NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It's a centerpiece of the city, and soon the East Bank of the Cumberland River could look a lot different.
What is now a mix of industrial sites and undeveloped land could soon be transformed into green space, housing and new businesses.
"The potential for this area to be something extraordinary is enormous, so it’s really exciting," said Lucy Kempf, Executive Director of the Metro Planning Department. "My vision for this is that we end up with a world-class village and a community that meets the needs of a lot of different users."
The Metro Planning Department is leading efforts to come up with ways to fill 338 acres from the river's edge to I-24 and Jefferson Street in East Nashville. This comes after Mayor John Cooper and The Tennessee Titans announced plans for 100 acres of privately funded, mixed-use development around Nissan Stadium in December.
Urban Design Firm, Perkins Eastman, which revitalized waterfronts in Washington D.C., New York, and Baltimore also signed on to the project. The company will use a team of local contractors in Nashville, including WSP, Pillars Development and Hodgson Douglas. The firm will also team with the Metro Planning Department to host community meetings to get feedback from residents and business owners on what they would like to see in the space.
Metro Council Member Brett Withers, who represents the 6th district, said the area has unlimited potential.
"I think the East Bank has been hiding in plain sight from America for decades, and that veil is being removed," said Withers. "I think we’re at that point where interest is so high in Nashville and the riverfront, and we can make it work to benefit our entire county and region."
The Metro Planning Department will work with Metro Public Works and MDHA to fund the study of the site, which will cost around $650,000.
Community meetings are expected to start later this month. The goal is to have a plan finalized for the East Bank by early Fall.
