Stadium Inn to Be Reborn as Boutique Motel
It was announced this week that the Stadium Inn — the long-decaying hotel at 10 Interstate Dr., just inside the downtown Interstate loop — has been vacated of all tenants and will be renovated into a boutique hotel. According to stories published in Nashville Scene, the most recent tenants were forced out by extreme rent increases (from $250 per week to $650 per week in one cited example), and a demolition permit application was filed with Metro codes.
Opened in June 1967 as the Dobbs House Quality Courts, the seven-story hotel was part of a wave of new construction along the then recently completed Interstate corridor through East Nashville. With 150 guest rooms, several meeting rooms and suites, 170-seat restaurant, and a roof-top pool, the hotel attracted many mid-sized conventions through the 1970s (including Nashville’s first science fiction convention, Kubla Khan).
By the 1980s, the hotel was on the decline, a trend which continued over the next two decades. The hotel briefly enjoyed some attention in the early 21st century for its “dive bar” appeal and was used not only as a location for several music videos, but also as a venue for professional wrestling run by the local United States Wrestling Organization. The steady decline of the facility continued, however, becoming a last stop for many low-income individuals before homelessness. In a 2018 lawsuit, it was referred to as a “hotbed of criminal activity.”
According to the Nashville Scene story, the renovation is expected to take 12 months.
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Personal Pose: Sala Yoga Opens on the East Side
Need more flexibility in your life (and body)? Ashtanga Nashville recently opened in the Woodland Presbyterian Church, 211 N. 11th St. offering classes in ashtanga yoga.
“Ashtanga yoga is the system from which most other yoga originated,” owner and head instructor, Cory Bryant says. “Our Mysore program offers individual instruction in group settings and is very different from most other yoga classes. Even though it’s a group class, everyone is practicing independently. I work directly with each student to develop their own practice.”
Ashtanga Nashville is currently offering morning (6:15-9:00 a.m., Monday through Friday) and lunchtime (11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Monday, Wednesday, and Friday) classes, and will be adding evening classes on Aug. 5. For more information visit AshtangaNashville.com or call 202-957-4570.
Interstate I-24 through East Nashville Closed This Weekend
The Tennessee Department of Transportation contract crews will temporarily close a portion of Interstate 24 through East Nashville for bridge repair next weekend from Friday, Aug. 2 at 9 p.m. through Monday, Aug. 5 at 5 a.m. I-24 will be closed from I-40 at the Silliman Evans Bridge to the junction with I-65. Traffic will be detoured to I-40 and I-65. East Nashville traffic will be able to access local routes to cross the Cumberland River, including Shelby Avenue, Main Street, Woodland Street, and Spring Street.
The I-24 closure is for a $1.5 million bridge repair project that includes joint replacement and repairs at the bridges over both Main and Woodland Streets, along with the Silliman Evans Bridge. In case of inclement weather, the repairs will be rescheduled for Sept. 6-9. A second week of closures to complete the repairs will be scheduled sometime in the early fall.
Access to current construction activity reports and live streaming feeds from SmartWay traffic cameras are available at TNSmartWay.com/Traffic or on Twitter @TN511. Information is also available by dialing 511 from any land-line or cellular phone.
Quick Bits
- New East Side craft brewers of both beer and coffee, Living Waters Brewing, are officially opening this weekend. Check them out at 1056 E. Trinity Lane (next door to Grimey’s), on Friday, noon to 11 p.m. and Saturday, 7 a.m. to 11 p.m.
- Local catering service In Good Company opened a store and food-to-go eatery this weekend in The Shoppes on Fatherland (1006 Fatherland St.) this past weekend. In Good Company owner, Courtney McKay is also offering goods from several other local businesses and is planning pop-up dinners for the near future. Hours are Tuesday through Saturday, 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and Sunday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For more information, follow them on Facebook.
- The owners of Marathon Village-based Safe House Tattoo Studio bought the retail/office space at The Volta mixed-use building in Inglewood for $750,000, as reported by Nashville Post this week. Located at 4303 Gallatin Pike, Safe House Tattoo Studio plans to open its new location in the near future.
- The Metro Nashville Public Health Department is currently offering extended clinic hours for immunizations for Metro Nashville Public Schools students heading back to school on Monday, Aug. 5. There is a $20 administration fee for vaccines adjusted according to income. Students 18 and younger may be eligible for free, federally-funded vaccines through the Vaccines for Children Program. The East Public Health Center, 1015 E. Trinity Lane, is now open 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, with extended hours, 8 a.m. to 6 p.m., on July 31, Aug. 7, and Aug. 14. Tennessee public school students are required to provide a complete Official Tennessee Immunization Certificate before classes begin.
- Psych rocker Ian Ferguson is celebrating the release of his debut solo record, State of Gold, with record release party and live performance at Grimey’s today, Friday, July 26 at 6 p.m. at 1060 E. Trinity Lane. For the low-down on the album, check out our online story.
- East Nashvillian friend and fave John Prine postponed several tour dates this week for stint surgery for his heart. All of us here at The East Nashvillian wish him a speedy recovery. For more on the “Godfather of Indie Musicians” check out our story on Prine and Oh Boy! Records from last year’s music issue.
- Tomorrow, Saturday, July 27 is the last day for early voting in the 2019 Metropolitan General Election, with the general election on Aug. 1. Still trying to make your decision? Check out our 2019 Voter’s Guide in the current issue.
