The lower levels of the Nashville Public Library’s downtown parking garage could soon reopen, a move that would come more than eight months after a fire caused the closures of both the garage and the library's main branch. However, an opening date for the library itself, the main address for which is 615 Church St., remains unannounced.
Officials with the Nashville Department of Transportation and Metro Legal gave details at a Metro Traffic and Parking Commission meeting on Jan. 12, noting the fire caused extensive damage to the concrete and steel component of the garage. NDOT official Jon Boghozian said this includes spalling, cracking, crazing and discoloration of the concrete as well as warping and discoloration to the steel. He said temporary restorations to parts of the structure began in December so that further evaluations of the damage could take place.
There is no specific date for the reopening of the garage, which offers access from both Sixth and Seventh avenues. (See the Seventh Avenue entrance here.) But Boghozian said some of the lower floors of the structure could "soon" be open to the public.
“Our intent is to attempt to open some of the lower levels of the garage for parking operations,” Boghozian said during the meeting. “Our hope is that we’ll evaluate and continue to shore and address structural concerns so that any of the bottom floors could be opened as we move forward with the repairs.”
The number of parking spots available in the soon-to-be-reopened lower levels has not been finalized.
Third party to complete safety review following June 10 fire in main branch's garage
The June 10 fire started in a fourth-floor storage room in the seven-story garage, a space in which flammable gas containers were later discovered. An investigation found that an electrical failure was likely the cause, though no official determination has been made.
The fire caused a ramp connecting the fourth and fifth floors to collapse and led to additional damage to the floors above. Due to these factors, Boghozian said he expects a partial demolition and reconstruction of the garage’s top four floors. He said the reconstruction could come with modernization efforts to the garage, including features like electric vehicle charging stations.
Several vehicles have been stuck in the parking garage since June, with a few parked on the upper levels unable to be removed due to the ramp collapse. Metro Law Department Deputy Director Tom Cross said at the Jan. 12 meeting that multiple cars were damaged beyond operability.
Questions have swirled around who exactly bears responsibility — and legal liability — for the fire. Some point to the Nashville Downtown Partnership (NDP), which operates the garage through a contract with Metro. However, Metro attorneys approved liability insurance and fire insurance policies in the lease. NDP has said Block by Block, a subcontractor that used the fourth-floor storage space, is to blame for the incident.
Regarding the status of the main library, uncertainty remains as to when the downtown cultural facility could reopen to the public.
“We remain in close contact with the restoration company leading NPL through the reopening process of the Main Library," spokesperson Andrea Fanta told Scene sister publication Nashville Post on Jan. 14, "and are eager to reopen this flagship location as soon as they tell us it’s safe to do so.”
A version of this article was first published by our sister publication Nashville Post.
