Nashville Public Library's downtown branch is tentatively scheduled to reopen Monday, March 30 — more than nine months after a fire caused the closure of what serves as the countywide system’s main branch and administrative headquarters.
A release notes the opening is pending a final fire marshal and Metro Codes Department inspection required before library staff can reoccupy the building.
The Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure owns the adjacent (and also closed) parking garage, which operates independently of the main library. The Scene reported in mid-January the lower levels of the parking garage could “soon reopen,” per officials. In February, Mayor Freddie O’Connell confirmed multiple active insurance claims related to the fire.
Financial liability and reopening timeline still uncertain eight months after garage fire
The June 10, 2025, fire started in a fourth-floor storage room located within 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, NDOT official Jon Boghozian has said a partial demolition and reconstruction of the garage’s top four floors is expected. Boghozian says the reconstruction could come with modernization efforts to the garage, including features like electric vehicle charging stations.
There seemingly is no specific date for the reopening of the garage, which offers access from both Sixth and Seventh avenues north. But Boghozian said in mid-January some of the lower floors of the structure could "soon" be back open to the public.
After the fire, Nashville Public Library officials enlisted restoration experts, engineers and industrial hygienists to assess the damage to the facility.
There remain questions as to what entity bears responsibility — and legal liability — for the fire. The Nashville Downtown Partnership operates the garage via a contract with Metro. However, Metro attorneys approved liability insurance and fire insurance policies in the lease. NDP has said subcontractor Block by Block uses the fourth-floor storage space where the blaze began.
A previous version of this article was first published by the Nashville Post.
