Library garage fire began in storage area with combustible chemicals, per lawsuit
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The downtown library garage remains closed. Photo: Nate Rau/Axios
The fire that shuttered the downtown library last year and knocked the adjoining parking garage out of commission began in a storage area that was improperly filled with combustible chemicals, according to a lawsuit filed late Friday.
Why it matters: The fire sidelined the library branch for 10 months, and the popular downtown parking garage that accommodated hundreds of vehicles closed indefinitely.
State of play: Metro owns the garage and hires the Downtown Partnership to manage it. Metro's insurance company Travelers filed the lawsuit Friday casting blame on the Downtown Partnership and its partner firm Block by Block for keeping the chemicals inside the storage yard in the garage.
- The Circuit Court lawsuit describes multiple points of "negligence," alleging that the organizations failed to stop employees from smoking in the garage.
The other side: While speaking to the Metro Council in April, Downtown Partnership CEO Tom Turner said the fire had "an undetermined cause from an undetermined source."
- "I think to imply that somebody had a role in it is maybe not the best conclusion to draw," Turner said, per the Nashville Banner. "Because Block by Block was in the garage doesn't mean that they have anything to do with what's going on with a fire of unknown origin."
Between the lines: The lawsuit claims that the June 10, 2025 fire started in a "storage yard" inside the garage before spreading throughout the garage and into the library.
- Because of the fire, a concrete ramp inside the garage collapsed.
By the numbers: The fire caused more than $10 million in damages.
- The library reopened on March 30 after an extensive restoration project. The garage remains closed.
What's next: The lawsuit was filed just before the one-year anniversary of the fire, which is an important deadline for legal proceedings.
- The Downtown Partnership said through a spokesperson it does not comment on ongoing legal matters.
Zoom out: The Downtown Partnership is facing scrutiny from the Metro Council over the operating budget for the central business improvement district, which it manages.
- Council narrowly failed to pass the proposed improvement district budget at its meeting last week.
- The measure failed by a single vote. Several council members were absent from the meeting and it is likely the spending plan will be approved at a future meeting.