LOCAL & STATE GOVERNMENT INFLUENCE IN GROWTH & DEVELOPMENT

[smeagolsfree]

Here is a screen shot of the Tribune towercondos in Chicago.

 

[NashRugger]

13 hours ago, nashvylle said:

Especially a 750' tower. 

That's the 1,030ft rendering. 

I personally am glad it wasn't built to that height. The original 750ft design likely would've made it to U/C at the least. 

[smeagolsfree]

Thats is to make the point to that The Tribune Tower is an example of one of the closest new buildings with some type of crown. Most are flat or tapered or have multiple boxy pinacles reaching up to different heights. I for one was hoping for a crown at some point, but the way architecture is playing out right now, we will not see buildings with crowns, because they serve no purpose when every dollar counts.

I know this is OFF TOPIC here but I know there are a few on here that want a new super tall for the U.S., but it will probabaly not happen in NYC due to zoning and air rights being bought up by other developers and transfering those rights to other projects, and now there is a fight to build talller than One World Trade. Many of the new Mega Super Talls are funded by super rich governments seeking prestige from other countries around the world. We will not see a Mega Super Tall in this country unless it is in Chicago. LA probably not due to threat of earthquakes, NYC, maybe, but not on Manhattan. 

[nashvylle]

8 hours ago, NashRugger said:

That's the 1,030ft rendering. 

I personally am glad it wasn't built to that height. The original 750ft design likely would've made it to U/C at the least. 

I know, and I think it looked out of place then, and still would now. The 750' would look amazing now. 

[nashvylle]

 

Really praying this amendment never makes the ballot. 

[PaulChinetti]

I just don't understand how it can be put on a ballot. There are 5 different parts of it, some seem very much out of the scope of a single referendum let alone something that could be controlled by the city.

• Limit property tax increases to 2% without voter approval.
• Require a bond referendum for any bonds totaling more than $15 million for some city projects, excluding schools, libraries, healthcare buildings and public safety projects. 
• Block the city from giving away land valued at $5 million or more without the support of 31 council members. 
• Have any Nashville pro sports facilities or related commercial development "revert to the people" if no games are played for more than 24 months. 
• Subject any groups receiving $250,000 or more in public funds to open records laws. 

[nashvylle]

21 minutes ago, PaulChinetti said:

I just don't understand how it can be put on a ballot. There are 5 different parts of it, some seem very much out of the scope of a single referendum let alone something that could be controlled by the city.

• Limit property tax increases to 2% without voter approval.
• Require a bond referendum for any bonds totaling more than $15 million for some city projects, excluding schools, libraries, healthcare buildings and public safety projects. 
• Block the city from giving away land valued at $5 million or more without the support of 31 council members. 
• Have any Nashville pro sports facilities or related commercial development "revert to the people" if no games are played for more than 24 months. 
• Subject any groups receiving $250,000 or more in public funds to open records laws. 

The attorney for 4GoodGovernment noted in the hearing that they did not get enough signatures for the bond referendum item, which to me (I am not a lawyer) seems the whole amendment should not be put on the ballot. 

[PaulChinetti]

It's all very confusing, they keep saying they got 27,000 signatures. Which seems like it's for everything on the list. 

I'm just still a little blown away that you can get a referendum with so few signatures.

[DDIG]

12 minutes ago, PaulChinetti said:

It's all very confusing, they keep saying they got 27,000 signatures. Which seems like it's for everything on the list. 

I'm just still a little blown away that you can get a referendum with so few signatures.

 

Right, amazing something potentially catastrophic and crippling for a city requires so little leg work. What is Mayor recall, like 90,000? You'd think a referendum would be in that ballpark. 

[markhollin]

Nashville's finance chief says the city can afford to be aggressive when recruiting companies and attracting other business activity, because now it's on better fiscal footing.

"Being in the 'back seat,' that happens," Kevin Crumbo, who is Metro's director of finance, said in an interview. "But that’s not forever."

He added: "I don’t want you to take that as a cue that we need to do incentives the way we did in the past, but rather, we need be open to incentives and be competitive where that’s to our advantage. We need to be open to incentivizing the business we want, whether that's corporate relocations or trade shows. … Let's look at the type of business we want to attract — and then let’s be very aggressive about going to get it."

Full interview at NBJ here:

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2021/01/19/crumbo-metro-finance-economic-development.html?cx_testId=40&cx_testVariant=cx_34&cx_artPos=0#cxrecs_s

[MLBrumby]

From the same article... 

At the time, Crumbo was erasing a $41.5 million budget gap while facing the threat of "dramatic action" from the state comptroller to fix those financial woes. The day before, executives from Microsoft Corp. left Nashville without going on scheduled office building tours, after a meeting in which aides to Mayor John Cooper explained no city incentives would be offered for an office of between 500 to as many as 1,500 jobs (which the company later announced in Atlanta).

[downtownresident]

1 hour ago, markhollin said:

Nashville's finance chief says the city can afford to be aggressive when recruiting companies and attracting other business activity, because now it's on better fiscal footing.

"Being in the 'back seat,' that happens," Kevin Crumbo, who is Metro's director of finance, said in an interview. "But that’s not forever."

He added: "I don’t want you to take that as a cue that we need to do incentives the way we did in the past, but rather, we need be open to incentives and be competitive where that’s to our advantage. We need to be open to incentivizing the business we want, whether that's corporate relocations or trade shows. … Let's look at the type of business we want to attract — and then let’s be very aggressive about going to get it."

