By: JONATHAN ROMEO

Leiper’s Fork businessman and entrepreneur Aubrey Preston decided to purchase Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A not a moment too soon.

Leiper’s Fork businessman and entrepreneur Aubrey Preston decided to purchase Nashville’s historic RCA Studio A not a moment too soon.

Preston offered a contract for the building located at 30 Music Square West on Tuesday, Sept. 30 – the day the building’s owner set as a deadline for offers to save the historic recording studio.

Preston told Brentwood Home Page the idea of buying Studio A hadn’t occurred to him until he woke up Tuesday morning and called the law firm representing the developer to see if anyone had entered a bid.

There had been none so Preston scheduled an appointment to negotiate a contract three o’clock that afternoon.

“That one acre of ground, on the whole planet, played a huge role making Music City what it is today,” Preston said. “I couldn’t let a place like that get torn down.”

Preston contracted to purchase the property from Brentwood-based Bravo Development for $5.6 million to the great relief of many concerned about the preservation of Nashville’s cultural identity.

Bravo owner Tim Reynolds bought the 51-year old building in July from nine descendants of legendary guitarist Chet Atkins and heralded music producer Owen Bradley for $4.1 million.

Reynolds initially vowed to buy the property only if Studio A could be preserved, but he backtracked on that promise Sept. 19 when he announced his development firm would demolish the building in favor of high-end condominiums. He said the building was deemed “not structurally or financially feasible” to restore.

However, with that announcement, Reynolds also set a Sept. 30 deadline for anyone interested in submitting an offer to purchase the property.

“From the beginning I invited offers from those who have alternate plans for the building,” Reynolds said last week in a press release.

“We have worked diligently to find an appropriate buyer, and received multiple offers in the final hours before the deadline, including some from developers who did not intend to save the building. In light of public concern, we ultimately decided to select the buyer that plans to preserve the building, and hopefully open it to the public.”

Preston has a long history of preservation work in the Middle Tennessee area, most notably his land trust efforts in Leiper’s Fork, which has secured the pastoral beauty of land there for generations to come. He also played a major role in the restoration of the Franklin Theatre, works with the Williamson County Convention and Visitors Bureau, and recently organized the 10-day Americana Experience music festival.

Preston said RCA Studio A was one he just couldn’t let get away.

“Because it’s a private studio no one really knew the history. Even I only learned a couple years ago just how special and unique a place it is. It was the first purpose-built studio in Nashville. It had producers in the office space and musicians in the studio – all in one building on Music Row.”

The building was built in 1965 by Akins, Bradley and his brother, Harold, and has recorded an endless array of top musicians including Dolly Parton, The Beach Boys, Joe Cocker, Waylon Jennings and Willie Nelson, among many others.

A massive grassroots movement, unofficially known as “Save Studio A,” quickly formed when news of its possible demolition came to light. The issue generated a broader public debate of preserving Nashville’s cultural history while preparing for future development.

Preston said the sale is expected to close by the end of the year, which will afford him some time to figure out Studio A’s intended use.

“I first wanted to get it into a safe harbor. From there we’ll get all these different groups together and figure out what entity it needs to be while preserving the building and music way of life.”

Preston wants to allow the public a little more open view of the studio, but fully expects Studio A to continue as an operating and thriving recording destination.

“Whatever we do will be the best preservation practice. I expect there will be high demand to record there, which was already going up over the years. People want to record where they feel something.”

Jonathan Romeo covers Brentwood for Home Page Media Group. Contact him at jonathan@brentwoodhomepage.com.