Category: Southern States

You don’t have to get a Real ID this summer. But without one, after Oct. 1, 2020, it’ll be harder to fly on a commercial airliner, enter a federal office or get into a nuclear plant.

“The state of Tennessee will be issuing Real IDs July 1,” said Michael Hogan, director of driver services for the Tennessee Department of Safety and Homeland Security.

How did the Real ID program start?

The program is a response to the terrorist attacks on Sept. 11, 2001. In 2005, Congress passed the Real ID Act based on recommendations from the 9/11 commission to set minimum nationwide security standards for driver’s licenses, according to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. In December 2013, DHS announced it would phase in enforcement of the act.

Where can I use a new Real ID?

State-issued licenses that meet the new, stricter national standards will be accepted as ID for entering federal government offices, nuclear power plants or federally regulated commercial airline flights.

The law doesn’t require ID at federal sites where none is needed now, like a visit to Smithsonian museums; nor does it prevent authorities from accepting other forms of high-security ID such as valid U.S. passports.

Old driver’s licenses and other non-compliant ID cards can still be used for other purposes.

What states have Real ID?

Forty-three states, including Tennessee, are now approved to issue Real ID-compliant licenses. California’s status is under review, and six states — including Kentucky — have received extensions, as has the territory of American Samoa, according to DHS.

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How much does a Real ID cost in Tennessee?

The Real ID will cost the same as an ordinary Tennessee license, Hogan said. That’s $28 for standard renewal of an expiring license.

If you want to get a Real ID before your current license is due to expire, it’ll cost the standard charge for a replacement license: $8 for the first, $12 for the second or third replacement, Hogan said.

For more information, go to tn.gov/tnrealid.

What do I need to get a Real ID?

“The process is really no different from what we do now,” Hogan said. But in addition to previously required documentation, whether for renewal or a first-time license, applicants will need one proof of citizenship or legal residence, such as a birth certificate or passport; proof of Social Security number, such as an actual card, recent W-2 or Form 1099; and two proofs of Tennessee residence, such as a utility bill, bank statement, tax return, lease or current driver’s license. Applicants also need to document any name changes.

All those documents must be originals, or certified, according to the state — no photocopies.

If applicants can’t meet those requirements but would still qualify for a previous license, they can receive a Tennessee license marked “Not for federal identification,” Hogan said.

“You’ll still be able to drive, you’ll still be able to vote with that license,” he said. “You can still purchase alcohol, cigarettes.”

You just can’t use it at a TSA airport checkpoint or other location where federal scrutiny is required.

The first-time issuance of a Real ID has to be through an in-person visit to one of the state’s 44 Driver Services Centers. In Knox County, those full-service centers are at 430 Montbrook Lane in west Knoxville, and 7320 Region Lane in Strawberry Plains.

First-time applicants will get an interim Real ID on paper, which may not be accepted by federal authorities, according to state Driver Services. A hard copy will come in the mail after 10 to 20 days, so plan ahead if you’re taking a trip soon after license renewal.

The state is looking at working with county clerks to issue Real IDs in the future, but for now, the state service centers are the only first-time options, Hogan said.

Once a Real ID has been issued, however, future renewals or duplicates can be obtained online, at a self-service kiosk, at county clerks’ offices or by mail, according to the Driver Services website.

Why should I get a Real ID?

“That’s really a decision for the individual,” Hogan said. But for people who fly fairly often and use a driver’s license as their primary ID, it’s probably the easiest acceptable form for anyone to get.

There are other documents, such as passports, which can be used instead of Real IDs for federal identification. The U.S. Transportation Security Administration lists acceptable ones under the “Security screening” tab at tsa.gov.

If you already have a valid passport or other alternate document, waiting until your current license expires to get a Real ID should be fine, Hogan said.

Will Real IDs be tracked?

Despite some rumors, Real IDs will “absolutely not” be used to build a national identification database, Hogan said. Nor will radio-frequency identification chips be embedded in the new licenses, he said.

States issue the licenses, and are only required to verify the information they use meets federal standards; no one but the people already authorized to view driver’s license data will have access to the information, Hogan said.

