Tennessee Titans stadium opponents now steward the East Bank vision. That's a good thing.
Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell never mentioned the Tennessee Titans during his State of Metro speech on Tuesday.
That might have opened a wound in the monthslong fight in Metro Council that on April 26, 2023, approved a $2.1 billion new stadium for the team.
As a district council member then, O’Connell voted against it. As did former At-Large Councilor Bob Mendes, who is now chief development officer for the Mayor’s office. As did Vice Mayor Angie Henderson, a former district council member who now presides over the council.
That vote was linked to the redevelopment of the East Bank and was criticized by opponents for lack of transparency and favoring billionaires and tourists over residents.
But O’Connell’s predecessor, Ninth Mayor John Cooper, said then: “This vote unlocks the East Bank Vision for Nashville's next generation. It enables a true smart growth plan for the decades ahead.”
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East Bank plan allows Nashville to create a national model for neighborhoods
At his State of Metro speech, O’Connell spoke about the East Bank plan and how his administration worked for seven months to get it to where it is now.
“Last year, we talked about a Nashville for Nashvillians, and Bob (Mendes) worked on this principle intently,” O’Connell said. “Thinking about the things that made the neighborhood and community experiences he's known throughout his life great, he tweaked the dials to make sure that East Bank included churches and childcare, local businesses and jobs, sidewalks and transit. These things connect people no matter what they earn. Bob and a great team worked hard to set us up to build—from scratch—a real neighborhood where real Nashvillians live.”
The opposition that helped put him into office and the vision to create a “Nashville for Nashvillians” allows the 10th mayor to execute a plan that may become an inclusive model from the rest of the city and entire nation.
Polling from Vanderbilt and Imagine Nashville show that Nashvillians are not anti-growth, they are just against being displaced or disaffected by the costs of growth.
The 2024 Vandy poll showed for the first time in two years, a majority of Nashvillians now believe that the city is headed in the right direction again.
Timing and circumstances created the opportunity for inclusive project
This past April, the Metro Council gave final approval for Boston-based The Fallon Company to develop the first 30 acres of the East Bank.
The deal includes building 45% affordable housing, living wages for workers and possibly a new Tennessee Performing Arts Center.
The community and labor organizing group Stand Up Nashville posted on its Instagram page on Tuesday: “We fought hard to make sure the East Bank development included affordable housing for all Nashvillians. In fact, we sent nearly 800 letters to council members! Today, we celebrate that hard work finally paying off—the amendment for affordable units has officially passed.”
This might have turned out differently if there had been another mayor with an alternative vision who might have either sought to poison the plan or ignore residents who say they are tired of feeling like it’s us-versus-them, especially at it concerns the downtown-neighborhoods tension.
Politics creates both roadblocks and opportunities in Tennessee
The path to passage has been challenging and the measure to create an East Bank Authority by the Tennessee General Assembly encountered roadblocks
The original Senate sponsor, state Sen. Charlane Oliver, D-Nashville, whose District 19 includes the East Bank, withdrew her support.
“To my surprise, it soon became clear that the policies and language of the bill were set and the set strategy for passage had been decided – without my involvement or perspective,” Oliver wrote in a statement.
Senate Bill 2968 was eventually sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Heidi Campbell, D-Oak Hill. Rep. Bill Freeman, D-Nashville, sponsored companion House Bill 2984.
The legislation passed 59-18 in the House and 24-3 in the Senate with Oliver and another colleague voting present but not voting.
Politics creates opportunity, such as, an environment where most Republicans in the GOP-dominated legislature would support a measure that benefits the Democratic stronghold of Nashville.
Politics also enables and empowers former opponents and critics to put their influence and stamp of approval on a legacy project that they can now claim as a win for themselves and all of Nashville.
David Plazas is the director of opinion and engagement for the USA TODAY Network Tennessee. He is an editorial board member of The Tennessean. He hosts the Tennessee Voices videocast and curates the Tennessee Voices and Latino Tennessee Voices newsletters. Call him at (615) 259-8063, email him at dplazas@tennessean.com or find him on X at @davidplazas.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee Titans stadium foes now lead the charge. That's good news
