Nashville mayoral candidates Freddie O'Connell, Alice Rolli weigh in on East Bank redevelopment

As Nashville Mayor John Cooper's term comes to a close, he is pushing to cement his legacy as the candidates vying to be his successor weigh in on one of the largest-scale projects they will inherit: the redevelopment of Nashville's East Bank.

The sweeping plan to transform more than 300 acres of mostly industrial land on the East Bank of the Cumberland River is in its early stages, though the broad goals for new development have been adopted as a general guide for planning commissioners to reference as they consider future zoning requests.

The "vision" includes a new arterial boulevard, a transit hub, public parks and opportunities to construct affordable housing on roughly 113 acres of Metro-owned land. As part of a $2.1 billion deal with the Tennessee Titans, a new, enclosed football stadium will be perched on 15 acres of that land, bracketed by parcels totaling 20 acres that will become a "Stadium Village." As part of the deal, Metro will take control of approximately 66 acres of Metro-owned land currently used as parking for Nissan Stadium.

RELATED: Sweeping vision for East Bank would push Nashville 'up the ranks of great cities,' Mayor Cooper says

“The East Bank gives us an opportunity to fully embrace smart transit infrastructure with thousands of units of housing built along our first Bus Rapid Transit corridor," mayoral candidate Freddie O'Connell stated. "With the stadium debate behind us, now is the time to make Nashville a more connected city, so the new East Bank is integrated into downtown, the rest of East Nashville and beyond with the greenways, bikeways and dedicated bus lanes. If we get this right, the folks that work in the new stadium will be able to live in the neighborhood around it, and it will be accessible to Nashvillians regardless of where they live.”

Mayoral candidate Alice Rolli supports the opportunity to have more control over Metro land and broaden the tax base.

“After too many decades of giving city land away, the East Bank project puts the city of Nashville back in charge of some of our county’s most valuable land," Rolli said. "Activating these 80+ acres will benefit residents by improving transit, providing much-needed housing, connecting parks and greenways, and attracting thousands of good paying jobs. This transformative project significantly increases our county’s tax base — ensuring we can continue to have the best paid teachers and first responders to serve our citizens without burdening our long-time residents with further tax increases.”

'Built in phases': What to expect on Nashville's East Bank in 2023

Details are not yet clear on how Metro will finance the portions of the vision not related to the stadium, and the infrastructure needed to support them. The city is currently seeking developers who may want to work with Metro (though the call has not yet progressed to an official proposal process).

The general vision for the East Bank has seen community support, though some residents remain skeptical that all of the elements will come to fruition. The new stadium deal has been more controversial. In a Vanderbilt University poll of 1,016 Davidson County residents between March and April, 52% opposed the stadium plans. The opposition's slight majority fell within the survey's 4.1 percentage point margin of error.

Metro will distribute booklets encompassing the East Bank vision plans and Titans stadium details to all Nashville libraries Wednesday. The materials were prepared via a partnership between Cooper's office and Pinnacle Financial Partners.

“The future of Nashville’s East Bank is about so much more than the new stadium," Cooper said. "For the first time we are incorporating the river into the heart of our city, with new sustainable neighborhoods designed for better transportation, affordability and outdoor recreation. Over the years to come, the East Bank will create thousands of jobs, become home to thousands of residents and provide a transformative financial return back to the city.”

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville mayoral candidates weigh in on East Bank redevelopment