The Metro Council advanced Mayor Freddie O’Connell’s proposed $3.8 billion budget — which could result in a property tax increase for some Nashvillians due to the city's most recent appraisal effort — on its first of three readings at Tuesday’s meeting.
State of Metro speech emphasized day-to-day government services and previewed new property tax rate
No debate emerged regarding the spending plan unveiled earlier this month in O’Connell’s State of Metro address. Thorough discussions are expected at council’s next meeting on June 3, during which there will be a public hearing.
Budget discussions among individual departments are already underway and continuing throughout this week. June 30 is the deadline for council to approve the budget.
In other business, the council gave a third-reading OK for an economic impact plan for the redevelopment of the RiverGate Mall property. If it materializes, the plan will transform the site into a mixed-use development offering multifamily housing, townhomes, senior housing, retail, restaurants, entertainment venues, medical offices, general offices and hotels.
Also: Housing proposals targeting South and East Nashville neighborhoods advance
Metro previously reached an agreement with Cincinnati-based development company Merus (formerly known as Al. Neyer), which owns the property, to redevelop the 57-acre site.
Also receiving final approval was a zoning update to a property located on the western segment of the Neuhoff District in Germantown. The ordinance allows for a future 320-unit multifamily residential project to be undertaken at 1324 Second Ave. N. as first reported by Scene sister publication the Nashville Post nearly five years ago. Atlanta-based New City Properties will oversee the project, which would feature an adaptive reuse of the site’s bowstring truss roof building.
The council withdrew a bill that has drawn controversy and would have allowed the U.S. military to hold training at a former city-owned nursing home site on County Hospital Road. The bill stirred debate at the council’s last meeting, during which Councilmember Joy Kimbrough, who represents the Bordeaux area where the property is located, expressed concerns that nearby residents had not been notified of the training.
The council also approved rezoning for a 107-acre mixed-use development along Dickerson Pike, Lemuel Road, Jones Street and Locust Street in Northeast Davidson County. The Ryan Homes-led development could yield up to 1,081 residential units and a maximum of 3,700 square feet of nonresidential uses such as coffee shops, businesses, walking trails and a dog park, among other amenities.
This article was first published by our sister publication, the Nashville Post.
