The first six WeGo Public Transit-branded MCI coaches, which feature USB ports and plush seating hit the road the last week of July.

-- Photograph Courtesy Of Nashville Mta

Nashville-based LBMC, an accounting and business consulting firms, has announced it has acquired Think Data Insights, a national data analytics company.

Financial terms of the transaction were not disclosed.

Think Data delivers modern data platforms and analytics solutions, harnessing the power of data to drive insights in their organizations.

“As we continue to grow, we continue to invest in new service lines that deepen and enhance our offerings, while keeping LBMC at the forefront of technological advancements,” says Jeff Drummonds, CEO of LBMC. “This acquisition underscores our commitment to providing our clients with transformational solutions, so that the thousands of businesses we work with across the country have access to best-in-class resources and experts that advance their success.”

Think Data Insights, based near LBMC’s headquarters in Nashville, has grown rapidly since its launch five years ago. The company has delivered high impact data platform and business intelligence solutions for organizations in healthcare, manufacturing, retail, media and finance, among other industries.

Think Data Insights is also a certified Microsoft Gold partner, the highest level of Microsoft’s widely recognized partnership program. This distinction is only held by a small number of Microsoft partners around the world.

“Joining forces with LBMC means our technology can empower more companies to harness the power of data to drive growth, decrease expenses and manage other business objectives,” says Ken Raetz, CEO, Think Data Insights, who will join LBMC as a shareholder and remain focused on growing the data analytics service line.

Dover Motorsports closes on 133 acres at Superspeedway

Dover Motorsports, Inc., the leading promoter of NASCAR sanctioned and other motorsports events, has announced the closing on 133 acres of Nashville Superspeedway property in Gladeville.

The sales agreement is with Panattoni Development Company. Proceeds from the sale, less closing costs, were approximately $6.4 million. Net proceeds after taxes are estimated to be approximately $5.3 million.

Dover has an option to acquire an additional 97.17 acres at $66,685 per acre. The option expires March 1, 2022 and may only be exercised for all 97.17 acres at one time for a total purchase price of $6,479,781.

Community Health sells Lebanon facility

Community Health Systems, Inc., based in Franklin, has announced that subsidiaries of the company have completed the divestiture of 245-bed Tennova Healthcare-Lebanon and its associated assets.

The company sold the hospital to subsidiaries of Vanderbilt University Medical Center.

Community Health, through its subsidiaries, owns, leases or operates 105 affiliated hospitals in 18 states with an aggregate of approximately 17,000 licensed beds.

The Place at Fifth + Broadway achieves milestone

Brookfield Properties and Skanska recently held a topping out ceremony for the residential tower of Fifth + Broadway, a mixed-use project in downtown Nashville.

The residential tower will be known as The Place at Fifth + Broadway, and at 34 stories and 415 feet high it is the tallest rising apartment tower in the state.

Opening is planned for 2020.

“After more than two years of construction on one of the largest mixed-use projects in the state’s history, we are thrilled to top out at our highest point of 415 feet,” says Burgin Dossett, vice president at Brookfield Properties, a real estate company.

“A cast of thousands has worked tirelessly for years to reach this important milestone. We’d like to thank Skanska, our general contractor, and our many business and civic partners who have helped advance the project to where it is today.’’

The Place at Fifth + Broadway is directly connected to more than 200,000 square-feet of retail and entertainment, the 56,000 square-foot National Museum of African American Music, and the future headquarters of AllianceBernstein within Fifth + Broadway. The state-of-the-art residential tower sits immediately across the street from Bridgestone Arena (home of the NHL’s Nashville Predators and the 6th highest ticket selling arena in the U.S.).

“It has been a great pleasure for Skanska to lead construction on the most visible and transformative redevelopment in one of America’s most exciting cities,” says Dennis Georgatos, Executive Vice President, General Manager at Skanska USA. “Located at the center of a dynamic destination that attracts more than 15 million visitors a year, there have been great logistical and technical challenges, all of which our team and partners have risen to the occasion to navigate and reach this topping out milestone.”

The apartment tower will consist of 386 units ranging from 500-square-foot studios to large penthouses at more than 2,000 square feet. Brookfield Properties says it will deliver a 17,000 square-foot amenity package that leads the market, highlighted by a pool overlooking Broadway, as well as high-end trainer driven work out facilities, a recording studio, and multiple lounge and co-working spaces.

Music City July 4th gala sets spending record

The Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp has announced the city’s July 4th event generated a record $14.2 million in direct visitor spending, a 31 percent increase over last year’s record of $10.8 million.

The 2019 Let Freedom Sing! Music City July 4th also set a record with 26,259 hotel rooms sold on July 4, the most ever for a July 4 in Nashville.

As previously announced, a record 343,000 attendees were estimated by police and event officials. The previous record was 284,000 in 2014.

“This event is designed to be an international and national draw, but we get the greatest satisfaction knowing that so many locals come out to enjoy this free world-class event too,” says Butch Spyridon, President and CEO, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. “To set records across the board is a phenomenal feat, especially when you consider the holiday fell on a Thursday – just wait until next year when July 4th is on a Saturday!”

Of the estimated 343,000 in attendance, approximately 270,000 were Nashvillians, many of whom came out to view the world-class fireworks show.

Let Freedom Sing! was recently listed by Town and Country as one of the “Best Fourth of July Fireworks Displays Around the U.S.” and by Travel + Leisure as one of the “Best Free 4th of July Fireworks Across the U.S.”

Historic Hotels honors Union Station, The Hermitage

Two of Nashville’s iconic hotels have earned a spot on the 2019 Historic Hotels of America Top 25 List of Historic Hotels with the Most Unique Culinary Heritage and Culinary Traditions.

