Nashville International Airport could soon carry a very famous name. The Metropolitan Nashville Airport Authority voted 6-0 on Friday to begin the process of renaming the airport in honor of Dolly Parton. A petition supporting the change gathered more than 175,000 signatures, and both Governor Bill Lee and Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell have thrown their support behind the effort. O’Connell suggested the name Dolly Parton International Airport in Nashville.
That said, nothing is settled yet. The board will now analyze costs, set a timeline, and work out how Parton’s name and legacy would be incorporated. There’s also a policy hurdle: the airport’s naming guidelines generally require an honoree to have been deceased for at least two years. Since Parton is very much alive, the board may need to revisit that rule before anything moves forward.
For those of us on the Suncoast, the story raises a fun local question. Our communities have been shaped by names and places that carry real meaning, from the Ringling legacy in Sarasota to the yearly rhythm of spring training along the Gulf Coast. If our area decided to honor a local legend in a big public way, who would you pick?
We want to hear from you. Call in or drop a comment and tell us whose name belongs on a building around here.
