Plans to redevelop Fond Object Records in East Nashville's Riverside Village into a vintage motorcycle shop and a wood-fired pizza restaurant have been withdrawn, following community opposition.

Corner Partnership pulled back its request – up for Metro Planning Commission consideration this week – to redevelop the record shop and several other stores at the corner of McGavock Pike and Riverside Drive.

The developer had also planned to build 33 apartments in six buildings behind the short, street-facing retail strip anchored by the record shop.

But, in October, a petition opposing the deal gathered more than 1,700 supporters after musicians Margo Price and Aaron Lee Tasjan shared it on Twitter, in hopes of saving Fond Object. The record store's second, downtown location also closed.

"Fond Object is a local gem, and the last thing we need is a condo standing in its place," Price tweeted. "Once our neighborhood is gone, it's gone."

Residents expressed concern about the new project's impact on traffic congestion and fast-rising housing prices in the neighborhood, which is at the heart of the city's development boom, during a community meeting in October.

Fond Object to be razed

The developer intended to keep the commercial buildings in place with some upgrades and new tenants – including replacing Fond Object with Moto Moda, the pizza and motorcycle business envisioned by the owners of Barista Parlor.

But the petition rejected the development entirely, arguing it would "cut down a bunch of mature trees, build a massive apartment complex with six 2 & 3 story buildings ... and replace our beloved Fond Object. The special character and feel of our neighborhood should be protected from this kind of large scale, intrusive development."

The negative community response prompted Corner Partnership to cancel the plans, and revert to the site's existing zoning rules that don't require Planning Commission approval.

Those allow for a 4-story mixed-use building on the corner, in place of the one-story retail strip. The fourth story, however, must be set back to appear less imposing.

"We tried to do a Specific Plan in which the building would have been preserved, and the density spread behind it," Councilman Anthony Davis said. "There were some definite benefits to that – namely, we could keep the scale down on McGavock. The only path to saving Fond Object was to move them into the (former) Bailey & Cato (soul-food restaurant) building (that will now be torn down)."

'Bittersweet ending'

New plans and tenants for the development have not yet been announced. Zoning rules allow for several homes to be built behind the commercial building.

Davis said he worked to get support for the initial proposal because it would have preserved the neighborhood character of small, Craftsman-style buildings along McGavock Pike.

It would also have allowed for a community-benefits agreement that barred any short-term rental units, required a certain number of trees to be planted, and extended a sidewalk along the street.

"So much time and effort went into the plan but it just fell flat," Davis said. "It's kind of a bittersweet ending. I think, in the end, we'll be fine. They will build a nice building and maybe some houses behind it."