NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — One Nashville music venue undergoing renovations is inching closer to completion. After 140 years of history at Cannery Row, the historic space is now preparing for its next act as Cannery Hall.

“Honoring the past is so important. It’s been a music venue for 40 years…Before that, it had many chapters of great Nashville history, and you feel it when you’re in the space,” said Brent Hyams, General Manager of Cannery Hall.

Cannery Hall will serve as one of the largest independent music venues in Nashville.

“To present music in Music City, you have a lot of people watching to make sure that you do it correctly,” said Hyams.

And it makes sense, considering the Backstory of the historic building.  

Turns out the venue has had many chapters long before music. It opened as a flour mill in the 1880s. With the nearby railroad, the space served as one of the largest flour production plants in the country. 

“Like all the updates that we’re making, you’re still going to feel this strong sense of history when you’re in the space, in this exposed brick…With all the updates that are happening, we’re not losing the history,” said Hyams.

In the 1930s, it became a coffee house. The railroad still worked to its advantage. In 1957, it found its namesake by becoming an actual cannery.  

This paved the way for the Cannery Restaurant in the 1980s, before finding itself in Music City’s storied music history in 1981. 

“It has to be unique and authentic, and it’s really going to be exciting to bring music back into the space, and you’ll be able to feel that history when you’re here,” said Hyams.

He assured News 2 this venue will be different. With three different stages, all varying in capacity, he hopes this is a place in which artists can grow. 

“Any artist that comes through in the beginning, or we catch them along their journey at any point, and build a relationship and make it home for them,” said Hyams.

All genres are set to be represented, including alternative, rock, pop, country, hip-hop and even EDM.

“In Music City, you really need to have all music represented here,” said Hyams.

Hyams said the building will serve as the center point of the newly-branded area, Station District. 

“It’s 16 acres here, and we are the heart and soul of that rebranding and continual development of the space,” said Hyams.

The area stretches from Union Station and Cummins Station to the newly-developed Cannery Hall. 

“A lot of people have their history of coming here, younger, and they’re excited about reliving that experience, and we’re really excited about bringing all the people back that have preformed here through the years, or seen shows here through the years, and giving them a new experience,” said Hyams.

The team hopes to have the multi-million-dollar renovations complete by the end of 2023.