Since it opened nearly ten years ago, the folks at Gabby's restaurant in South Nashville have been one of the closest neighbors to Greer Stadium.
"The players and the employees that used to work there would come over all the time, and Friday nights would be crazy," owner Doug Havron said.
When the Nashville Sounds made their move in summer 2014 from Greer Stadium to First Tennessee Park, Havron had mixed feelings.
"Business-wise I was sad cause I knew it would affect my business, but as a Nashville resident, born and raised, I was excited. The stadium is old and decrepit and falling apart," Havron said.
More than two years after the last ball game was played there, the city has now been looking for developers willing to take on the task or re-developing the property.
"I think whatever happens needs to happen fairly quickly. What is happening over there is people are going by and they're throwing rocks and they're smashing out the glass and they're tearing things up," said Havron.
Many ideas have floated around about what to do next, such as tennis courts, a soccer stadium, and an extension of Fort Negley. The city has been looking to include most of those ideas in its newest plans, but green space has been a top priority.
"After that there's the opportunity to do a variety of other uses. It could be housing, it could be basic retail uses, could be arts and cultural space," said District 17 Councilman Colby Sledge.
The city has outlined a need for a mixed use area that will include recreational space, workforce housing, and even a place for entertainment. An exact timeline hasn't been made yet, but for the neighborhood, the sooner the better.
"Doing something with that property, one way or the other, will help this community more," said Havron.
"We’ve been waiting to get the best ideas possible on the table, and this is an area that is very diverse, it is right near the downtown corridor. This is really a once in a generation opportunity, and we want to make sure we get it right,” said Sledge.
Proposals will be submitted by the first of March, and by summer the city will know what plan will be moving forward.
To view the city's 30 page RFQ, click here.
Mayor Megan Barry released this statement about the property's future:
“I’m grateful for the hard work that Councilman Sledge, Metro Planning, and Metro Parks and Recreation have put into engaging the community to identify their vision for the future of Greer Stadium. Opportunities to re-imagine a community space so close to the downtown core that’s also an important part of a thriving neighborhood don’t come by often. My hope is that we will receive proposals that fit the RFQ in a way that is sensitive to Fort Negley, while providing affordable and workforce housing, open space, sports and recreation, and entertainment that will be enjoyed by Nashvillians and visitors alike. A private-public partnership that benefits the community by creating jobs, both during construction and after completion, while preserving open and recreational space would be a wonderful result for Nashville.”
