The Metro Council will vote Tuesday night on a proposal to redevelop a scrapyard in a segment of the East Bank known as East Bend near Nissan Stadium.
Two bills — one that would alter the Metro Code and another that would rezone parcels of the East Bank as part of a redevelopment plan — are up for the final of three readings before the council. However, the bill that would change the code could look much different by the end of the meeting, as 18 amendments are proposed.
Investors buy 45 acres of multiple industrial properties on Cumberland River
The Planning and Zoning Committee met Monday and recommended several of the amendments, which will be discussed further at the council meeting Tuesday night.
The scrapyard was sold to local investors for $245 million in August, and the current redevelopment plan has faced pushback from some Nashvillians who are worried it would essentially be an extension of downtown. The proposed bills could allow for a sprawling mixed-use development with buildings up to 40 stories tall.
Amid additional infrastructure and planning concerns, a slew of proposed amendments come from Councilmembers Emily Benedict, Clay Capp, Erin Evans, Rollin Horton, Jacob Kupin, Sean Parker and Terry Vo.
The amendments propose certain size restrictions on hotel developments and parking and limit certain properties from being granted height bonuses. Other changes include the prohibition of digital signage and stadium and convention center use in the East Bend subdistrict. The amendments also call for additional studies on the development’s impact on the environment and transportation infrastructure.
Update to Metro’s downtown code to be sought related to East Bank project
The long list of changes to the proposal come as the council has the opportunity to influence the future of the developing East Bank neighborhood, which will include the forthcoming Oracle campus in the River North area, a future Tennessee Performing Arts Center facility, an expansion of the John Seigenthaler Pedestrian Bridge and the new Nissan Stadium. This also follows the Metro Planning Department’s "Imagine East Bank" vision plan.
“You may not live near the East Bank or East Bend area,” Benedict wrote in an email newsletter last week. "But make no mistake: what happens there will shape the future of our entire city."
“The East Bend is one of the largest and most significant redevelopment sites in Nashville. It sits on our riverfront. It connects downtown to the East Side. It will influence our skyline, traffic patterns, housing supply, infrastructure, and tax base for generations. Decisions of this scale do not just affect one district — they belong to all of Nashville.”
This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.
