The Big East Bank Group Project
🦋 Remembering Dolly Parton · East Bank Development Authority meeting · Nashville’s homeless count rises · Much more!
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East Bank Development Authority meeting: an $80 million question, a 2030 deadline, and a decades-long group project.
From Megan Podsiedlik
The East Bank Development Authority wants to set a precedent about how it doles out its cash. The Authority, which hasn’t had much authority since its establishment two years ago, is being asked to redirect up to $80 million from its pending $300 million in TDZ funds to support a partnership with Metro Nashville and TDOT for constructing Marine Drive between Cowan and Dickerson Pike, along with Cowan Street improvements.
Who’s Holding the Bag? This morning, the Authority board voted to amend the resolution so the funds stay under EBDA control and are released as needed rather than transferred all at once.
“Why should we not hold it in an interest-bearing account, and we make the interest for us to help pay for things instead of sending to Metro to allow them to earn interest long-term at the expense of us once again?” asked Member and Tennessee House Speaker Cameron Sexton.
The change would do two things: one, ensure EBDA’s interests and input are protected in the process and two, allow the Authority to continue earning interest on the unused funds as they await disbursement.
Making Peace Before 2030 The strained relationships between the Authority, Metro, and other partners are a clash with a ticking clock. There’s a lot to get done on the East Bank before Nashville welcomes the Super Bowl in 2030. Fortunately, recent efforts suggest everyone is trying to get on the same page.
Can We Please Dig Once? The Authority’s Director of Program Management, Michelle Scopel, updated members on promising progress in coordinating with major telecommunications providers, including AT&T, Comcast, Verizon, and GFiber. According to Scopel, major providers are now participating in regular meetings to coordinate underground infrastructure projects, in hopes of streamlining construction and avoiding the need to dig up roads and sidewalks multiple times.
Not Just a Super Bowl… a Marathon Metro Planning Department Executive Director Lucy Kempf also joined the board this morning, underscoring the importance of keeping all parties aligned as the East Bank moves forward. “We generally have advisory and regulatory responsibilities around the building of the city, and that can include the placement of streets, land-use policies, even the capital improvement budget that we send to council every year,” explained Kempf.
The full build-out of the East Bank will take decades, and Kempf emphasized her commitment to maintaining a strong partnership with the Authority as all parties work together to coordinate the enabling infrastructure and critical projects needed to unlock future development.
✹ REMEMBERING DOLLY
🦋 Earlier today, Dolly Parton peacefully passed away in Nashville at age 80, leaving behind a legacy that spans music, entertainment, business, and philanthropy. Dolly was born in 1946 in a one-room cabin in Sevier County, Tennessee, and grew up as one of 12 children in a poor but close-knit family. She rose from humble beginnings to become one of the most celebrated country music artists of all time, known for hits including “Jolene,” “9 to 5” and “I Will Always Love You.” Beyond music, Parton built a wide-ranging career as an actress, businesswoman, philanthropist and author, with Dollywood and her Imagination Library becoming lasting parts of her legacy.
✹ PROPERTY TAX CALCULATOR
What Moved Your Bill? Use our handy new tool to see what contributed to your property tax bill increase: the reappraisal or the rate hike. (Try It Out)
NASHVILLE’S 2026 POINT-IN-TIME HOMELESSNESS COUNT
📊 Metro’s Office of Homeless Services released its certified results of the 2026 Point-in-Time Count, identifying 2,298 people experiencing literal homelessness on the night of Jan. 22, 2026. Of those counted, 655 were people unsheltered outdoors or in places not meant for human habitation.
This one-night snapshot does not capture everyone who experiences homelessness throughout the year. It also excludes people staying with friends or family, those living in hotels or motels because of economic hardship, and people residing in institutions such as jails or hospitals.
Compared with 2025, the count rose by 118 people, a 5.4 percent increase. From 2022 to 2025, Nashville’s homeless population increased 13.8 percent, compared with a 28 percent increase nationally and an average 36 percent increase among selected peer communities.
Among surveyed unsheltered individuals, 85 percent reported their last permanent address was in Middle Tennessee, 73 percent reported a disabling condition, and 46 percent were experiencing chronic homelessness.
✹ METRO COUNCIL WATCH
New Council Watch Features We've added additional features to Council Watch. In addition to who's funding your council member, you can now see how they vote and who they vote with most frequently. (Take a Look)
HEADLINES
- 🏗 Crews race to finish Capitol, plaza renovations before gubernatorial inauguration. Crews are working to complete renovations at the Tennessee Capitol complex ahead of the January 2027 gubernatorial inauguration. The work includes renovations to the Legislative Plaza and War Memorial Building, with the plaza project also tied to plans for a new Capitol Visitors Center. The state is also preparing to install a new David Crockett statue, with officials targeting November for its arrival at the Capitol. (TNJ)
- 🛴 Woman claims she was intentionally hit by driver while riding electric scooter in Nashville. A woman riding a city scooter in Nashville’s Gulch area suffered minor injuries after she told police that 42-year-old Abulkarim Abdul intentionally struck her from behind with his car, then drove onto the sidewalk and hit her a second time. Abdul allegedly fled the scene but was later located at an apartment complex and told officers he had been dropping off food and stopped to check on the woman before leaving. He faces four charges, including aggravated assault with a deadly weapon and leaving the scene of an injury crash. (WSMV)
- 🏠 Mayor O’Connell names Dhathri Chunduru Senior Advisor of Housing. Mayor Freddie O’Connell is appointing Dhathri Chunduru, Ph.D., as Nashville’s new Senior Advisor of Housing. Chunduru will coordinate housing efforts across Metro departments, build strategic partnerships, and help advance the city’s Unified Housing Strategy. Chunduru previously served for five years as Director of Research and Planning at the Tennessee Housing Development Agency and will begin her new role Sept. 8. (Mayor’s Office)
DEVELOPMENT
- 30-story Tower Undergoes Office-To-Hotel Conversion In Downtown Nashville (Now Next)
- Tennessee Brew Works is heading east for second spot in Lenoir City (NBJ)
- Former Delta Dental building in MetroCenter sells for $3.85M (Post)
- Downtown’s Federal Reserve Building listed for $8M (Post)
- The Becker Organization paid $15 million for the Pins Mechanical Co. building (NBJ)
THINGS TO DO
View our calendar for the week here.
📅 Visit our On The Radar list to find upcoming events around Nashville.
🎧 On Spotify: Pamphleteer's Picks, a playlist of our favorite bands in town this week.
👨🏻🌾 Check out our Nashville farmer's market guide.
TONIGHT
🎸 Jack Johnson @ Ascend Amphitheater, 7p, $133+, Info
🪕 Dennis Parker @ Station Inn, 8p, $20, Info
🎸 Twang Tuesday @ Acme Feed & Seed, 7p, Free, Info
🎸 Honky Tonk Tuesday @ Eastside Bowl, 8p, $10, Info
+ two-step lessons @ 7p, The Cowpokes @ 8p
📰 Check out the full newsletter archive here.
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Today's newsletter is brought to you by Davis Hunt, Megan Podsiedlik, and Camelia Brennan.