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A daily look at the most significant and interesting stories affecting Nashville. Written by Nate Rau and Adam Tamburin.

Axios Nashville Thought Bubble

Axios Nashville

The Nashville Sounds were named Minor League Baseball's Organization of the Year at the annual baseball winter meetings in San Diego yesterday.

Why it matters: The honor recognizes the Sounds' excellent overall attendance this season as well as their record-breaking season ticket sales.

The Sounds led all the minors in reported attendance with 555,576 fans, an increase of more than 118,000 from 2021. The team topped its season ticket sales revenue by more than $700,000

It's the first time winning the award in the franchise's 45-year history. 

What he's saying: “I’m so proud of our whole organization, because people make an organization and it’s a total team effort to win an award like this,” Sounds general manager and chief operating officer Adam English said in a press release.

Nashville Sounds named MiLB organization of the year

The honor recognizes attendance and season ticket sales.

The Nashville Sounds play the Memphis Redbirds at First Horizon Park. Photo: Sports Illustrated via Getty Images

Baseball

The Nashville Sounds were named Minor League Baseball&#x27;s Organization of the Year at the annual baseball winter meetings in San Diego yesterday.Why it matters: The honor recognizes the Sounds&#x27; excellent overall attendance this season as well as their record-breaking season ticket sales.<ul><li>The Sounds led all the minors in reported attendance with 555,576 fans, an increase of more than 118,000 from 2021. The team topped its season ticket sales revenue by more than $700,000</li></ul>It&#x27;s the first time winning the award in the franchise&#x27;s 45-year history. What he&#x27;s saying: “I’m so proud of our whole organization, because people make an organization and it’s a total team effort to win an award like this,” Sounds general manager and chief operating officer Adam English said <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="in a press release" data-vars-click-url="https://www.milb.com/news/minor-league-baseball-announces-2022-award-winners" data-vars-content-id="297170fd-bb82-44f8-adc7-2d7b2b7e2f1b" data-vars-headline="Nashville Sounds named MiLB organization of the year" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.milb.com/news/minor-league-baseball-announces-2022-award-winners" target="_blank">in a press release</a>.

Sports

The complexion of the Vanderbilt-Tennessee football game has certainly changed in the last few weeks.

What seemed like a throwaway game between a national title contender and an SEC doormat has suddenly taken on much more significance.

State of play: The Commodores are riding high on a two-game winning streak after downing Florida last week. They need a victory to become bowl eligible.

What he's saying: "We're aware of the fact that we have a chance to extend our season," Vandy coach Clark Lea told the media yesterday.

AP sports reporter Teresa Walker points out the Dores haven't been bowl eligible since 2018, and the program endured a jaw-dropping 26-game SEC losing streak during that skid. 

Meanwhile: The Volunteers are on the downswing after getting throttled by South Carolina and losing star quarterback Hendon Hooker, who's been in the conversation for the Heisman Trophy, to a torn ACL.

Yes, but: Despite the teams being on opposite trajectories, the oddsmakers are still heavily favoring the Volunteers, who are 14-point favorites according to DraftKings.

The playoffs may be out of reach, but Tennessee still needs a win in order to reach the best possible bowl game.

By the numbers: Tennessee has won three straight games against Vanderbilt, though the rivals have evenly split the last 10 games in the series.

Tennessee owns a 78-32-5 record against Vanderbilt.

The Vandy-UT game suddenly feels like a big deal

The Commodores are riding high on a two-game winning streak.

Vanderbilt players shower coach Clark Lea with gatorade to celebrate the team's victory over Florida.

Vanderbilt players shower coach Clark Lea with Gatorade after the team's victory over Florida on Saturday. Photo: Matthew Maxey/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images

College football

The complexion of the Vanderbilt-Tennessee football game has certainly changed in the last few weeks.<ul><li>What seemed like a throwaway game between a national title contender and an SEC doormat has suddenly taken on much more significance.</li></ul>

Mayor John Cooper's administration is moving to close the homeless encampment at Brookmeade Park and provide transitional housing for residents there by the end of the year.

The administration is also planning to close a smaller encampment at soccer fields near Edmondson Pike. Brookmeade Park were being notified about the decision Tuesday.

