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| Local
preservationists are working with David Briggs to save House of David,
the famous publishing house and recording studio on Music Row that once
served many purposes for Briggs. (Photo: Andrew Nelles / The Tennessean.com) |
Music Row should be designated a “cultural industry district” by Metro government according to an ambitious new proposal from the National Trust for Historic Preservation and the local Music Industry Coalition.
The designation would pave the way for Music Row neighbors to band together to create a nonprofit organization, Music Row Investment Trust, which could then pursue preservation tools including low-interest loans to purchase and rehabilitate historic buildings.
A neighborhood in Tennessee has never been designated a cultural industry district before.
The National Trust and the Music Industry Coalition, which was created in the wake of the near destruction of historic RCA Studio A, will release their recommendations along with an 85-page supporting report on Monday.
The goal is to keep Music Row a vibrant neighborhood where music business is conducted and records are made. Music Row has already been named a national treasure by the National Trust.
Two years ago, Studio A was nearly demolished in favor of condos before preservation-minded philanthropists stepped in to save the building. And developers have been circling Music Row for years, until the Metro Planning Department took a timeout on zoning for new developments in 2015.
