Mayor Freddie O’Connell, the Metro government and Tennessee Performing Arts Center officials announced Wednesday afternoon they have reached an agreement regarding a future facility to be located in the city’s East Bank neighborhood.
According to a release, the deal is based on a memorandum of understanding struck last year and involves infrastructure cost sharing and construction planning with multiple East Bank stakeholders.
The agreement will see TPAC — the longtime performing arts nonprofit serves students in 74 Tennessee counties — allow Metro to use the facility 30 days annually for educational opportunities and other programming.
The state of Tennessee has granted $500 million toward the future TPAC facility, contingent on TPAC raising 20 percent of matching dollars from the private sector and Metro Nashville participating in the project based on the Metro-owned East Bank site (Parcel E) and related infrastructure needs.
The Metro Council will need to approve the agreement.
TPAC officials said in January they were considering other areas of Nashville for a venue and cited obstacles working with both local and state government. Talks had been slowed due to concerns regarding who would be responsible for infrastructure costs. According to the previous memorandum of understanding, which expires in December, TPAC would lease the land from Metro for $100 per year.
The Tennessee Performing Arts Center operates at 505 Deaderick St. within the James K. Polk State Office Building in the city’s central business district. It opened in 1980 and offers three live performance spaces: Andrew Jackson Hall (capacity 2,472), James K. Polk Theater (capacity 1,075) and Andrew Johnson Theater (capacity 256).
“A new TPAC will be more than just a new building,” says Jennifer Turner, TPAC CEO and president, in the release. “Creating a visionary, innovative performing arts venue will allow us to elevate our programming and enhance the visitor experience, providing meaningful opportunities to experience Broadway shows, extensive educational opportunities for students across the state, and a home to the Nashville Ballet, Nashville Opera and Nashville Repertory Theatre.”
O’Connell says the agreement will yield a future TPAC that will offer a “world class space” for live theater, ballet, opera and concerts with opportunities for public access.
This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.
