NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It's one of the most visible properties in Nashville, but certainly not the prettiest. Situated on the east side of the Cumberland River downtown, the PSC Metals facility is on prime property that's been used as a scrap metal yard for years.
Former Nashville Mayor David Briley was working on a deal that would have moved the site before he left office, but once current Mayor John Cooper took office, the deal was put aside.
"It has the capacity to fundamentally change things, just because you have different people," council member Freddie O'Connell said about how a change in administration can impact proposals and deals already in the works.
O'Connell himself hopes that if there was a deal being worked on between the city and PSC Metals that discussions can continue. "I think it has been a goal of the city for a long time, since our kind of urban core has been resuscitated, to reclaim the riverfront. We've taken our family down to Chattanooga a number of times, we just had a delegation of folks go to the National League of Cities Congress in San Antonio this year, and the riverfront is the showpiece in cities like that."
The Nashville Business Journal reported last week that Mayor Briley was working with PSC Metals on a deal where the city would help pay a relocation fee to move their operation from the East Bank of the river. The deal would have left the land for PSC Metals to develop.
When reached out to for comment, Mayor Cooper released the following statements about a potential deal between the city and PSC Metals:
“We are negotiators for the city, and of course, any proposal will be scrutinized. We are mindful of fishing expeditions for public subsidies.
We embrace a better vision for the East Bank and encourage the owners to pursue the highest and best use for the property. Discussions have gone on for years, but no one representing the property has made a formal presentation to me.
We are not in an era where writing large checks without community input is the path forward. Any deal regarding the PSC Metals site should include the district Council Member and a vision for the whole community, including zoning and greenspace.
Our financial environment has changed, and we’re faced with tough choices. We must hold ourselves to higher standards in terms of the deals we make.”
O'Connell said he hopes that conversations will pick up again, because he knows the potential for that area. "KVB brings you right into Symphony Place. Imagine if there were something of equal cultural value right on the other side of the bridge."
It's unclear how close to a deal Mayor Briley and PSC Metals were, and at this time, it's not known where the company would relocate their operations.
The Nashville Business Journal reported that the deal would have cost the city less than $25 million for the relocation, and PSC Metals would have retained the land for development after the relocation was complete.
