Nashville airport: No set timeline to demolish building once home to Monell's at the Manor

There's no set timeline — yet — for plans to demolish the historic mansion that was once home to Monell's at the Manor restaurant to clear a path for the expansion of Nashville International Airport.

Airport operator Metro Nashville Airport Authority aims to extend one of the airport's four runways to accommodate heavier airplanes so it can offer direct flights to major Asian cities. But the proposed 4,000-foot runway extension must first be deemed necessary by the Federal Aviation Administration, and the required studies could take months or years to complete. Early estimates for construction begin in 2028, granted the airport receives FAA permission.

The Colemere Mansion, a 1920s-era building that housed Monell's since 2011, lies in the path of those expansion plans.

The airport would have to demolish the building at 1400 Murfreesboro Pike along with 19 homes and relocate the former Central State Hospital graveyard before construction could begin. The airport authority did not renew the restaurant's lease, which ended April 30, despite pleas from community members and Metro Council members for the airport to reconsider.

Metro Council on Tuesday passed a resolution asking the airport authority and Nashville's codes department to provide written notice before taking action to demolish, relocate or permanently alter the building.

District 13 Council member Russ Bradford, whose constituency encompasses the airport and surrounding neighborhoods, sponsored the resolution in response to serious community concerns that the historic building could be razed without "proper due diligence." Though the resolution is non-binding, Bradford said his intention was "ongoing accountability" for the airport in the absence of commitments from the airport authority about its plans for the building.

"I felt like this is a good opportunity for us to go on record again requesting Metro Codes to keep an eye on any potential actions taken by the airport, and for that notice to be given to us so that we can have an opportunity to call it out or to try and work with the airport to save the building in some way," Bradford said.

The resolution passed 30-1, with Council member at-large Olivia Hill voting no and District 8 Council member Deonté Harrell abstaining.

Robert Ramsey, the airport authority's chief development officer, told Council members Monday that there has been "no determination" on a definitive timeline for any plans to demolish the manor.

The airport is "in the early stages" of an FAA environmental impact study that launched last week, Ramsey said. The FAA's runway justification study may be completed in about six months, and community outreach about the impacts of construction will follow.

When asked by Bradford if the airport would assist with efforts to relocate the building or commit to allowing adequate time for a relocation, Ramsey said the airport would "be willing to consider any written proposal provided to us."

It's not clear where the building would be moved, if that idea came to fruition.

Metro Nashville Airport Authority President and CEO Doug Kreulen said in March that the airport would not contribute to any potential costs to relocate the building. The authority is "not allowed to expend resources that doesn't benefit the transportation of passengers," Kreulen said, and the manor is "not benefiting the traveling public."

Metro Council deferred a routine piece of legislation related to the airport's Concourse D expansion at Bradford's urging in April. On Monday, Ramsey said further delay could impact the airport's construction schedule and overhead charges. The Council passed that resolution Tuesday, with Bradford, Council member at-large Delishia Porterfield and District 24 Council member Brenda Gadd abstaining.

"That deferral did … get the attention of BNA leadership and brought them to the table to begin discussing some of the issues that I've been seeing in my district in relation to airport expansion, airport noise, etc.," Bradford said, noting his abstention because "I still don't feel like we're quite there yet with the airport."

Sandy Mazza contributed.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville airport: No set timeline to demolish Monell's at the Manor