Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell releases $514M capital spending plan

Cassandra Stephenson, Nashville Tennessean

Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell on Thursday released a $514 million capital spending proposal — the first since he took office — with maintenance on basic city services and investments in education as top line items.

More than $100 million would fund upgrades and maintenance at Metro facilities like parks, libraries, fire stations and greenways, according to a news release. Funding would also cover planning and design for new projects, including the Metro Southeast campus (formerly known as Global Mall) and funding for a new public health clinic.

Metro Nashville Public Schools would see $47 million invested in properties throughout the city, in addition to further support for ongoing work at Lakeview, Paragon Mills and Percy Priest elementary schools. Under the plan, which is subject to Metro Council approval, two schools would receive solar power installations.

Transportation

O'Connell's plan includes $39 million toward keeping countywide infrastructure in good repair.

Proposed investments include:

  • $12.5 million toward safety initiatives in line with Vision Zero, which seeks to eliminate pedestrian and cyclist deaths

  • $10 million for sidewalks

  • $4 million for neighborhood transit centers

  • $2.5 million for traffic signal coordination to improve traffic flow

  • $2.5 million toward ConnectDowntown, an initiative to improve traffic in Nashville's core

  • Improvements to transit centers and Nashville's bus fleet

Parks, new facilities and the East Bank

Proposed investments include more than $13 million toward South Nashville's new Mariposa Park and Mill Ridge Park.

The plan includes $25 million in early investments toward the East Bank, to cover planning expenses and right-of-way acquisition for the new arterial boulevard.

Proposed facility investments include:

  • $9 million toward land and planning for a replacement public health clinic

  • $500,000 toward planning for a new Metro Animal Care and Control facility

  • Investments in Metro Nashville Fire Department's master plan

  • Investment in Nashville's new Youth Center for Empowerment (which previously received funding under former Mayor John Cooper's administration)

  • Improvements to community centers and libraries

Programs and technology upgrades

O'Connell's proposal would fund a waste diversion pilot program for a redeveloping Second Avenue, and expand Nashville's fleet of trash collection and street clearing vehicles.

In addition, $2.5 million would go toward information systems for waste collection and recycling.

Under the plan, the Metro Nashville Police Department would receive a new records management system. Metro's enterprise resource management system — used to manage assets, budgeting and other core functions — would also receive upgrades and migrate to storage in the cloud.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville Mayor Freddie O'Connell releases $514M capital spending plan

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