Hendersonville approves possible option to build 100-foot bubble structure behind historic home
HENDERSONVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — The sky is the limit for the City of Hendersonville when it comes to developing 13 acres of land behind the historic Bradford Berry House, including the option of building an up to 100-foot bubble structure to use as an indoor sports facility.
The Mayfair Development Plan, initially approved in 2004, includes an estimated 16 acres of land sandwiched between the Aladdin Temp-Rite plant and Hendersonville City Hall. The development was slow-moving until representatives with Oldacre McDonald submitted plans for Phase II in 2021, which after multiple changes, now includes three commercial buildings in the front of the property and a larger commercial lot to the side. Developers working on the project also donated 13 acres of land to the city.
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Before the end of the year, the City of Hendersonville will acquire the land, the historic Bradford Berry House, built by Revolutionary War Major Henry Bradford in the 1790s, and the cemetery nearby.
“We really haven’t come up with a plan for what would happen with the house and the 13 acres behind there. That’s something we’ll look at, but in the course of our conversations at our last board meeting, we wanted to have maximum flexibility for what we could put there,” Mayor Jamie Clary said.
Hendersonville’s Board of Mayor and Aldermen recently approved a resolution 7 to 5 giving the city the option to build an up to 100-foot bubble structure if they choose. Clary told aldermen some organizations have expressed the need for more park facilities.
Some aldermen weren’t on board.
“I’d hate for 20 years from now seeing a dome structure there, a bubble structure that just obscures this entire landscape, especially in an area where it is so beautiful,” Alderman Jeff Sasse said.
However, Clary told News 2 the property could be used for other purposes instead, including venue or office space.
“We made sure we had maximum flexibility for what we do with that property. It might be something involving parks, it might be something involving business, it might be vacant land, it might be something involving history; I’m pretty sure it’ll be something involving history,” Clary said. “What we did gives us flexibility to come up with several ideas and take input from several people.”
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Another amendment, which passed unanimously, allows the city to deed the Bradford Berry House to a nonprofit that would restore and maintain the house.
After the city acquires the land, the Bradford Berry House, and the cemetery, officials will begin taking input from individuals and companies on what they believe is the best use for the property.
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