Vote on scrapyard rezoning could reshape Nashville skyline
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Illustration: Brendan Lynch/Axios
Metro Council will consider rezoning for the old East Bank scrapyard property at its meeting Tuesday in a potentially skyline-altering vote that is facing some opposition.
Why it matters: The plan would reshape the East Bank as we know it, swapping out the PSC metal recycling site with dense, mixed-use development and downtown-sized skyscrapers.
The big picture: City leaders have wanted to rid the East Bank of the scrapyard for generations. Private investors agreed to purchase the property last year.
- Combined with the new Titans stadium and surrounding development, backers say the rezoning will reshape the East Bank and turn the industrial wasteland into vibrant housing, office space and entertainment options.
Between the lines: The rezoning has faced resistance despite being recommended for approval by the Planning Commission.
- The proposal is up for its decisive third vote, but first it will face a series of proposed amendments from skeptical Metro councilmembers.
- Metro Councilmember Jacob Kupin, who represents the area, backs the effort.
What he's saying: Kupin tells Axios the proposal would turn an "industrial wasteland into a thriving mixed used neighborhood."
- "It's important to me that this remains a neighborhood for Nashville and by Nashville," Kupin says, adding that there will be continued public engagement around street planning, infrastructure and design.
The other side: Metro Councilmember Clay Capp, who represents part of East Nashville, is skeptical of the plan. In an email to constituents last week, he said the future use of the property must mesh well with nearby neighborhoods — some of which sit in his district.
- "We can't jump the tourist party across the river, and we can't induce a massive amount of car traffic into the East Bank to trap us in East with gridlock, and squander our chance to build a walkable, real neighborhood there," Capp said in his email.
What we're watching: In addition to the scrapyard rezoning, council will vote on legislation that city leaders hope triggers the construction of more day cares.
- Mayor Freddie O'Connell's proposal to give Metro water ratepayers a nearly $26 credit on a future water bill is also up for a vote. This is part of O'Connell's plan to provide financial relief for residents in the wake of the ice storm.