City Cast Nashville
👀 More corporations eyeing a move to Nashville
August 25, 2026 · — Natalia Aldana
Hello! Have you been to Big Al’s Deli lately? Chances are you probably haven’t been able to get in, as owner Alphonso Anderson says Google Fiber construction, which has dragged on for six weeks, has blocked customer parking and often forced him to close his doors. Want to help? Head to 4th Avenue North and get the best breakfast sandwich in town 🥪
What's CITY Talking About
🎙️ Choice Lanes, Cheekwood, and Starbucks Staffers
On today’s Tuesday News Roundup, we’re learning more about the companies behind DriveTN, the consortium tapped to build controversial toll roads between here and Murfreesboro, and at least one state legislator wants to know why we can’t keep the profits here at home.
- Plus, Cheekwood won the first battle in their big parking garage fight, and new corporations are eyeing a move to Nashville — just as 120 Starbucks employees said no to that move. And in good news: Could a beloved music festival be coming back? [🎧 City Cast Nashville]
📈 TVA Data Center Rate Hike Sparks Outcry
The Tennessee Valley Authority changed electricity rate structures for data centers by 10%, but offered little transparency on how this will impact consumer bills. The largely President Trump-appointed board approved the hike last week. The TVA is planning to spend billions on data center infrastructure expansion over the next three years.
- ⛽ Related: The TVA is also moving forward on a plan to build more gas plants, potentially tripling down on fossil fuel infrastructure. [WPLN News]
🏫 Fisk Leaders Outline Campus Data Center Benefits
Fisk University leaders have released a white paper detailing their support for a 100,000-square-foot data and innovation center on campus, which was first announced in May and led to widespread protests. The 12-page paper says the center could support STEM education, promises that it will be environmentally sensitive, and says it could boost economic growth to a “community historically left out.” [🔒 The Tennessean]
⚖️ Coalition Probes TN Ten Commandments Display Plans
Civil liberty groups are seeking records from five school districts that plan to display the Ten Commandments in classrooms, including nearby Rutherford and Wilson counties. The coalition, which includes the national and state ACLU, argues these displays violate constitutional rights. [🔒 The Tennessean]
- 🤔 Plus: City Cast Nashville contributor Betsy Phillips wonders which version of the Ten Commandments these schools plan to display. [Nashville Scene]
What To Do
Tuesday, Aug. 25
- 🧑🏫 Adult Education Tutoring Volunteer | Martha O'Bryan Center | 8-11 a.m.
- 🚶 Guided Walking Tour | Fort Negley | 10-11:30 a.m.
- 🧑🌾 12 South Farmers Market | Sevier Park | 4-7 p.m.
- 🍽️ Free Community Dinner | Trinity Community Commons | 4:30-6:30 p.m.
- 🧘 Gentle Yoga | Richland Park Library Branch | 6-7 p.m.
- 📚 Greg Howard: "The Travelers" | Parnassus Books | 6 p.m.
- 😆 Nateland Presents: The Showcase Season 5 | Zanies | 7 p.m.
- 🎶 Honky Tonk Tuesday with The Cowpokes | Eastside Bowl | 7 p.m.
- 🎵 Jack Johnson | Ascend Amphitheater | 7:30 p.m.
- 🎹 Residency, In Pieces: Jon Cowherd | Nashville Jazz Workshop | 7:30-9 p.m.
- 🍺 Coors Country Banquet | Skinny Dennis | 8 p.m.-1 a.m.
Wednesday, Aug. 26
- 🐦 Hummingbird Migration Banding Research | Warner Park Nature Center | 7:30-9:30 a.m.
- ⭐ STARS in Action Volunteer Day | STARS Nashville | 9-11 a.m.
- 👗 Encores Consignment (through Aug. 30) | 2721 8th Ave. S. | 10 a.m.-6 p.m.
- 🎴 Phase 10 Card Game | Hadley Park Library Branch | 1:30-3:30 p.m.
- 🧑🌾 Wedgewood-Houston Farmers Market | The Outfield | 4-7 p.m.
- 🐕 National Dog Day | Church Street Park | 5-7 p.m.
- 🦴 National Dog Day Adoption Event | MOXY Nashville Vanderbilt | 5-7 p.m.
- 🎶 Cloe Wilder | The Basement | 6:30 p.m.
- 🧘 Yoga with Hot Yoga East’s Jimmy Deason | White Limozeen | 6-8 p.m.
- 😆 JOKABILITY! | Zanies | 7 p.m.
- 🎵 Ron Artis II | Analog | 8 p.m.
🪑 The bus benches made national news! Nashvillians started building these colorful benches at bus stops after they saw a need the city was neglecting. Check out this feature in the New York Times on how “locals took a stand.”
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