The City of Murfreesboro has officially pulled the plug on its collaboration with Notes Live for a proposed amphitheater project. As reported by WSMV, the city had inked a deal with the company to construct a multifaceted entertainment complex in the Gateway area, but the development has now been scrapped. The initial agreement, which was signed back in August 2022, included plans for a 4,500-seat open-air amphitheater, an upscale restaurant named Bourbon Brothers Smokehouse and Tavern, and an acoustically designed music and event venue called Boot Barn Hall. However, Notes Live's request to significantly amend the original plans, by increasing the amphitheater's capacity and eliminating the restaurant and event venue, fundamentally shifted the nature of the project.
In a statement obtained by DNJ, Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland relayed the city's disappointment, expressing that "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's administration, seeking to uphold the integrity of the initial vision for the project, has initiated steps to retake control of the 20.13-acre site initially intended to house the complex. Efforts will continue to seek a viable public-private partnership to develop the land according to the community's interests and economic aspirations.
According to information provided by WKRN, the project was bound by specific conditions, which included beginning development no later than June 1, 2023, a deadline that was later extended to December 31. The failure of Notes Live to start work, compounded by economic factors such as rising interest rates which were lower at the time the agreement was executed, catalyzed the breakdown of the endeavor. The collapse of the deal will now result in the land reverting to the city's possession, as stipulated in the development agreement's terms.
Despite the project's cessation, Mayor McFarland has affirmed the City Council's commitment to completing previously approved infrastructure improvements unrelated to the Notes Live project. These plans, which include a $26 million upgrade to Medical Center Parkway, aim to enhance traffic flow and accommodate future growth. McFarland emphasized that progress on the infrastructure improvements, which are still slated to finish by 2027, remains on track. The project's termination represents a recalibration of the city's redevelopment strategies rather than a cessation of its broader revitalization efforts.
