• FILE - In this Oct. 12, 2017 file photo, Greer Stadium field technicians Chandler Burchfield, left, and Cristina Oliveira use ground penetrating radar at a former minor league baseball park, in Nashville, Tenn. Developers Cloud Hill Partnership said Friday, Jan. 12, 2018, that the site is no longer viable for a commercial and residential project because archaeologists discovered what they believe are the graves of slaves at a nearby Civil War site. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File) Photo: Mark Humphrey, STF / Copyright 2017 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.
Photo: Mark Humphrey, STF
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FILE - In this Oct. 12, 2017 file photo, Greer Stadium field technicians Chandler Burchfield, left, and Cristina Oliveira use ground penetrating radar at a former minor league baseball park, in Nashville, Tenn. Developers Cloud Hill Partnership said Friday, Jan. 12, 2018, that the site is no longer viable for a commercial and residential project because archaeologists discovered what they believe are the graves of slaves at a nearby Civil War site. (AP Photo/Mark Humphrey, File) less
FILE - In this Oct. 12, 2017 file photo, Greer Stadium field technicians Chandler Burchfield, left, and Cristina Oliveira use ground penetrating radar at a former minor league baseball park, in Nashville, Tenn. ... more
Photo: Mark Humphrey, STF

NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Developers halted plans Friday for a sprawling entertainment and residential complex in Tennessee after archaeologists discovered what they believe are graves on a site near a Civil War fort built by slaves.

The decision by Cloud Hill Partnership gave preservationists a victory in the latest clash between historic conservation and growth in Nashville.

Advocates of Fort Negley believe the findings give them long-sought validation that black laborers remain buried on the development site at the foot of the fort. They also have secured a commitment to use the land to honor the men and women who built one of the most significant Civil War sites for African-Americans.

Mayor Megan Barry, who had supported the development idea, said there won't be any demolition or construction at the site until proper plans arise and are approved.

"The likelihood of graves means that we should reassess plans for this site so as to better honor and preserve the history of the men and women who died in the construction of a fort that helped save the Union," Barry said in a statement.

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