(AP) — A security plan intended to cut down on crime on Beale Street will place a 1:00 a.m. curfew on music played in the street effective this weekend.
Clubs and bars will still be allowed to have music inside until 5 a.m. “The music has been the big problem for us late night because it’s been given that vehicle for the young people to hang out and giving them something to do,” said Al James of Performa Entertainment, the company that operates Beale. “Now we’re going to try and force everyone in the clubs.”
The curfew is just one part of a 10-point plan by Performa that includes technology upgrades such as adding cameras and lighting and monitoring entry points.
Jimmy Silvo, who owns Superior Restaurant and Bar, supports the new security changes as a way to improve tourism. “We want everybody here to have a great experience,” Silvo said. “I mean it’s the birthplace of rock-n-roll, home of the blues.”
The plan also calls for additional security, enforcing panhandling ordinances and improving parking.
Beale Street draws four million visitors a year, and is Tennessee’s most popular tourist destination.