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Metro officials released the latest details Friday in a decade-long plan to create at least 10,000 new affordable housing units. 

A $25 million investment will fund 107 low-income apartments and townhomes and 33 market rate units at two Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency communities, officials said.

The money was set aside last year in Metro’s capital spending plan. It represents the bulk of Nashville’s annual affordable housing budget.

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The Barnes Fund also contributes $10 million annually to help counteract the mass replacement of low-cost housing with expensive luxury units amid booming property values in Nashville.

The MDHA is currently working to rebuild its aging subsidized housing communities with mixed-income complexes. The new strategy is designed to deconcentrate poverty and create more equitable neighborhoods — hence the inclusion of market rate units. 

“One of the most impactful things we can do to ensure a more equitable Nashville is making sure all Nashvillians can afford to live here,” Mayor David Briley said. “This is one of our first big steps toward adding 10,000 affordable housing units by 2029.”

‘An important step in the right direction’

This money will finance the 100-unit Randee Rogers apartment complex at MDHA’s Cheatham Place community in Germantown. Those will include 50 units for very low-income families, 25 low-income units, and 25 market rate apartments. 

Another 40 townhomes called Red Oak Flats will be added to MDHA’s Envision Cayce community in East Nashville. Of those, 25 will be for very low-income renters, as well as 7 low income and 8 market rate homes. 

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Demolition is underway at the Envision Cayce project where the 40 Red Oak townhomes will be developed. 

“The plans for Randee Rogers at Cheatham Place were drawn up about three years ago,” said MDHA Chief Strategy and Intergovernmental Affairs Officer Matt Wiltshire. “Construction will begin this summer.” 

In March, Briley announced a new Metro partnership with MDHA designed to hasten the delayed redevelopment of former public housing communities while also increasing the supply of new affordable units.

This “Under One Roof” plan seeks to generate 10,000 new housing units over the next decade. Metro government promised $350 million in general obligation bond funding for 5,000 low- and middle-income homes at MDHA communities during this period. 

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“Creating more affordable housing is one of the biggest challenges our city is facing, so I’m pleased we are already delivering on the promise to build more in the urban core,” said Councilman Freddie O’Connell, whose district includes Cheatham Place. “Today’s announcement is an important step in the right direction.”

Applications to live at the homes will be processed through MDHA. 

Nashville International Airport (BNA) generated over $7.1 billion in total economic impact in Middle Tennessee last year, a new study finds. 

The report, commissioned by BNA and conducted by research firm Martin Associates, reveals that since 2012 the airport’s economic impact has doubled from $3.5 billion. 

The airport, which is in the midst of a series of upgrades, supported more than 67,000 area jobs, the study found. 

BNA President and CEO Doug Kreulen said airport’s continued growth is vital for the economic prosperity of Middle Tennessee.

“Serving as more than just the gateway to Music City, BNA is an economic engine of enormous activity for the region that generates jobs, personal income, tax revenues and more,” said Kreulen and news release. 

More than 16 million passengers traveled through BNA in 2018, setting an all-time passenger record for the sixth consecutive year. 

Dr. A. Dexter Samuels, BNA board chair, said that the passenger growth has reached historic heights, and studies have proven how astounding an impact BNA has on the economy.

“This economic impact study provides another indication of the critical role BNA continues to play in keeping our regional economy on an upward trajectory,” said Samuels. 

“We expect this growth to continue in the coming years, which is why our ongoing expansion project — BNA Vision — remains critically important to Nashville’s future economic health and well-being.”

Launched in July 2016, according to the airports news release BNA Vision includes additional parking garages, terminal wings, a international arrivals facility and more. The project is expected to be completed in 2023. 

Reach Alexis Clark at aclark@gannett.com.

A controversial plan guiding the future of development in Nashville’s historic Music Row district won unanimous approval on Thursday evening. 

The Metro Planning Commission adopted the 87-page Vision Plan partially disputed by both historic preservationists and business owners. 

