About three months after Bridgestone shuttered its first U.S. tire manufacturing plant in La Vergne, the site has sold to a group of Nashville developers for $90.7 million, new owners Hamilton Development and Clarion Partners announced Oct. 15.
Demolition of the existing building will start immediately.
The long-running factory acted as an anchor for La Vergne's manufacturing industry since Firestone opened the facility in 1971. About 700 workers in the area lost their jobs as a result of the closure on July 2, and the plant has since sat empty as Bridgestone looked for a buyer.
Nashville-based Hamilton Development and New York-based Clarion Partners teamed up on the project with plans to redevelop the 135-acre site at 1201 Bridgestone Parkway
into an industrial park with 1.5 million square feet across 10 buildings. Plus, they will construct a retail building at the corner of Bridgestone Parkway and Waldron Road.
“This was a closely watched redevelopment opportunity, and is a complicated, difficult infill site given the scale of the demolition and work required to deliver this new project,” Hamilton Development CEO Whitfield Hamilton said. “I am proud of our Nashville team for creating a new infill park in an irreplaceable location, allowing us to continue our momentum in La Vergne. It was a successful plan and quality execution for all involved. We thank the Bridgestone Team for facilitating a seamless process and are grateful to continue our partnership with Clarion.”
Hamilton has previously developed 15 industrial parks in the Nashville area and has worked with partners like FedEx, McCormick and Geodis. Less than one mile away from the former Bridgestone plant, Hamilton is developing Co-Op Business Park, which is expected to be completed mid-2027.
"Clarion continues to have high conviction in the industrial sector,” said Clarion Partners Managing Director Elliott Byers. “We are excited to partner with Hamilton Development to continue to grow our Nashville portfolio on behalf of one of our commingled funds.”
While demolition on site will begin immediately, the partners expect construction to take at least two years. The first phase of development, six of the 10 total buildings, is slated to open in 2028.
“For more than 50 years, this property helped power the La Vergne community,” Whitfield Hamilton, Jr. said. "We're honored to lead its next chapter and bring world-class space, design, and jobs back to this site."
Hadley Hitson covers business news for The Tennessean. She can be reached at hhitson@gannett.com. To support her work,subscribe to The Tennessean.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Former Bridgestone tire plant in La Vergne sells to developers for $90M
