NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Metro Nashville's insurance company is suing the nonprofit hired to manage a downtown parking garage, roughly a year after a fire left it closed.
Travelers Excess and Surplus Lines Co. paid claims after the devastating fire at 151 6th Avenue North, right next to the main library, and is now suing on Nashville's behalf. It filed the lawsuit on June 4, 2026, just before the first anniversary of the fire on June 10. The company is seeking more than $10 million from the Nashville Downtown Partnership.
The lawsuit accuses the Nashville Downtown Partnership of negligence, claiming it failed to prevent fire hazards. According to the lawsuit, the nonprofit broke its contract with the city when it allegedly allowed contractor Block by Block to build an unauthorized storage shed filled with hazardous, flammable materials and permitted employees to smoke inside the garage. The fire caused a concrete ramp collapse inside the garage and left the library closed for more than nine months.
READ MORE: Emails and internal communications reveal why Nashville Main Library closure lasted so long
The Nashville Downtown Partnership said it is its policy not to comment on legal matters when asked about allegations that it failed to cover certain losses and legal claims.
I asked an attorney for Travelers whether the city knew about the storage space before the fire and am waiting to hear back. We are also waiting to hear back from Block by Block's corporate office.
When asked about the current status of the contract with Nashville Downtown Partnership for this property, a spokesperson for NDOT said it suspended the contract for the management of the Church Street garage, effective July 1, 2025.
The lawsuit brings counts of negligence and gross negligence against both the Nashville Downtown Partnership and Block by Block, and accuses the Nashville Downtown Partnership of breach of contract for allegedly failing to indemnify the city.
Signs at the library currently direct visitors to the McKendree parking garage. Library guests can park there for up to 90 minutes at a discounted rate of $4.