Union Station Hotel Nashville, Autograph Collection and The Hermitage Hotel made the list.

Union Station served as the city’s railway station for many years. The hotel’s past life is apparent in the hotel’s stunning preserved architecture – the soaring barrel-vaulted ceiling, and 100-year-old stained glass.

The hotel’s history includes this legend of its resident ghost Abigail who said goodbye to her soldier on the Union Station train platform before he shipped off World War II. When she returned to the same platform to welcome him she was instead met with word that he was killed in action. Distraught, Abigail threw herself in front of a passing locomotive far below. Abigail’s story also lives on at the hotel’s bar and restaurant in the grand lobby, Carter’s – The Abigail cocktail is a signature libation made with local spirit Picker’s Vodka, St. Germain, grapefruit juice, lemon and bubbles.

Built in 1910, The Hermitage Hotel has a long history with Jack Daniels. The storied history dates back to the Prohibition era, when the notorious eighth floor suite was used during the suffragist movement and resulting in the 19th Amendment ratification in August 1920.

Prior to the ratification the suite was often occupied by anti-suffragists who brought their own alcohol. It was used so often for those purposes that the suite acquired the nickname “The Jack Daniels Suite.”

In the Prohibition era, a Tennessee statewide prohibition went into effect at the end of 1909, just before the hotel opened in 1910. Later, the hotel was caught serving liquor in teapots in 1912 as the city officials gradually cracked down.

Bridgestone tires continue BMW partnership

Nashville-based Bridgestone Americas, Inc. has announced its premium tire lines have been specified as original equipment on the fourth-generation BMW X5 and the new BMW X7 luxury sports activity vehicles.

Continuing its longstanding relationship with BMW, Bridgestone is supplying an assortment of tires in 15 different sizes and patterns from the company’s Bridgestone Alenza and Bridgestone Blizzak tire lines.

“The design and application of a tire plays an important role in ensuring a vehicle performs to its maximum capability,” says Shannon Quinn, president, Consumer Original Equipment Tires, U.S. and Canada, Bridgestone. Americas Tire Operations. “We value our strong partnership with BMW and are proud of the collaboration during the development of innovative, performance-driven tire technology for BMW’s sports activity vehicle line.”

WeGo unveils new regional buses

WeGo Public Transit has launched its new, over-the-road coaches with plenty of amenities for commuters traveling outside Davidson County.

The first six WeGo Public Transit-branded MCI coaches, which feature USB ports and plush seating, began service July 31. The remaining buses will be introduced later this summer after road testing and inspection.

All 10 coaches are owned by WeGo and serve to replace a little more than a third of buses used by Gray Line, the contracted regional service provider.

“This is the first of several milestones in the next year to help elevate transit in Middle Tennessee,” WeGo CEO Steve Bland says.

Significant capital projects helping to push out a freshened brand and unify Middle Tennessee public transit include:

Rehabilitation of four locomotives on the WeGo Star (formerly the Music City Star);

Complete replacement of passenger cars on the Star; and,

Account-based fare collection system.

Metro Water celebrates reservoir, pumping station

Visitors are invited to visit Nashville’s historic 8th Ave Reservoir Aug. 13 and 15 as the city celebrates the 130th anniversary of the completion of the George Reyer Pumping Station and the reservoir.

Both the reservoir and pumping Station are on the National Register of Historic Places. The reservoir was listed in 1978 and the pumping station was listed in 1987.

Metro Water Services will also host a special presentation at the Fort Negley Visitor Center on Aug. 15, 6 p.m.

The pumping station, built of limestone rock and handmade brick, originally pumped water from the Cumberland River to the reservoir for settling prior to distribution to the community. Named the George Reyer Pumping Station in 1932, after long time superintendent, it remains in operation today as part of the Omohundro Water Treatment Plant, which treats up to 90 million gallons of water a day.

The City Reservoir, now known as the Eighth Avenue Reservoir, remains the largest of Metro Water Services 37 reservoirs, holding up to 51 million gallons of water. It is divided into two compartments, each with a capacity of 25.5 million gallons.

Nashville City Cemetery hosts Suffrage tour

The Nashville City Cemetery is hosting a celebratory “Second Saturday” tour that focuses on fascinating females from Nashville’s history who are buried in the cemetery.

The tour, which starts at 10 a.m. on Saturday, August 10, is free and open to the public and is In honor of Women’s Suffrage Anniversary Month.

Carolyn Gregory, a writer, editor and researcher who serves on the Nashville City Cemetery Board, will lead the tour and share stories about the lives of the select cemetery residents.

The tour features historical anecdotes regarding the following women, among others:

Lucinda Bedford – Born as a Bedford family slave in 1800, Lucinda lived 93 years and died as a free woman who was also Nashville’s wealthiest woman of color at the time. Details regarding her emancipation are uncertain, but it is recorded that Lucinda served as Mr. Bedford’s “housekeeper” and bore his child.

Charlotte Reeves Robertson – Charlotte was the wife of James Robertson, one of the founders of Nashville. Known as the “heroine of the Battle of the Bluff,” she is credited with saving the lives of the men of Ft. Nashborough during an Indian attack, when she released a pack of over 50 dogs to create a necessary diversion.

Louisa Pocahontas Gordon Zollicoffer – Louisa was a descendant of Pocahontas of Jamestown, Virginia, and she married Confederate General Felix Zollicoffer, the first confederate general to die in the Western Theater of war. Although she gave birth to 13 children, only six survived. Her descendants still reside in the Nashville area today.