The Metro Council will decide on a rezoning plan for the old East Bank scrapyard on Tuesday after delaying a vote at their last meeting, marking the third and deciding vote for the proposal. The plan would convert the old PSC scrap metal site into a massive mixed-use development with downtown-style skyscrapers.
The Planning & Zoning Committee considered 31 amendments at its meeting Monday night, recommending 19 be added to the bill on the floor Tuesday, including limits on hotels and parking in the district, zoning restrictions on new stadiums or arenas, asks for roadway plans and a transportation analysis, and defined standards for bonus height on a prominent parcel. Residents have raised concerns about infrastructure, traffic into downtown and whether the new East Bend neighborhood, as it's been dubbed, will be for residents or for tourists, while Metro Councilmember Jacob Kupin, who represents the area, backs the rezoning and pitches the plan as a path to converting an industrial wasteland into a vibrant new urban neighborhood.
If approved, the project, known as "East Bend," would transform the 47-acre riverfront property into a large mixed-use development with buildings ranging from eight to 40 stories. The scrapyard was sold to local investors for $245 million in August, and the current redevelopment plan has faced pushback from some Nashvillians who are worried it would essentially be an extension of downtown.