A new local group called Fairgrounds Preservation Partners is proposing a redevelopment plan for the Fairgrounds Speedway.
The group is pitching Cumberland Yards, which would replace the century-old Nashville racetrack with a campus including a park, live-work space for artists and musicians, and a new straight-line track for electric vehicle racing.
Supporters of the proposal include musician Ruby Amanfu and Shay Sapp, president of neighborhood group South Nashville Action Partners.
Cumberland Yards would be an alternative to an earlier proposal by track operator Speedway Motorsports, which called for more than $100 million in upgrades to the track to allow for the return of top-level NASCAR races to the city circuit. That plan has stalled with the departure of former Mayor John Cooper.
“The Nashville Fairgrounds belongs to all Nashvillians,” says Mike Kopp, FPP chair, in a release. “The future of this public property should be determined by the local community in partnership with the Fair Board and surrounding neighborhoods — and in a way that acknowledges the Fairgrounds’ complete history while addressing the city’s current needs.”
The group has met with new Mayor Freddie O'Connell's chief development officer Bob Mendes, Axios reports. O'Connell has been noncommittal about plans for the racetrack since taking office in September.
Nashville voters in 2011 overwhelmingly voted to protect the fairgrounds, including the racetrack, after then-Mayor Karl Dean pitched a redevelopment plan for the site.
This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.
