The Metro Council on Tuesday night signed off on the 700-foot, $18 million pedestrian bridge between the Gulch and So-Bro — the same bridge they indefinitely deferred amidst calls for a higher quality and quantity of neighborhood sidewalks.
Mayor Karl Dean's administration re-introduced the project last month with a new financing structure, paying off the cost of the bridge with property tax revenues from seven new developments in the Gulch. The council advanced the legislation providing for the necessary land acquisition on the typically pivotal second reading, after only a brief discussion and with a voice vote. On Tuesday night, after multiple council members called for a roll call vote, the legislation passed by a vote of 29 to 7, with the opposing votes coming from Charlie Tygard, Steve Glover, Emily Evans, Carter Todd, Larry Hagar, Bruce Stanley and Robert Duvall. (Because the bill passed second reading on a voice vote, opposing votes on third reading, when passage was virtually assured, can't be compared to votes on second reading. Glover did speak against the project on second reading. Evans and Tygard were among its most outspoken opponents the first time around, although Tygard had seemed like a possible supporter of the new financing approach.)
A statement from Dean arrived immediately following the vote:
"Economic activity happening in the Gulch benefits the entire city, and a pedestrian bridge that links the Gulch to downtown will only help continue that momentum," Dean said. "I was glad to see property and business owners, residents and others come together in support of the bridge. This vote helps us invest in infrastructure to keep our city connected, and I appreciate the Metro Council moving this project forward."
The administration has defended bringing the project back by pointing out that they put $15 million toward sidewalks in the current budget and asserting that, as a matter of custom, the revenues from the Gulch projects would be invested back into the Gulch area redevelopment district, whether they were used for the bridge or not. However, investment in downtown projects while outlying neighborhoods lack infrastructure and economic stimulation has been a point of tension during Dean's time in office (although that tension has rarely kept the administration from getting the council approval it seeks.)
The council also rejected a plan that could have opened the door to demolition for a historic building on Lower Broadway. Councilwoman Erica Gilmore had proposed expanding an existing historic overlay to include previously exempted portions of Lower Broad, but filed a last minute amendment that carved the historic Trail West building out of the overlay to make way for a proposed redevelopment of the site.
But the amendment attracted strong opposition from several council members, including Evans and Phil Claiborne, and was defeated 14 to 20. Gilmore then tried to withdraw the legislation, but after learning that a withdraw would have also left the building unprotected, members rejected that move as well. In the end, the bill was indefinitely deferred, which Metro Legal representatives said would leave certain protections for the building in place for the time being.
