The Berry Hill suburb of Nashville is getting a massive new entertainment-focused education campus proposed by Universal Music Group (UMG) and costing around $250 million, according to a report from the Nashville Post. There is no estimated start or completion date currently attached to the project.
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According to the description of the project by developers—submitted to a Berry Hill community meeting—the proposed areas will be used for “an entertainment industry production and education campus centered around a vibrant public space bordered by a mix of restaurant and retail uses.”
The campus will be made up of multiple buildings for mixed-use operations by UMG and will include recording studios, stages for orchestral score recording, research and development in the music industry, and more. The project will be a total of 4.14 acres across multiple areas on Columbine Place and East Iris Drive in Berry Hill. UMG already owns the former House of Blues property that has been housing their East Iris Studios, while Dallas-based company Xebec owns the other 17 properties that UMG is looking at.
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According to Berry Hill Development LLC, the companies Xebec, UMG and California-based Sylmar Studios are all participating in the project, with Sylmar Studios planning a similar development in Los Angeles. The concept development includes 93,500 square feet of studios, 115,000 square feet of education and office space, 3,200 square feet of retail space, 20,500 square feet for two restaurant spaces, and four residential units, according to the Nashville Post.
Berry Hill city manager Joe Baker told the Post that he is in favor of the project after a stakeholder meeting with the community. “This will be a transformational development for both Berry Hill and Nashville,” said Baker. “It is a big deal.” He also shared that all 75 community members who attended the meeting were in favor of development.
The developer’s description continued, “The improved and expanded public park includes a new community building, stage, and outdoor performance venue. The development is anchored by state of the art recording and video studio facilities, an audio technology research and development lab, and a scoring stage which is the first of its kind in the central U.S. The education component borders the west side of the public park intended to house a variety of higher-ed music school programs that will benefit from the synergy with on-campus industry professionals and activities.”
(Photo via @visitmusiccity on Instagram)
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