Why it matters: The Brookmeade homeless camp, one of the largest in Nashville, has become a symbol of the city's struggle to tackle homelessness and affordability.

Driving the news: Cooper's administration plans to offer at least two transitional housing options to about 45 people living there by tapping into $50 million recently approved to combat homelessness. Transitional housing will be offered through the Salvation Army and the Community Care Fellowship, both of which received funding boosts from the $50 million allocation.

Mental health, addiction counseling and other services will also be offered to encampment residents.

The city's Encampment Prioritization Team recently identified the Brookmeade Park camp and the south Nashville soccer fields as ones that should receive funding and services first.

What he's saying: Metro Councilmember Dave Rosenberg, who represents the area, tells Axios he wants to be sure the necessary services are provided.

"The danger is that if you just close something down prematurely and throw up a fence, that's not going to stop folks from coming there and then they disperse into the neighborhoods or find another place to congregate nearby. You can't fence your way out of it, so hopefully this is followed by the real work you need to do."

Rosenberg says his worry is that Brookmeade Park, which is located near a popular shopping area, is being prioritized not solely because of urgent needs but because "really wealthy people who go to shop" don't want to look at homeless people.

Lindsey Krinks with the outreach and advocacy group Open Table Nashville tells Axios the city's focus on closing encampments doesn't address broader problems surrounding housing and affordability.

Krinks says she's glad Brookmeade residents stand to get help but worries about others who will struggle with housing after Brookmeade closes.

"We want people off the streets and out of camps, too, because we want them to have dignified housing," Krinks says. "But we also don't think closing off public land during a housing crisis is the way to go about it, especially when there's not enough shelter for everyone who needs it." 

Context: Cooper's strategy is to use the funding to significantly ramp up temporary housing capacity, create fast avenues for permanent housing and provide other services acutely needed by homeless people.

From November 2021 until October, over 1,900 people were housed by the city and its community partners. Additionally, the mayor's office estimates there are approximately 500 chronically homeless people, many of them living in encampments, in need of services.

Mayor Cooper moves to close West Nashville homeless camp

The mayor says he aims to close the encampment and provide housing for its residents by the end of the year.

Illustration of Nashville City Hall with lines radiating from it.

Mayor John Cooper&#x27;s administration is moving to close the homeless encampment at Brookmeade Park and provide transitional housing for residents there by the end of the year.<ul><li>The administration is also planning to close a smaller encampment at soccer fields near Edmondson Pike. Brookmeade Park were being notified about the decision Tuesday.</li></ul>

News

AJ Capital Partners, the development firm that acquired the rock club Exit/In last year, is seeking to expand its live music footprint in Nashville with a 4,500-person venue in the Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood.

Driving the news: A rezoning proposal for a property on Chestnut Street is scheduled for a public hearing during tomorrow night's Metro Council meeting.

AJ Capital plans a mixed-use development next to the venue.

Why it matters: The ambitious proposal comes just a few weeks after AJ Capital Partners assumed control of Exit/In following the departure of the rock club's long-time operators.

AJ Capital Partners has not disclosed if it will partner with a company to run the Chestnut Street venue, but music industry stakeholders anticipate a relationship with Live Nation.

Details: Although the Chestnut Street proposal would have a capacity of 4,500 people, the expectation is that it would mostly book concerts for crowds between 2,000 and 3,000 fans.

Its size and expected strategy would make the venue a possible competitor for the Ryman Auditorium, which has a capacity of 2,362.

The Planning Commission recommended the rezoning plan be approved, and the influential neighborhood group South Nashville Action People is in support.

Catch up quick: Over the last decade, Live Nation has dramatically expanded its footprint, entering into operating agreements at small clubs like the Basement East, larger venues like Ascend Amphitheater, and massive festivals like Bonnaroo.

Critics say that expansion has come at the expense of independent operators, like Chris Cobb and Telisha Cobb of Exit/In. The veteran operator of Mercy Lounge lost his lease last year, and 3rd and Lindsley is facing a precarious future as well.

