MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WKRN) — The City of Murfreesboro announced that it would not move forward with a planned amphitheater project.
The Notes Live entertainment complex project agreement was set in 2022. Officials from the city said that Notes Live failed to meet the conditions set forth in its development agreement. The agreement called for Notes Live to construct:
- A state-of-the-art open-air amphitheater with seating for 4,500 patrons
- Bourbon Brothers Smokehouse and Tavern: an upscale, casual dining restaurant
- Boot Barn Hall: a 400-500-seat acoustic music and event venue that can be converted into 1,400 standing-room general admission hall
The new live entertainment campus was to be built on more than 20 acres at the Southeast corner of Medical Center Parkway and Gateway Boulevard.
Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland said that although they are not moving forward with the project, the City Council had already approved plans for $26 million infrastructure improvements to Medical Center Parkway.
That funding is independent of the Notes Live Project and is still set to be completed in by 2027. He added that they are planning to see that project through to completion.
The development agreement called for a number of off-site infrastructure improvements, including an allocation of funding to expand Medical Center Parkway and improve traffic flow. That was set to involve a three-phase road widening project that would have started in early 2023. It would have also included an extension of Gateway Boulevard to Robert Rose Drive and the $7.1 million Gateway Extension Project that was completed earlier this year.
“We had high expectations for this project, but unfortunately the project changed and those changes significantly altered what was agreed to in the development agreement,” McFarland said.
Under the agreement, officials from the city said that Notes Live was expected to begin working on the development no later than June 1, 2023. However, a failure to meet the deadline resulted in the land being transferred back to the city. The deadline was extended until December 31, 2024.
Despite the extension, Notes Live told the city they would not be able to initiate the project due to the fact that interest rates are currently higher than they were when the agreement was initially executed.
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Notes Live requested to modify the original agreement by increasing the amphitheaters capacity from 4,500 seats to 6,500 seats and dropping the Smokehouse Tavern and Boot Hall from the project. Councilmembers for the city denied Notes Live's request for modifications on the project.
The city is taking steps to get the property back based on the conditions set forth in the original agreement. McFarland added that Murfreesboro is still committed to finding the best project for site and they are still seeking a public-private partnership.