ANTIOCH, TN — Metro Nashville is moving forward with its plans to convert a former Kmart into a police precinct, paying $7.45 million for the site at Murfreesboro Pike near Edge O Lakes Drive.

Under a proposal announced by Mayor Megan Barry in July, the site would be the home of the new Southeast Police Precinct and a number of other public facilities. The plan calls for the ex-Kmart to be razed. (For more updates on this story and free news alerts for your neighborhood, sign up for your local Middle Tennessee Patch morning newsletter.)

"This vacant storefront and associated properties offer Nashville a unique opportunity to invest in the Antioch community in a way that will strengthen our efforts to keep the residents of the community and all of Nashville safe," Barry said in a statement at the time. "While there is much to be discussed going forward, both Chief Steve Anderson and District Councilmember Tanaka Vercher believe this is the best possible location for a new precinct to serve the Southeast Nashville area." In addition to the precinct, plans call for a new emergency communications center and a refueling station for Metro vehicles.

"I am grateful to Mayor Barry and Chief Anderson for their commitment to the Antioch community," Vercher said. "My constituents are ready to embrace a new police precinct in our district because we believe that public safety is critical to our future success as a community and is essential to a great quality of life." "The continuing strong growth of South Nashville makes the Murfreesboro Road section of Antioch a prime strategic location for our 9th precinct," Anderson said. "I look forward to working with Mayor Barry and Council Member Vercher to expand neighborhood public safety partnerships as we plan for a new precinct and all of the positives it will bring to this community."