NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Several million dollars in funding is coming to three North Nashville projects. It's a part of a move by Congress to fund more community projects.
Congressman Jim Cooper secured nearly $4.8 million to use. The spending package must pass the Senate then will land on the president's desk to sign into law.
For the first time in more than a decade members of Congress were been able to submit specific requests for their districts. Rep. Cooper selected two schools and one major project all to strengthen the North Nashville area.
American Baptist College, Meharry Medical School and the Jefferson Street Interstate Cap project will split the funds.
- American Baptist College, in partnership with the Metro Historical Commission, to restore buildings on the campus of American Baptist College where many notable Civil Rights leaders received their education and training, as well as create a complementary Civil Rights walking tour of the campus to educate the public about the college’s significance and role in the Civil Rights story.
- Meharry Medical School to fund a supercomputer cluster to support student- and faculty-specialized genomics research at their new School of Applied Computational Sciences.
- Metro Nashville to construct the Jefferson Street Cap and Connector, an interstate cap located over Interstate 40 from the D.B. Todd Blvd bridge to 17th Avenue N., which would help reconnect the North Nashville community and support revitalization of the historically significant Jefferson Street commercial district.
There's been recent pushback from the community not in support of the Jefferson Street Cap project. Neighbors are concerned they won't be able to afford to live in the neighborhood after the project is complete.