Planning officials and community stakeholders hashed out the document during regular meetings over several years, hoping to rein in rampant, haphazard development without pushing away desired new investments. 

In May, Music Row was named one of the country’s most threatened landmarks by the National Trust for Historic Preservation because of the extensive development. 

But business leaders in the area argue the demands of historic preservationists are too restrictive and are driving away some music companies. 

The plan attempts to find a compromise. It establishes new rules for building throughout the district, concentrating high-rise development on the northern end along Broadway. 

“New York has its theater district. California has Silicon Valley. We have Music Row,” Metro Planning manager Joni Priest said. “We want to keep the organic character of the community.”

But it sets out a new direction for the neighborhood where Patsy Cline recorded “Crazy.”

It calls for more parks, retail shops and restaurants along 16th, 17th and 18th avenues between Broadway and Wedgewood Avenue. Those uses have historically been restricted or discouraged. 

The core of Music Row — including Roy Acuff Place, Music Circle and Chet Atkins Place — is reserved for smaller music-related Class A office buildings as well as cafes and music venues. 

Building heights would decrease from a maximum of about 25 stories on the northern end, to 5-to-12 stories in the core. 

The Edgehill-adjacent streets are reserved for smaller creative uses like recording studios, event venues, bars and restaurants. 

The southern gateway to the district, along Wedgewood Avenue, is designated for residential and live-work developments with maximum heights of three stories. 

‘Music is the heart of this city’

The plan serves as a template for new laws to come. 

“It’s going to be a work in progress and we’re committed to continuing to work the issue,” said Planning Department Executive Director Lucy Kempf. “Music is the heart of this city and a character-defining feature and we have to nurture that. This is one of the first plans we’ve worked on where we’ve been concerned with how you cultivate a healthy industry.”

Now, the district’s streets are mostly lined with offices, single family residential homes and multifamily housing complexes. 

Since 2010, property values skyrocketed 176% and developers demolished 53 buildings to make way for new projects. Many of those developments are large apartment and condo complexes that dwarf the older craftsman-style houses characteristic to the area. 

“Recent multi-family development on Music Row has significantly degraded the vibrant creative cluster,” the plan states. “From 2010 to 2019, 3,274 residential units have been constructed in this area. Large-scale apartments, flats and luxury condos exacerbate the infrastructure and affordability obstacles already constricting the creative cluster.”

Restrictions raise ‘red flags’

But the impending restrictions could bring new problems, business owners said. 

David Mastran, president of Quaver Music music-based education company on Music Row, said he is concerned the plan will lead to new zoning rules preventing him from expanding his his growing business. 

“The vision plan raised many red flags to us,” Mastran said. “I have concerns about the political influence of the preservationists. Is the goal to revitalize Music Row or to create Museum Row? We should be looking into the future, not backward.”

Historic preservationists have identified at least 55 properties for special development protections. The future of those sites remain in dispute, though, as some owners argue they’re too restrictive. 

“We are very concerned the plan may include legislation related to historic preservation that would strip of us of our property rights,” said Josh Gruss, CEO of Round Hill Music. “If we’re not given certainties our properties will be free of encumbrances, we’re worried we’ll have to tear down the buildings. We would definitely need eight stories of Class A office space.”

Marti Frederiksen, a songwriter who co-owns Sienna Studios, said he doesn’t think one of his buildings deserves its historic status. 

“I have a house next to an older house that they kind of glued together and they’re calling one historic,” Frederiksen said. “It isn’t very beautiful. And we have critter issues.”

But Brenda Enderson, the owner of Rhinestone Wedding Chapel, pleaded for a preservation rule. Her building is slated to be torn down to make way for new Class A offices. 

“I implore you to keep the character of Music Row and not to build these gigantic buildings,” Enderson said. “The tour buses will go through and say: ‘This used to be Kenny Rogers’ place.’ Let there be some identity left on Music Row.”

Sandy Mazza can be reached via email at smazza@tennessean.com, by calling 615-726-5962, or on Twitter @SandyMazza.

The Adventure Science Center is preparing to launch its first new exhibit in 10 years as part of a complete overhaul of the popular educational institution.

