Today's City Paper finally gives Bells Bend community supporters fair treatment compared with the free PR it's been fronting for developers and bridge contractors who would like to see urbanization and more vehicle traffic in and out of that community.
One thing that struck me in reading the piece is the supporters' emphasis on the idea that the Bend is incomparable relative to every other cookie-cutter, formulaic parcel of the Metro area. Proponents of untrammeled growth emphasize making it more like Cool Springs and other donut suburbs.
Couldn't Nashville benefit from having one place that's not like anywhere else in the area? And I thought one of the strategies of strong growth is diversification of assets. Wouldn't replacing Bells Bend distinctiveness with one more predictable cliché of a development actually hurt us economically?
I’d like to challenge the notion that May Town Center is “untrammeled growth” that’s comparable to Cool Springs. As previous articles have reported (not just in the CP), the entire concept of this development revolves around dense development and abundant greenspace. Only one-third (453 acres) of the May’s 1434-acre property is set aside for office space and residential buildings; the remaining area will become public parks.
ReplyDeleteIf built, May Town will be a place unlike anywhere else in the area. The unique nature of the development is one of the reasons it’s been given so much consideration. In terms of land area, May Town is a fraction the size of Cool Springs. This gives Nashville the opportunity to benefit from the economic gains of such an area without the sprawled design of Cool Springs.