Arcade Tenants Weigh In on Downtown Nashville Landmark's Makeover

Nashville's Arcade, which opened in 1902 with a design modeled on the open-air bazaars of Milan, Italy, was a center of downtown foot traffic long before the honky-tonks of Lower Broadway took off. More recently it has served the local art community as home to the First Saturday Art Crawl. As the city grew, though, new places to eat, shop and work pulled visitors elsewhere, and the pandemic's push toward remote work drew office workers further from Fourth and Fifth avenues.

In April 2021, a group of investors that includes local real estate figure Rob Lowe and an affiliate of Manhattan-based Linfield Capital bought the property for $28 million. The owners have since pursued what they call a "vibrant, urban-scale destination in the heart of Music City." Several new tenants are set to open in the coming months, among them clothing retailer Faherty and new outposts of Roze Pony and Urban Cowboy. Longtime tenants such as From Nashville With Love and Percy's Shoe Shine are staying.

The Arcade is also home to Arcade Arts, founded in 2023. The program hosts 12 rotating artists-in-residence in the second-floor studios, pays their rent and organizes gallery and cultural events, including the newly created Second Saturday Art Crawl. The Nashville Scene recently interviewed 13 tenants, including longtime businesses, residency artists, newcomers and a recently opened restaurant. Their views were varied, and at times at odds with one another.

Newcomers spoke of the building's character as a draw. Lyon Porter, the developer behind Urban Cowboy, said they wanted to build a downtown cocktail lounge that felt "beautiful and comfortable" for locals and visitors alike. Rebecca Davis, who is opening her first Nashville store, Mimi + Dottie, said the Arcade's history matched the old downtown Franklin buildings that house their other shops. Brittany Cobb of Flea Style, a Dallas-based boutique that opened a 12South location in May, said the Arcade fits a brand built on vintage items with a story, and would bring a different kind of customer than 12South does.

Longtime tenants were more mixed. Anna Yi of Tony's Shoe Service, which has operated in the Arcade since 1963 and recently moved from a ground-floor storefront to an upstairs space, said they stayed to keep their loyal customers and the memories that come with them. Asked about the incoming businesses, Yi said no one knows how it will turn out and that it "looks like a gamble." Marrah Florita of From Nashville With Love, who has sold jewelry in the Arcade for more than a decade, said the new mix seems aimed at "preppy professionals" rather than tourists, but also welcomed the local-flavored bars and restaurants on the way.

Business has not been uniform. Jacob Strang, co-founder of Ugly Bagel, which opened in November, said the shop has been well received and is seeing regulars on a daily or every-other-day basis, and expects growth as more stores open. Florita, by contrast, called the past few months "really slow," even slower than last year with a new neighbor across the way, though they remain optimistic because business typically picks up after spring break. Yi described sales as slower but said the shop is holding on to its old customers.

The artists-in-residence were largely upbeat. Sarah Clinton valued the Arcade's support for local small businesses, saying it makes the place feel unlike a mall. Rod McGaha said the newcomers bring "fresh energy" while blending with the building's history. Katherine Frensley, a Nashville native, said it is sad to see longtime businesses leave or be replaced but exciting to see what comes next. Mandy Rogers Horton noted that the smell of fresh bagels is tempting while working in the studio.

Many tenants also said they value the mix of old and new. Horton said that with so many people moving to Nashville from elsewhere, it matters for "New Nashville" to stay connected to Old Nashville. Mike Mitchell said it is remarkable to have a studio that almost everyone they know in Nashville has some connection to, in some cases going back 50 years. Porter said they hope the Arcade gives locals, who often skip downtown, a reason to come, as well as tourists.