Imagine East Bank
9-4-22
The Planning Department released an updated East Bank plan, taking into account the Titans’ proposed new stadium. Since the stadium’s financial/operational/strategic/location plan is a work-in-progress, IEB looks at several scenarios.
Major factors to address:
- 65% is asphalt
- Majority sits in 500-year floodplain
- Overpasses and I-24 create connectivity barriers
- No new commercial development since 2010
- River is perceived as a barrier to downtown
- Majority of the river is inaccessible (sits low or there are bridges or other impediments)
- Pedestrian infrastructure is insufficient and pedestrian-unfriendly
- Wayfinding and connectivity are severely limited
The outline and goals of the plan are set.
The Vision Concepts:
- Equitable and affordable
- Safe/Simple Multimodal connections
- Respect the river
- Neighborhoods for Nashvillians
The Goals:
- Housing for all
Affordable housing is an essential component
- Economic opportunity for all
Develop a mix of jobs in various industries and trades, strengthened by Metro’s efforts to involve BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color)-owned businesses
- Development for all
Public and private development opportunities
- Mobility for all
Transportation infrastructure that provides access for all users and modes
- River access for all
Open, accessible, and public riverfront for both active and passive users
- Resiliency for all
Stormwater management and flood mitigation/withstand the next big storm
- Neighborhoods for all
Include what people need daily and weekly – grocery store, recreation, sense and actuality of a complete community, neighborhood gathering places
The plan gives development guidance. While each proposed neighborhood will have its own unique character, there several constraints of commonality:
- Equitable and affordable housing
- Integrated multimodal networks
- Mix of uses
- Publicly-accessible waterfront and parks
- Resilient relationship to the river
- Environmental remediation
- Strong development guidance
- Robust parking policies
So your developments need to include a mix of styles, for-rent and for-sale products at a range of price points, floor plans ranging from efficiencies/studios to family-welcoming 3-bedrooms. Retirement units, perhaps a retirement community. And granny flats and DADUs in any of the properties.
While the plan does not address it, the neighbors made it clear in community meetings over the last 18 months they do not want Short Term Rentals – period. You want them, build them next to where you live.
Metro owns most of the land around the existing stadium and potential stadium site. But while Metro may have final say as to what goes there, one would imagine that that, like all of the 338 acres, would be privately developed.
Of a fashion. Note the line above, “Strong development guidance.” Whatever is built here, not just the Metro-owned land but throughout, count on Metro having final design review, “design” being a modern word meaning “everything.” Whatever is built here will be on national television at least eight and hopefully more Sundays every year for the next however long. And every year at the Music City Bowl. And when Vanderbilt plays a “Home” game against Tennessee. And we host college football playoff games. And a Super Bowl. And F-1 racing zooms by.
It is already an MDHA district. Plan on SP everything.
