According to The Tennessean, the plans to knock down the Fond Object Records store in East Nashville's Riverside Village and replace it with a vintage motorcycle shop and a pizza restaurant have been shelved after the neighbors objected. The developer, Corner Partnership canceled plans that included adding six buildings containing 33 apartments. Opponents of the plan inked 1700 signatures on a petition to save the record store. "Fond Object is a local gem, and the last thing we need is a condo standing in its place. Once our neighborhood is gone, it's gone," said musician Margo Price via a tweet.
Residents expressed concern about the new project's impact on traffic congestion and fast-rising housing prices in the neighborhood, which is at the heart of the city's development boom, during a community meeting in October. The developer intended to keep the commercial buildings in place with some upgrades and new tenants – including replacing Fond Object with Moto Moda, the pizza and motorcycle business envisioned by the owners of Barista Parlor.
But the petition rejected the development entirely, arguing it would "cut down a bunch of mature trees, build a massive apartment complex with six 2 & 3 story buildings ... and replace our beloved Fond Object. The special character and feel of our neighborhood should be protected from this kind of large scale, intrusive development." The negative community response prompted Corner Partnership to cancel the plans, and revert to the site's existing zoning rules that don't require Planning Commission approval.
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