NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Metro Council voted Tuesday night to allow developers to redo the Belle Meade Plaza.
This vote came on the final reading. Council voted 28-1-3.
Weeks before, a public hearing lasted hours about the matter with those for and against lining the chambers to convince council members of their stances.
Adventurous Journeys, or better known as AJ Capital Partners, wants to develop the property located at White Bridge Road and Harding Pike to include apartments, a hotel, a shopping area, and green space. The Belle Meade Plaza opened in 1961 and sits on just over 10 acres.
Throughout the process, supporters have said the plans will be a much-needed update for an aging shopping center, while opponents have expressed concerns about additional traffic and the design of the project not fitting into the neighborhood.
Metro Council Member Kathleen Murphy says there have been nine community meetings and around 20 hours of presentations and Q&A sessions on the project. The Metro Planning Commission voted unanimously to approve the plans in March after five hours of debate but made some changes lowering the height of the buildings, requiring traffic calming based on feedback from the community.
The amount of retail space has been increased from 60,000 square feet to 80,000 square feet, and so have the number of parking spaces. The proposed buildings will include 78 hotel rooms (down from 120) and 388 residential units (down from 500).
