ANTIOCH, Tenn. (WKRN) — The Nashville Fire Department will temporarily move its headquarters to the site of the former Hickory Hollow Mall while the city works to design a new headquarters and Fire Station 2.
According to a release from Mayor Freddie O'Connell, the fire department's headquarters is currently located at multiple separate facilities. The department will take over the Bridgestone Building at the mall, which is the site of the former Sears store.
“The Nashville Fire Department is excited to announce our temporary relocation to the Global Mall at Hickory Hollow Parkway. Thanks to the support of multiple mayoral administrations, we have been able to expand our services to meet the growing needs of our community,” Fire Department Director Chief William Swann said in a release. “This growth includes increased demands on our Fire Marshal's Office for inspections and our administrative staff.
The site is currently acquiring new zoning while readying the interior of the mall for demolition, according to a release.
“The Global Mall property provides us with the space needed to accommodate our expansion as we prepare for the construction of the new Fire Station #2 and the Nashville Fire Department Headquarters. I am grateful to Mayor O’Connell, the Metro Planning Department, Councilmember Joy Styles, and Director Gerald Smith at Metro General Services who have helped us find a suitable location for a temporary headquarters....We look forward to continuing our mission and serving the community from our temporary home while building for the future.“
Mayor Freddie O’Connell added, “We've worked very hard with the Antioch community to ensure the overall Global Mall site delivers what neighbors envision, want, and need. As an interim step, we can now put a core public safety function on site temporarily that activates one of the buildings. This is a safety and efficiency step that helps the surrounding area as we keep making longer term progress.”
In 1978, Hickory Hollow Mall — now known as Global Mall at the Crossings — opened its doors to shoppers, becoming the Tennessee’s fifth mall and Antioch’s main shopping hub. The space has set empty for years and in March of 2022, the city of Nashville purchased it for $40 million.
The Metro Planning Commission adopted the Global Mall Master Plan in July 2024. The vision looks to transform the site into a mix-use, walkable center that promotes quality of life, economic opportunity, equity and environmental responsibility. According to the renderings, the plan would keep the library, community center, community college, KIPP school and Ford Ice Center, which already exist on the site.
Several new additions, including cultural museums, art galleries, and a theater, will be added to the site to “highlight the city’s creative community.”
Metro already announced plans to build a transit center at the site since the mall sits along one of the busiest WeGo bus routes in the city.
Demolition of the interior of the mall is slated to begin in the first part of 2025.