NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Metro Council has voted to expand Nashville’s Central Business Improvement District (CBID) to include The Gulch, creating a unified downtown business zone aimed at boosting safety, cleanliness and tourism.
Supporters said the move could generate up to $8 million in additional revenue through added taxes, funding services like trash pickup, landscaping and safety patrols. The Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce and several local businesses backed the proposal.
The bill sparked debate during a public hearing Tuesday night. Some community members raised concerns about oversight, transparency and the potential impact on unhoused communities. They worry increased enforcement may lead to more displacement.
District 19 Councilmember Jacob Kupin, one of the bill’s sponsors, said the city will continue outreach to vulnerable populations and address transparency concerns within the district’s management.
The bill passed with amendments on its third and final reading.
The amendments include:
- Amendment 1 - Members selected by the board of directors or appointed by the mayor shall be subject to confirmation by the Metropolitan Council.
- Amendment 2 - The district management corporation shall annually, on or before April 15, submit to the metropolitan council a financial report and a written report of its activities for the preceding year together with a proposed budget for the next year.
- Amendment 3 - The district management corporation of the Downtown CBID shall be required to prepare and submit an annual Human Rights and Public Safety Report to the metropolitan council. This includes quantitative and qualitative data about interactions with the unhoused, use of force incidents, and summary of community engagement efforts or public forums held to address safety and rights concerns.
- Amendment 4 - District Grievance Procedures: To ensure accountability, transparency, and protection of individual rights in all interactions between private security personnel affiliated with the Downtown CBID and members of the public, the district management corporation shall establish internal procedures to process grievances by the public.
We all know AI technology is being used more and more every day. There can be a lot of useful benefits to this technology, especially in the medical field. This story shows how a local hospital is using to help save precious time when treating stroke patients.
- Lelan Statom
