Sphere Entertainment in Talks For Nashville East Bank

Sphere Entertainment Company recently entered into conversations with the owners of Nashville’s East Bank scrapyard property about developing a potential venue, according to people familiar with the discussions.

Axios reported last month that representatives tied to the Las Vegas Sphere had been in discussions with Nashville executives about bringing a smaller version of the high-tech concert venue to the market. A spokesperson for the scrapyard ownership group declined to comment, and Sphere Entertainment did not respond to a request for comment.

More discussions occurred as recently as the past two weeks, the Nashville Business Journal reported, though the status of negotiations remains unclear and it is unknown whether the company is evaluating other local sites.

New York-based Sphere Entertainment is controlled by the Dolan family and led by CEO and Executive Chairman James Dolan, who also runs Madison Square Garden Entertainment, according to the outlet. The original Sphere opened off the Las Vegas Strip in 2023 at a reported $2.3 billion cost and holds up to 20,000 people, with residencies from artists including U2, Metallica, the Eagles and the Backstreet Boys.

The company has been vocal about expanding to other locales and earlier this year announced plans for a second Sphere in Maryland. That project is slated as a 6,000-seat venue on roughly 8 acres, compared with Las Vegas’ 18-acre site, according to the publication.

Nashville’s East Bank has emerged as the city’s largest redevelopment canvas, soon to be anchored by the Tennessee Titans’ $2.1 billion stadium and a planned 30-acre mixed-use district led by the Fallon Company. The scrapyard site itself totals 47 acres, according to the outlet.

Local investor group TEB LLC, led by David Byerley and Sam Lingo, bought the property from Carl Icahn in August for $245 million. The owners floated a family-oriented entertainment district with concepts such as a children’s museum and a grocery component, according to the outlet.

But the project’s entitlements are in flux after Metro Council deferred two rezoning bills for the site — now branded “East Bend” — following the introduction of 18 proposed amendments. According to the publication, council members have raised concerns about density, infrastructure, parking and Lower Broadway’s tourism-driven nightlife energy bleeding across the river.

The proposed amendments include limits on height bonuses, hotel development, digital signage and other elements, according to the outlet. One amendment would prohibit “stadium/arena convention center use.” It was not immediately clear whether such language would apply to a Sphere-style venue.

Doug Sloan, an attorney at Thompson Burton representing the owners, said in a statement last week that the development team requested a postponement of council consideration of the amendments to allow for more review time. The rezoning is scheduled for a third and final council reading on Tuesday.

— Eric Weilbacher