Metro in negotiations to purchase land for East Bank Boulevard
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Negotiations are underway between Metro officials and private property owners to purchase land needed to build the important East Bank Boulevard.
Why it matters: It's rare for a major city to build an entirely new major roadway. The boulevard, which would run north and south along the river, is the most ambitious new road project undertaken by the city in decades.
- It's also the lynchpin of transportation for the revitalized East Bank neighborhood, which includes a new Titans stadium, a performing arts venue for TPAC and the surrounding mixed-use development by The Fallon Company.
State of play: A spokesperson for the Nashville Department of Transportation confirms to Axios the city has made purchase offers to property owners with land where the new road will go.
The intrigue: Buying the land will be an expensive task for Metro, which has the power to utilize eminent domain and take properties, should it fail to reach a purchase agreement.
- In that scenario, the city still must pay fair market value for the land, though determining that price can lead to litigation.
- The city has already set aside $60 million for right-of-way acquisition for the boulevard, an East Bank Development Authority spokesperson tells Axios. Mayor Freddie O'Connell's team is also considering using tourism taxes currently earmarked for Music City Center to help pay for the road and other East Bank infrastructure.
What she's saying: "All negotiations are ongoing with the property owners," NDOT spokesperson Cortnye Stone tells Axios. "While possible, no notice of eminent domain or condemnation of property has been served to any property owners in relation to the boulevard."
What we're watching: One of the buildings for which the city has made a purchase offer is an industrial strip home to multiple businesses including the craft brewery Barrique Brewing and Blending.
Flashback: Purchasing land for Music City Center led to an expensive eminent domain fight between Metro and Tower Investments in 2010.
- Tower won its lawsuit and was awarded more than twice the amount Metro offered.
The big picture: The concept of the East Bank Boulevard was introduced in 2022 during the final year of former Mayor John Cooper's administration.
- Metro is the defendant in two lawsuits from East Bank developers, who alleged the city is holding up their projects.
- The city filed notices in 2024 informing both developers that they own land needed for the new road, according to the Nashville Business Journal.
- The road would stretch from Oracle's River North project in the north all the way to Davidson Street near Shelby Park in the south, according to the 2022 Imagine East Bank plan.
The new road has also been the subject of debates over how many lanes it should have. Advocates want the road to be safe and accommodating for pedestrians and cyclists.
Editor's note: This story has been updated with additional information.