
- Music Row property sells for $2.21M (Post)
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
🎸 World Famous Pets w/ Eric Slick @ The Basement East, 8p, $38.64, Info
🪕 Becky Buller & Ned Luberecki @ Station Inn, 8p, $20, Info
💀 Tennessee Dead @ Tennessee Brew Works, 6p, Info
🎸 Kelley's Heroes @ Robert's Western World, 6:30p, Free, Info
🎸 The Cowpokes @ Robert's Western World, 10:30p, Free, Info
🪕 Bluegrass Night @ The American Legion Post 82, 7p, Free, Info
📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.
The Pamphleteer
The Pamphleteer
Megan Lee Podsiedlik
The Pamphleteer
Today's newsletter is brought to you by Davis Hunt, Megan Podsiedlik, and Camelia Brennan.