🎙 On the Curb – Nashville’s Zoning Bills, Aba’s Grand Opening, & Remembering Santa’s Pub

This week on On the Curb, we cover some of the biggest stories shaping Nashville right now:

• Metro Council’s new housing & zoning bills – Nashville faces a projected shortage of 20,000 housing units over the next decade. We break down the four new zoning ordinances—BL2025-1005, BL2025-1006, BL2025-1007, and BL2025-1008—that aim to close the housing gap and reshape development across Davidson County.
• Nashville’s new public safety dashboard – The Nashville Alliance for Police and Public Safety has launched a tool that lets residents and real estate professionals track crime stats in their neighborhoods.
• Aba opens in Wedgewood-Houston – Chicago’s acclaimed Mediterranean restaurant Aba makes its Nashville debut on September 15th with its largest space yet. The two-story, 12,000-square-foot restaurant will anchor the WeHo dining scene.
• Remembering Denzel Irwin & Santa’s Pub – We close with a tribute to Denzel Irwin, the Franklin native and owner of Santa’s Pub, who became a Nashville icon for preserving one of the city’s most beloved dive bars.

Whether you’re a Nashville professional, real estate agent, or just someone curious about how the city is growing, this episode will keep you in the loop on the stories shaping Music City.

🔗 Sources & Further Reading

• Axios Nashville – Public safety dashboard
• Metro housing gap study – Nashville Banner
• Nashville zoning reform coverage – Nashville Banner
• Metro Council leadership – Nashville Banner
• Metro Nashville zoning bills overview – Nashville Banner
• BL2025-1005 – Legistar
• BL2025-1005 Exhibit D
• BL2025-1006 – Legistar
• BL2025-1007 – Legistar
• BL2025-1008 – Legistar
• Metro affordable housing authority – Nashville Banner
• Aba opening – Nashville Lifestyles
• Santa’s Pub founder Denzel Irwin – Nashville Business Journal
• The Nashville Alliance – Dashboard