At the heart of the Cloud Hill controversy is a park.

A green space for recreation and relaxation. An outdoor place free of development.

Most everyone seems to agree there should be one.

An unsatisfied developer on Wednesday unanimously lost his appeal over the process that led to a different group being selected to redevelop the Greer Stadium site.

In May, Metro officials chose Cloud Hill Partnership — a group comprising developer Bert Mathews, investment banker Tom Middleton and legendary musician and producer T Bone Burnett — to redevelop the former Greer Stadium site near Fort Negley.

The proposed Cloud Hill development has faced a backlash led by historic preservationists after Mayor Megan Barry's administration in May picked the project for Nashville's old Greer Stadium site.

When the Sounds announced four years ago they were moving from Greer Stadium to what would become First Tennessee Park, the conversation began: What’s next?

We read with interest David Plazas’ piece Sunday about “Nashville’s Strong Neighborhoods.”

Building a stronger neighborhood is exactly what the Cloud Hill development at Greer Stadium is about.

Answering the increasingly loud suggestion that the Greer Stadium property should be converted completely to a public park, developers of the Cloud Hill project emphasized the large amount of open space included in their plan during a presentation Tuesday to the Metro Board of Parks and Recreation.

We all have a common foe — forgetfulness. Fort Negley has been forgotten. It has suffered decades of neglect.

As a 30-year veteran of Wall Street, Tom Middleton faces an intriguing task: attracting investors to a mixed-use development in Nashville loaded with apartments priced below market rates and where 40 percent of the property would remain undeveloped.

The winning plan for the old Greer Stadium site calls for affordable housing, retail and creative space for artists and musicians. There would be a cultural center and a great lawn for the Wedgewood-Houston community to gather. Even the old, historic guitar-shaped baseball scoreboard would get incorporated into the plan.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) – Famed music producer T. Bone Burnett has big plans for Music City, but we are not talking about riffs. Instead, he is focusing his attention on turning around the old Greer Stadium site in south Nashville. You are likely familiar with his work on the soundtracks of “O Brother Where Art Thou?” and “Walk the Line.”

After three years of speculation on the future of Greer Stadium, Mayor Megan Barry's administration last week chose a redevelopment proposal pushed by prominent Nashville developer Bert Mathews and legendary music producer T Bone Burnett. In doing so, the city awarded their arts-driven vision for the site over four other redevelopment pitches. After an open records request by The Tennessean, the Metro Finance Procurement Office provided the plans submitted by each of the other development groups that were under consideration.

Three years after the last game at Greer Stadium, city officials chose a developer and set of plans to breath life back into the property.

"I have gotten sad with seeing it just kind of get dilapidated and that awesome score board just sit there with nothing going on," resident, Matt Greer said.

He's lived in the south Nashville community for nearly 15 years and remembers the ball park in it's hay day.

Mayor Megan Barry's administration has picked the developer it wants to redevelop the old Greer Stadium property, choosing an arts-driven vision for the site that includes large pockets of park and open space, affordable housing, and an assortment of creative arts and music space.

The Metro Finance Procurement Office late Friday issued an intent to award project to The Mathews Company, a Nashville-based commercial real estate firm led by President Bert Mathews. A contract is still contingent on negotiations.

The future of Greer Stadium, former home of the Nashville Sounds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League), is being discussed by Metro officials, with one possible outcome the installation of pro soccer.

An owner of a professional soccer team from Harrisburg, Pa., has met with Metro officials to pitch relocating to Nashville and making old Greer Stadium its new home.

Another entrepreneur envisions a new Music City Rodeo at the facility. Developers see its 26 acres prime for apartments or condos. And Kroger has inquired about the site housing an urban grocery store.

The future of Greer Stadium remains unclear as the Nashville Sounds prepare to play their last home game at the ballpark.

The baseball team has called the stadium home since 1978.