NASHVILLE, Tenn. — The restaurant group behind the development of Morgan Wallen’s new bar will have to rethink its plans for the establishment’s sign.
According to NBC-affiliate WSMV, 4th Avenue Property LLC wanted to move forward with the construction and installation of a sign for Morgan Wallen's bar and restaurants. It is named "Morgan Wallen's This Bar and Tennessee Kitchen." The group asked for permission from the city council for an "aerial encroachment" at the bar's location.
The group is required to ask permission before construction can start in downtown Nashville.
The majority of the Metro Council voted it down. On Tuesday, 30 members of the council voted against it. Some members said the country music star's April arrest after throwing a chair from the roof of a bar as well as his drunken behavior in which he used racial slurs led to their opposition.
“We want to make sure that Nashville was a supportive place for everyone, so I don’t want to see a billboard with the name of a person who’s throwing chairs off of balconies and who is saying racial slurs, using the n-word, so I’m voting no,” said Delishia Porterfield, at-large council member.
Another council member from East Tennessee, Jordan Huffman, seconded her sentiments and said he takes offense at Wallen's behavior.
“I rise to oppose this,” Huffman said. “Number one - Mr. Wallen is an East Tennessean - he gives all of us a bad name. His comments are hateful, his comments are harmful, and you don’t belong in this town, as far as I’m concerned. I’m tired of this city bending over to just, make anybody happy that makes a comment that they want to. We continue to go down this road. I encourage my colleagues to vote against this.”
Jacob Kupin of District 19 sponsored the resolution for the sign, and also said he was torn on the proposal.
“It struck me that we’re putting up a sign with someone’s name on it that hasn’t been a good actor downtown,” Kupin said. “I decided to move approval for this because I do support the efforts to move this bar forward ... The restaurant group that’s managing this facility, TC Restaurant Group, has been really a good partner in everything going on downtown.”
NBC-affiliate WSMV said it reached out for a statement from TC Restaurant Group after the proposal was voted down.