A blank slate — that’s how many Metro councilmembers view the opportunity to develop the forthcoming East Bank neighborhood, currently known as East Bend, near Nissan Stadium.
At a Planning and Zoning Committee meeting earlier this month, Metro Councilmember Clay Capp said: “It’s not from scratch, but it’s about as close to scratch as we’re ever going to get,” when speaking about a proposal to redevelop a scrapyard in the East Bank, which was sold to local investors for $245 million in August.
Two bills, one that would alter Metro code and another that would rezone parcels of the East Bank as a part of the redevelopment plan, are up for the final of three readings before the council Tuesday. The bill to update Metro code is accompanied by a wide array of amendments, which will also be up for debate and could help shape the future of the neighborhood.
Investors buy 45 acres of multiple industrial properties on Cumberland River
“It is one of the most consequential rezonings that this council will do, and I do not take that lightly,” the bills’ sponsor Councilmember Jacob Kupin said at an April 20 Planning and Zoning Committee meeting.
One of the amendments set to be taken up before the council would rename the neighborhood from East Bend to Wasioto Bend. (Wasioto is the Shawnee word for the Cumberland River, and the namesake of Wasioto Park — renamed from Cumberland Park in 2024.)
Many of the other amendments focus on transportation and furthering the area’s multimodal infrastructure. This would shift the area away from car-focused infrastructure and put a greater emphasis on walkability, bike lanes and buses.
One amendment would require the Metro Planning Department to provide a written report to the council when street plans and designs for the area are finalized. Another proposed amendment would require recommendations from Metro’s Bicycle Advisory and Pedestrian Commission and Vision Zero Advisory Committee when it comes to measures that affect rights-of-way in the neighborhood.
Meanwhile, Councilmember Capp is sponsoring an amendment requiring the Nashville Department of Transportation and Multimodal Infrastructure to conduct a transportation analysis. Councilmember Terry Vo is proposing a provision to conduct an environmental study.
Amendments to put limits on lighting and digital signage, building heights, hotel construction and parking in the area are also being proposed — efforts that come as residents have cited concerns about the area becoming an extension of downtown Nashville across the river.
Affordable housing is also the focus of a proposed amendment, which would push the Metro Planning Department to expand the Voluntary Attainable Housing Incentive Program to the neighborhood.
Many of these amendments were brought forth at the council’s April 7 meeting, where the bill was deferred until April 21.
“On [April 6], 18 amendments were filed, most just 24 hours before being considered by the Metro Council,” Doug Sloan, an attorney with Thompson Burton and lead investor, said in an emailed statement on April 7.
“To allow the council time to review and fully digest the impact of these amendments on the underlying legislation, the development team requested a one-meeting deferral. This process has been defined by collaboration and consensus, and we will use the additional two weeks to maintain that standard as we continue advancing a generational opportunity for Nashville.”
This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.