The nonprofit science museum will debut the music-themed soundBox exhibit and a major expansion of its Innovation Incubator at 9 a.m. on Monday. The projects totaled $1.8 million and are just the first steps toward creating a more inclusive, hands-on learning experience for guests of all ages.

“We are on a multi-year trajectory to completely transform the Adventure Science Center, and transform it not just in a physical way with new carpet and wallpaper, but really transform the nature of the experience here and who it’s for and what the purpose of that experience is designed to do,” said Adventure Science Center CEO Steve Hinkley.

Hinkley joined the Nashville museum in 2017 from MOXI, The Wolf Museum of Exploration + Innovation in Santa Barbara, California. One of the first changes he made was to move away from a model of renting traveling exhibits in favor of creating a permanent exhibit that helps tell Nashville’s story.

The science of music and sound

The new soundBox exhibit, which was underwritten by The Frist Foundation and has been in development for nearly two years, allows guests to explore the science of music and sound through 14 hands-on social experiences, all while celebrating Nashville’s music community. The exhibit is intended for people of all ages.

Museum visitors can create their own music tracks and visualize beats on glowing walls, play in a virtual band, scan their fingerprints to convert the ridges into songs and animations and more.

Profiles of Nashville music industry professionals are showcased throughout the space, including acclaimed guitar maker Manuel Delgado and talented teenage drummer/musician Mia Morris.

“I believe science centers can be most powerful when people who come visit them can learn not only about science, engineering, technology, arts and culture, but they can also learn about the community that is hosting them. It was hugely important to me to start developing ideas that were consistent with what was going on in Nashville,” Hinkley said.  

You won’t find much text in the soundBox exhibit aside from the profiles of Nashville music industry professionals, although the text that is displayed is translated in Spanish for the first time at the museum.

But for the most part, people are meant to play, explore and interact with the space, rather than read huge blocks of information.

“We’re shifting away from trying to fill your head with a bunch of content in the two to three hours you might be here, to inspire you to be more creative and curious and have fun with things and think about science in a whole new way,” Hinkley said.

More space for exploration 

At the newly designed Innovation Incubator, which nearly tripled in size, people can learn cutting-edge technologies, maker processes and creative innovations through access to 3D printers, vinyl and laser cutters, coding stations and robotics. The space has new equipment, more programming and can now accommodate up to 30 people in certain classes, as opposed to a six person cap in the old space.

Making the museum more interactive is really at the heart of the transformation plan, which Hinkley expects will take eight to 10 years to complete. Planning for phase two of the revitalization will kick off this fall.

A decade from now, the museum will be an entirely new experience that will reach a broader audience, he said. He wants to make the museum a fun place for adults — not just children — to foster curiosity, collaboration, creativity and confidence.

For the fiscal year ending June 30, 2018, the museum reached 358,475 visitors, including 74,192 students nationwide and 11,137 Metro Nashville students.

“At a time where Nashville is emerging into a world-class city, I think one of the ways Nashville will define itself as such is through the value and importance of its cultural institutions. We’re here to build the best science center in the world for visitors of all ages, period,” Hinkley said.

Reach Lizzy Alfs at lalfs@tennessean.com or 615-726-5948 and on Twitter @lizzyalfs.

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Joanna Bayer loves her new home in East Greenway Park, the growing cottage neighborhood in East Nashville. But her favorite part of the house might be what’s outside the front door.

East Greenway Park is designed so residents have direct access to Shelby Park and the Shelby Bottoms Greenway. The neighborhood, which calls itself Nashville’s first health and wellness community, is one of a growing number of new developments located near greenways and parks.

“I’ve been walking and running nearly every morning,” since moving into her home, said Bayer.

“I also try to ride my bike a few times a week. I would love to get together some community yoga classes. I’d also love to get involved with the (Shelby Bottoms) Nature Center and volunteer there soon. They seem to do wonderful activities,” she said.

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Neighborhoods designed around green spaces, walkability

Located on 10 acres at the intersection of Rosebank and Eastland avenues, East Greenway Park will include 62 cottage-style homes that are being developed in phases over several years.