Meanwhile, Live Nation's sister company Ticketmaster is facing government scrutiny over last month's botched online ticket sale to Taylor Swift's 2023 tour. The company says the sale was hampered by historic demand and by ticket scammers using special software called "bots."

Be smart: J Capital is best known for owning the chain of Graduate Hotels, but the company has a variety of real estate projects around the country.

In addition to Exit/In, the firm has acquired Minglewood Hall in Memphis and the Joy Theater in New Orleans. An AJ Capital spokesperson tells Axios the company does not have a comment at this time.

Yes, but: There has been some opposition due to concerns about traffic and parking.

What we're watching: The venue could be a welcomed addition to a growing Wedgewood-Houston area.

But considering its size, it could be a drag on traffic and parking in the area. And its possible partnership with Live Nation may have critics, given the company's surge in influence in recent years.

AJ Capital's ambitious concert venue proposal

A rendering of the proposed concert hall for Chestnut Street

A rendering of the proposed concert hall for Chestnut Street. Image courtesy of Nashville.gov

AJ Capital Partners, the development firm that acquired the rock club Exit/In last year, is seeking to expand its live music footprint in Nashville with a 4,500-person venue in the Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood.Driving the news: A rezoning proposal for a property on Chestnut Street is scheduled for a public hearing during tomorrow night&#x27;s Metro Council meeting.

Business

Politics

Metro Councilmember Sharon Hurt is running for mayor of Nashville, setting the stage for a crowded and competitive election next year.

Why it matters: Hurt has won two countywide elections and boasts the deep neighborhood connections needed to fuel a mayoral run.

Context: She's a longtime Bellevue resident, who performed well in those precincts in her council elections in 2015 and 2019.

Hurt also served as the top executive with the economic development and business advocacy nonprofit Jefferson Street United Merchants Partnership — a role that put her at the forefront of North Nashville politics for two decades.

State of play: Mayor John Cooper took the procedural step of filing his paperwork to run again and held at least one large fundraiser earlier this year. But he hasn't announced if he'll seek re-election.

Metro Councilmember Freddie O'Connell and former Metro official Matt Wiltshire have also entered the race. It's still early in the process and several others have sent signals they may run.

What we're watching: Cooper, and his brother U.S. Rep. Jim Cooper, have always performed well in North Nashville where they are known commodities. But so is Hurt, creating a likely electoral battleground in 2023.

The biggest unknown for Hurt, who has been a pro-business, social progressive and fierce advocate for North Nashville institutions, will be her fundraising prowess.

The intrigue: Nashville has never elected a Black mayor. In a race where the top contenders so far are Ivy League-educated Democratic white men, Hurt represents this election cycle's best chance to reverse that trend.

What she's saying: "I represent people who have been underestimated by politicians, because I am one myself," Hurt told the Nashville Banner. "I'm just an ordinary person that has been called to do work. I've been doing it all my life. This is a part of my DNA — lifting people up."

Sharon Hurt enters Nashville mayor's race

Hurt boasts countywide election wins and neighborhood ties.

Metro Councilmember Sharon Hurt. Photo: courtesy of Hurt's campaign

Metro Councilmember Sharon Hurt is running for mayor of Nashville, setting the stage for a crowded and competitive election next year.Why it matters: Hurt has won two countywide elections and boasts the deep neighborhood connections needed to <a class="gtmContentClick" data-vars-link-text="fuel a mayoral run" data-vars-click-url="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2022/09/12/sharon-hurt-considers-running-nashville-mayor" data-vars-content-id="dfa7c57d-a315-4508-aab9-1b2b2fc8a244" data-vars-headline="Sharon Hurt enters Nashville mayor&#x27;s race" data-vars-event-category="story" data-vars-sub-category="story" data-vars-item="in_content_link" href="https://www.axios.com/local/nashville/2022/09/12/sharon-hurt-considers-running-nashville-mayor" target="_self">fuel a mayoral run</a>.

Nate Rau

Featured stories

Nashville Sounds named MiLB organization of the year

Sharon Hurt enters Nashville mayor's race

AJ Capital's ambitious concert venue proposal

The Vandy-UT game suddenly feels like a big deal

Mayor Cooper moves to close West Nashville homeless camp