Writer: Jerrica DuBois
3 min read January 2024 — The Metropolitan Council is working hard to keep the wheels turning for the East Bank development project, and infrastructure is the current focus. The council is looking to finalize a joint financing agreement with the Tennessee Titans for a new sewer pumping station by the end of the month. According to the legislation before the council, the current system is sufficient for present usage, but not for the substantial increase expected with the development of the East Bank.
“This is city-building,” said Bob Mendes, Metro’s chief development officer, as cited by Nashville Business Journal. “There’s no water, power, sewer, internet, any of that stuff for much of the East Bank — and we need that infrastructure to exist in order to develop the East Bank.”
The sewer pumping station is the first piece of the enhanced infrastructure that will be required for the range of buildings expected to be developed in the next few years. A large part of the designated land, just across the river from downtown, is industrial or undeveloped. If approved, the $32.5 million station would serve a 250-acre area including the new stadium, which is expected to account for 20% of the facility’s 10 million-gallon daily capacity.
East Bank infrastructure approval also has planned developments for the area, such as The RMR Group’s Station East, on hold. The project is an 18-acre mixed-use development that will have 1,400 residential units, office space, retail and more than 600 hotel rooms. But according to Jesse Abair, vice president of development at The RMR Group, they are at a standstill until they know where things are going on the East Bank and when they are getting there. Ultimately, none of that can be done until a funding agreement has been solidified.
“The city wants to see all this development. We want to see the development. There’s a lot of big stakeholders over there doing big things with differing interests. In a very real sense, our futures are tied together,” said Abair, according to NBJ.
Under the proposed agreement, the Titans’ will cover 20% of the project cost, equating to $6.5 million of expenses. Metro Council is on the hook for the estimated $26 million balance through bonds issued by Metro Water Services. Property owners in the surrounding 250-acre area will be assessed a fee if they want to connect to the new sewer system, which will enable Metro to recoup the majority of expenses. Metro will also own the Titans facility when completed.
“The Titans Stadium is a great example of a partnership between the state legislature, the governor and the local community, coming together to make a significant investment,” Bradley Jackson, president and CEO of the Tennessee Chamber of Industry and Commerce, told Invest:. “The impact of such investments is substantial, not only for Nashville but for the entire state. It reflects a commitment from our state leaders to Tennessee’s growth in areas where we have been strong.”
A public hearing on the bill, originally set for Jan. 16, was postponed until Jan. 23 due to inclement weather.