The neighborhood is designed for walkability and accessibility with wide sidewalks, trails and bike paths and features a fitness station, a dog park, an urban garden and green spaces.

“The urban gardens have not begun yet, but I cannot wait to help out with those and get them going. Very eager for that to begin. Having a garden is so important to me,” said Bayer.

Other examples of residential growth near parks and greenways include City Lights, the luxury condominium high rise on Rutledge Hill south of Broadway; Capitol View, the mixed-use development between Charlotte Pike and Jefferson Street on the north side of the Gulch; and Joule, a cottage development next to the Shelby Bottoms Greenway.

On Nashville’s west side, Treaty Oaks in the Nations and The Annex in Charlotte Park are close to West Park, Charlotte Park and a section of the Richland Creek Greenway.

Trend toward ‘trail-oriented development’

Nashville currently has about 100 miles of greenways along 11 corridors. About 90 percent of the city’s neighborhoods are within two miles of a greenway, according to the nonprofit organization Greenways for Nashville.

“Being near the Shelby Bottoms section of the greenway is definitely a major selling point for East Greenway Park. It was also a huge factor in the success of Joule, which finished up earlier this year. People want walkable access to greenways and neighborhood commercial districts,” said Mark Deutschmann, president of Core Development and founder-chair emeritus of Village real estate company. He also leads the CityLiving Group.

“Many cities are seeing phenomena known as ‘trail-oriented development,’ where neighborhoods begin to orient to the greenways,” said Deutschmann, chairman of Urban Land Institute (ULI) Nashville.

Examples include the Beltline in Atlanta, the Cross Cultural Trail in Indianapolis and Midway in Minneapolis. Those cities “upzoned” to allow denser developments near greenways.

“Density and transit go hand in hand. Urban greenways are more than a trail; they are part of a viable multi-model transit system. As we build out the CityCentral Greenway, which is now underway, Nashville should be upzoning along transportation corridors and might consider upzoning along some of the emerging urban greenway systems,” said Deutschmann. 

Density, green spaces can work together

In the Nations, MiKen Development is adding 21 townhomes to Treaty Oaks, a 60-home cottage community. Nearby, The Annex and The Woods developments are transforming an 18-acre former industrial site into a development of around 330 townhomes and single-family homes with plan for mixed use.

Home buyers are attracted by the location near West and Charlotte parks as well as the greenway, said Andrew Newby, chief financial officer for MiKen.

“The city’s big overhaul of West Park (after the 2010 flood) makes the area more desirable,” said Newby.

“We’re trying to achieve density, but near green spaces,” he said.

More development news: East Nashville’s longtime red-light district readies for transformation

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Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp.’s Terry Clements is retiring this month after 47 years of promoting tourism in Music City.

Clements’ first tourism job was as general manager for Gray Line Tours in 1972. In 1976, he became director of tourism for the Nashville Chamber of Commerce. For the last 14 years, he has served as vice president of government and community relations for the visitors corporation.

Clements, 70, is credited with being a driving force behind the explosive growth Nashville tourism has experienced during his career. 

“Without question, Terry has played a key role in Nashville’s rise as a destination,” Butch Spyridon, CEO of the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp, said. 

Tennessean columnist Mary Hance interviewed Clements about the changes Nashville has gone through during his watch and what he sees as future opportunities and challenges for the city. Answers have been edited for clarity and length.

Hance: Compare the Nashville tourism/convention environment of the mid-1970s with our current tourism picture. As I remember, there was virtually no convention business until Opryland Hotel opened, right?

Clements: In those early days, the only tourism coming in was state association meetings and leisure travel, which was primarily people coming for the Grand Ole Opry and sightseeing tours of stars’ homes. When the Opryland Hotel opened, it changed the equation dramatically. Jack Vaughn (hotel CEO) and Mike Dimond (sales and marketing manager) did a great job of breaking the ice with skeptical meeting planners who perceived Nashville as a third-rate city.