Full interview at NBJ here:

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2021/01/19/crumbo-metro-finance-economic-development.html?cx_testId=40&cx_testVariant=cx_34&cx_artPos=0#cxrecs_s

I wonder if this is a precursor to some forthcoming announcements. 
 

 

1 hour ago, MLBrumby said:

From the same article... 

At the time, Crumbo was erasing a $41.5 million budget gap while facing the threat of "dramatic action" from the state comptroller to fix those financial woes. The day before, executives from Microsoft Corp. left Nashville without going on scheduled office building tours, after a meeting in which aides to Mayor John Cooper explained no city incentives would be offered for an office of between 500 to as many as 1,500 jobs (which the company later announced in Atlanta).

The more that comes about the meeting between Microsoft the worse John Cooper looks. It really does seem like the Tornado and COVID have humbled him a bit. 

[markhollin]

The Buck Stopped Here: Nashville's big opportunity meets Cooper's big gamble.

An overview of Mayor Cooper's handling of Oracle, Micosoft, Nashville, SC, etc.

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2021/01/22/the-buck-stopped-here.html
 

[MLBrumby]

Cooper is nothing but a  small-time mayor.  Very small indeed. 

[downtownresident]

Listening to Public Works committee hearing as they debate the River North infrastructure, and the mayors office indicated that a new ECD director will likely be announced within the coming weeks. 

[markhollin]

Nashville's $2.65 million budget for 2021-22 sails through final vote.

More at The Tennessean here:

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/2021/06/15/what-know-nashville-kicks-off-fiscal-year-2-65-b-plan/7710831002/

This from NASHtoday:
 

[markhollin]

From NASHToday daily mass e-mail:

Back to the drawing board
Nashville is getting ready to redraw its 35 council districts and 9 school districts, according to a new timeline that looks to finalize the process in late 2021 or early 2022. 

Why is this happening now? Redistricting, or the process of redrawing council and school districts, is completed every 10 years after the US Census is finalized. The new district boundaries must be balanced in population and follow traditional redistricting criteria.

Nashville's district map in 1991-2001 (left) compared to the city's current district map (right) |
 

What to expect

In 2010, Davidson County’s population was 627,753. A decade later, that figure is expected to have jumped to around 700,000 residents.

Due to population growth, planning officials estimate that each council district will contain around 20,000 residents, up from around 18,000 per district based on the 2011 redistricting map. 

The timeline

The city expects to receive 2020 Census counts in mid-August — after that, the process will move quickly.

First, the Metro Planning Department will prepare a summary of growth trends and begin working on draft maps, which will be ready for public review on the official website + at community workshops in September.

Once the maps are finalized this fall, the Planning Commission could begin the adoption process between late October or early November. The maps will go to Metro Council for final approval, which is expected to happen by early January.

Nashville's school district map in 1991-2001 (left) compared to the city's current map (right) | Courtesy Metro Nashville/ESRI

How to participate

Although officials will not begin preparing new district lines until the data is released, residents are encouraged to participate in a new survey about the redistricting process.

The survey includes a few questions that will gauge your level of interest and experience with redistricting + a city-wide map tool to draw your community.

And if you want to learn more about how districts have changed over time, take a deep dive into historical council districts and school board districts dating back to 1961.

[andywildman]

Crazy to see how much the compact districts closer to downtown grew in geography as relative population growth was stronger in the southeast quadrant of the county between 1990 and 2010.

Looks like District 19 is about to shrink - thanks in large part to some of the residential projects this board has higlighted over the last decade. ( https://twitter.com/freddieoconnell/status/1415809776630575107 )

 

 

[markhollin]

What Nashville's rapid growth over the last decade means for its council redistricting process:

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/davidson/2021/09/02/nashville-population-growth-demographics-census-2020-redistricting/5553923001/?utm_source=tennessean-Daily Briefing&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=daily_briefing&utm_term=hero&utm_content=1056TN-E-NLETTER65

[markhollin]

Mayor Cooper proposes $568 million capital spending plan with focus on Nashville education, transportation, and parks.  Full break down at The Tennessean here:

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/davidson/2021/10/22/nashville-mayors-568-m-spending-plan-boosts-education-transportation/6135050001/

Chart from NASHtoday:

[smeagolsfree]

I know there is some controversy over this spending plan about taking on more debt, especially from our friend Steve Glover.  But he does have a point with he debt ratio of Metro being among the highest in the nation.

[markhollin]

Nashville Metro Council approves $564 capital spending plan, minus funds for Jefferson Street Cap:

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/davidson/2021/12/07/metro-council-approves-564-m-capital-spending-plan/6411874001/

[samsonh]

39 minutes ago, markhollin said:

Nashville Metro Council approves $564 capital spending plan, minus funs for Jefferson Street Cap:

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/davidson/2021/12/07/metro-council-approves-564-m-capital-spending-plan/6411874001/

The cap has increased in cost rather dramatically. 

[smeagolsfree]

There was a bill introduced by Freddie to keep funds from being spent on the cap until there are Federal funds in place. I agree with this 100%. That would be money down the drain if it is not approved. In reality I am not a fan of the cap after hearing the opposition from some in the area to it.

If we do a cap, I would rather it be over the I 40/65 south loop first, but the entire interstate loop needs to be fixed before we start talking about permanent caps over the interstate. They are putting the cart in front of the horse and Mayor Cooper is doing this for purely political purposes. 

[PaulChinetti]

1 hour ago, smeagolsfree said:

In reality I am not a fan of the cap after hearing the opposition from some in the area to it.

What was the opposition, I haven't read much about it?