NASHVILLE, TN—Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A, a 49-year old studio in the heart of the city’s Music Row that has hosted recording sessions with music greats Dolly Parton, Loretta Lynn and B.B. King, has escaped demolition thanks to a local non-profit that purchased the property for $5.6 million.
In September, Tim Reynolds, owner of the Nashville-based Bravo Development, announced the location at 30 Music Square West would be demolished to make way for a fivestory, high-end condominium complex. However, this statement was met with strong backlash from musicians and historic preservationists, including singer, songwriter and producer Ben Folds, who has leased the studio for the past 12 years.
On October 3, Reynolds announced a sale agreement with AMT Trust, a non-profit founded by preservationist and real estate developer Aubrey Preston. The New York Times reported the deal is expected to close by the end of the year, giving Preston time to create a preservation plan for the studio.
“In light of public concern, we ultimately decided to select the buyer that plans to preserve the building and hopefully open it to the public,” said Reynolds in his statement.
One of Preston’s ongoing projects, called Americana Music Triangle, promotes music tourism in the Nashville, New Orleans, and Memphis areas, emphasizing on how music emerged from those regions. One of his areas of focus is along Nashville’s fabled Music Row, a mile-long strip of two roads in Nashville’s midtown that played a key role in the growth of country music, and in recent years, has faced trouble with the growing real estate market.
Folds and other tenants in the building had received eviction notices last month, leading Folds to start the Save Studio A movement with the support of other musicians, including Elton John and Amanda Palmer.
