Firestone ‘has no plans to vacate” its spot in the 1100 block of Broadway. It’s been there since 1971.

-- Michelle Morrow | The Ledger

With most of the recent development announcements focusing on the north side of Broadway, can the south side be far behind? And what about properties on the west side of Interstate 40 heading out of town?

Calls went out to those listed on Metro property records as owners of properties between 9th and 16th on Broadway that don’t appear to be in the sights of developers. Many weren’t returned but three property owners say they have no plans to move and their businesses will continue as usual.

One Broadway mainstay has been the convenience store/gas station right across from The Tennessean. It’s now an APlus convenience store, owned by Sunoco and home for the past several months to Laredo Taco Company. The outlet specializes in handmade Mexican food and opened this past spring to the accompaniment of a mariachi band, Sunoco spokesman Jeff Shields says.

“We understand the dynamics” of growth along Broadway, Shields says. “We want to be there. We made a significant investment” to add Laredo Taco, and Sunoco plans on staying.

A short stroll away, Firestone Complete Auto Care Center has changed, rotated and balanced tires and serviced cars for more for 45 years. “We’ve owned and run that property since June 1971,” says Susan Steeno, Bridgestone Americas The company has “no plans to vacate the property.”

Where Broadway and West End split and near the proposed West End Summit is Trabue Triangle, site of a recently-installed digital billboard the owners call The Nashville Sign. John S. Sanders, manager of Trabue Triangle LLC, a family-owned entity, says a static board had been there for “60 or 70 years, and was originally a Coca-Cola sign on top of a Goodyear Tire store.”

The Nashville Sign now displays eight different images per minute, including commercial advertising, public announcements and nonprofit displays. The site was once used by Trabue Transmission, owned for many years by Nelson T. Trabue Sr.

His son has operated Import Auto Maintenance there for many years. That business remains at the triangle. “We are formulating plans to improve the property further,” Sanders says.