Nashville Metro Council Rejects Proposal for Morgan Wallen Bar Sign Citing His Past Behavior

In a 30-3 vote on Tuesday, Nashville Metro Council members refused to allow a sign for the country star's bar to be installed

• An application for permission to install a sign at Morgan Wallen's Broadway establishment was denied Tuesday

• "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," one councilwoman said

• Morgan Wallen’s This Bar and Tennessee Kitchen is set to open this weekend

A request to install a sign for Morgan Wallen's future bar was voted down by Nashville Metro Council members, who cited his recent controversies.

4th Avenue Property LLC, which is developing Morgan Wallen’s This Bar and Tennessee Kitchen, applied for permission to construct an "aerial encroachment" at the venue's location of 107 4th Ave North. However, 30 Metro Nashville councilmembers voted "no" during a meeting on Tuesday, May 21, per WSMV, The Tennessean and the Associated Press.

Councilwoman At Large Delishia Porterfield referenced Wallen's past behavior while explaining her decision.

“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," she said.

Related: Morgan Wallen's Felony Chair-Throwing Charges Move Ahead as Nashville Judge Sets New Hearing Date

Last month, Wallen was arrested on felony charges last month after he allegedly threw a chair from a local rooftop bar. In 2021, Wallen faced backlash after a video of him saying the N-word surfaced.

Porterfield also shared news of the Metro Council's decision via X (formerly Twitter) shortly after the vote, posting a photo of the voting results. Three council members voted yes for the sign, and four abstained.

"Try that in a small town.... 🤷🏽‍♀️ better yet....don't try it all," Porterfield quipped, referencing Jason Aldean's controversial single "Try That in a Small Town."

Related: Morgan Wallen's Ups and Downs: From 'The Voice' and Shattering Records to Racial Controversy and Felony Charges

Council member Jordan Huffman seconded Porterfield's concerns, saying, “I rise to oppose this."

"Number 1 - Mr. Wallen is an East Tennessean - he gives all of us a bad name," Huffman said. "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.”

Council member Jacob Kupin, who brought the resolution to the council, approved the sign, though he confessed he was conflicted.

“It struck me that we’re putting up a sign with someone’s name on it that hasn’t been a good actor downtown,” he 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."

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Under Nashville law, "Any aerial, underground, or building (including awning, sign, canopy, fiber optic cable, etc.) that encroaches on Metro right-of-way (ROW)" must be approved by the city's Metro Council, per WSMV.

PEOPLE reached out to TC Restaurant Group and reps for Wallen for comment.

Wallen was arrested on three felony charges on April 7 in Nashville after he allegedly threw a chair off the roof of a bar. Days after his arrest, Wallen took "responsibility" for his actions in a statement published on X. The next court date in the case is scheduled for Aug. 15.

Morgan Wallen’s This Bar and Tennessee Kitchen is set to open Memorial Day weekend.

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