In 1978, an estimated 7.7 million people visited Nashville, compared with 15.2 million last year. Those 1978 visitors spent $218 million, compared with the $6.5 billion spent in 2017 (the most recent spending data).

To go from $200 million to $6.5 billion in spending is an explosion no matter how you look at it. It has expanded way beyond our hopes and dreams.    

Hance: Was the big catalyst for Nashville’s tourism development the passage of liquor by the drink?

Clements: If you had not had liquor by the drink passed in 1967, you would not have had the Opryland Hotel. … The passage of the liquor by the drink law not only served as a draw for convention and meeting planners, but it also generated significant revenues for restaurants and bars and for the city’s tax base. 

Hance: What role did the Opryland USA theme park and Opryland Hotel play in developing tourism? 

Clements: The Opryland USA theme park opened in 1972, and the original plan was to open a small motel next door, so park guests and Grand Ole Opry fans could stay overnight. The decision to change the plan from a 200-room family motor inn to a 600-room high-amenity convention hotel set the stage for Nashville’s emergence as a convention destination. 

The Opryland family theme park was a significant destination for out-of-towners.  It appealed to young people, and half of Nashville dropped their kids off in the morning and picked them up at the end of the day. Seniors on bus tours loved it, too. It was a real asset.

Hance: I hated to see the theme park close in 1997. Do you think keeping it open would have boosted tourism even more? 

Clements: Absolutely. It was the family destination attraction that today we wish we had.

Hance: Early on, there was a gap between the Belle Meade crowd and country music. What changed that?

Clements: The Belle Meade business leaders, who were not particular partial to country music, realized their clients and associates were eager to meet and see some of these country music celebrities. They took notice.

And secondly, Garth. Garth Brooks kicked the door down on the stereotypes that had kept country music on a low rung for the upper-crust local set. Garth was a worldwide phenomenon.  

Hance: How much did the TV show “Nashville” influence tourism growth for the city?

Clements: To have had that show was huge. At one time, it was seen in 80 countries. It took our message far and wide. It showed what is behind the music, the songwriters, the producers, behind the scenes, and it put it all in a pretty positive light.

Hance: Where are the biggest opportunities for tourism growth? Is it with big events like New Years Eve, the NFL Draft, CMA Fest and Fourth of July? Or is it the everyday scene for visitors? 

Clements: I think it is going to be both. Nashville has proven that we can pull off the biggest events, so some of the growth will be event driven. But the day-to-day growth keeps coming. 

Hance: What are the biggest challenges for future tourism growth? 

Clements: The city is going to have to control the growth and not let it control us. The scooters are a great example. They are a desirable thing to have, but they need to be controlled.

► Scooters in Nashville: What do mayoral candidates have to say in the heated transportation debate?

Hance: It seems like I read about a new hotel every week. How has that growth and occupancy been?

Clements: In 1987, there were 118 hotels with 16,463 rooms. Now there are 389 hotels with 40,769 rooms. The Davidson County hotel occupancy January through May this year is 74.3 percent, compared with 64.4 percent for the U.S. 

Hance: How do you see the future of Lower Broadway? Do you foresee permanent street closures down there?

Clements: The current operators down there will all fight closing the street. As far back as I can remember, they do not want that. The Lower Broadway businesses believe having the traffic driving through Broadway gives them additional exposure and helps build business. 

Hance: If asked what visitors must see or do in Nashville, what would you say?

Clements: If you like music, you must go to the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Grand Ole Opry and the Musicians Hall of Fame. 

 If you don’t like music, I would say go to the Andrew Jackson Home, The Hermitage and the Parthenon.

And either way, you have to go to the honky tonks. There is nowhere else anywhere that you can go and hear all of that great music, and there is no cover charge. It is a unique musical experience. 

Reach Ms. Cheap at 615-259-8282 or mscheap@tennessean.com. Follow her on Facebook at facebook.com/mscheap, and at Tennessean.com/mscheap, and on Twitter @Ms_Cheap, and catch her every Thursday at 11 a.m. on WTVF-Channel 5’s “Talk of the Town.”