NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — City planners want to redevelop hundreds of acres along the East Bank and Cumberland River to become the biggest redevelopment project in Nashville's history.
Ideally, city planners envision a pier and boat dock among the more than 300 acres. In addition, they want to build parks and greenways along the river. They dubbed the proposal Imagine East Bank, and they have been working on the plans for the last 18 months.
"Everyone has been waiting for a plan on this side of the river," Mayor John Cooper said. "There's a lot in this plan. It's going to welcome the community's continued engagement. Do we want the best parks? The best transportation plan where we can leapfrog rather than being behind? The Titans is an important use, but it's just one of many."
The first step was Oracle coming to town. Construction for that is in full swing north of Topgolf on Cowan Street. A pedestrian bridge will connect the East Bank to Germantown through a joint partnership with the company and the state.
“So often, in city building, municipalities are reacting in a piecemeal way to private development, but this time is different,” said Lucy Kempf, Metro Planning Executive Director. “With the East Bank we have the opportunity to shape more than 300 acres in our urban core and set community-based priorities that will transform it from predominantly surface parking uses into neighborhoods that connect and serve Nashvillians. This is a more effective way to strategically manage growth.”
In addition, the city has approved a 15-acre high-density mixed-use development at the existing TA Truck Stop.
A chunk of the redevelopment proposal depends on what happens with Nissan Stadium. There are more than 100 acres of public land that could be redeveloped. A Titans spokesperson said they're open to giving the city back some of the leased land that is currently parking lots.
The mayor's office released renderings of a neighborhood around the stadium in the future. In the proposal, they call it "Titans Stadium Village" and mentioned extending the pedestrian bridge from downtown.
They're also proposing significant transportation changes by constructing a grid to get local traffic off of Interstate 24.
A rendering shows a wide sidewalk, bus lanes, and bike lanes.
The planning department is hosting several public meetings for input. The next one is on August 23 at the Nashville Farmers' Market from 3:30 to 6:30 p.m.
A consultant is trying to figure out the cost of the project. As for transportation, the mayor's office said they plan to utilize President Joe Biden's infrastructure bill and look into grants.
A breakdown of a few of the plans:
Some proposals in the draft vision plan include:
- 1.5-miles of Nashville’s first dedicated Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) lanes along the north-south East Bank Boulevard that would provide a vital missing piece to the current system to provide connections to areas outside of our downtown core;
- 5.6-miles of protected bike lanes within the study area that provide redundancies that would not be impacted by major street closures and provide connections to bikeways throughout our city;
- Planned space for a Mobility Hub that will complement WeGo’s Central Station and could allow for the opportunity to build housing atop the station;
- Engage Affordable Housing Taskforce and the community to assist in establishing affordability goals for each phase of development to include a mix of income ranges, including goals for deep affordability.
