More than a year after fire tore through Slate Apartment Homes in Bellevue, a new building permit filed with the city lays out plans to rebuild the complex from the ground up. The application, submitted September 21, 2026 by ReNu Property Management on behalf of the property's owner, calls for a new 12-unit, two-story apartment building that would replace the structure destroyed in the August 16, 2025 blaze.
The fire broke out shortly before 11 a.m. that day in the 7400 block of Highway 70 South, according to WKRN News 2. Fire officials said the blaze started in a first-floor unit and spread quickly through the building, ultimately displacing multiple families. No residents were seriously hurt, though the emergency response came at a cost for at least one Nashville firefighter, who suffered minor injuries and was taken to Vanderbilt University Medical Center, according to The Tennessean.
What the New Building Plan Looks Like
The permit application marks the first major step toward actually rebuilding the complex, per WKRN. According to city records cited by the station, the original structure was demolished a few months after the fire, clearing the way for new construction. The proposed replacement building is designed to match the old footprint, size, location, style, design, and apartment layout — meaning residents familiar with the complex would recognize its general shape once rebuilt.
Slate Apartment Homes sits at 7439 Highway 70 South, according to a listing from Vanderbilt University's Off-Campus Housing Search. The property is owned by CR Nashville Partners, LLC.
The Rebuild Plan
The project is planned as a full replacement rather than a repair, with a building permit application filed with the city.
The application describes a new two-story, 12-unit apartment building to replace the fire-damaged structure.
Displaced Families
The fire displaced multiple families.
What Remains Unknown
Several key questions about the rebuild remain unanswered. No completion date for the project has been publicly announced, and the property owners have not made public any plans regarding whether displaced families will have an opportunity to return once the new building is finished, according to WKRN. For now, the newly filed permit represents the clearest sign yet that reconstruction at the Highway 70 South site is finally moving forward.
