Nashville's skyline along the Cumberland River's East Bank is poised to efficiently transform with a new steering committee at the helm, as Mayor Freddie O’Connell announced the appointment of five new members to the East Bank Development Authority. This team is tasked to forward drive the area's economic enhancement, working within the scope of community-driven visions for development.
The appointed include Emily Lamb, set to serve as board chair until June 2029, and other members Brian Reames, Kaitlin Dastugue, Mona Hodge, and Hal Cato whose terms stagger through 2025 to 2028, respectively. "I’m grateful for each appointee’s willingness to serve on what will be a critical authority that ensures continuity of work and progress along our East Bank," Mayor O’Connell told Metro Nashville. He emphasized the appointed body's role in delivering neighborhoods aligned with the public's aspirations, as shared during the Imagine East Bank initiative.
As confirmed by Metro Nashville, these appointments do not require Metro Council endorsement, a legislative nuance that may swiftly facilitate the development process. The Metro Council previously showed unanimous support in August for utilizing such an authority to oversee the East Bank's renovations, while the state legislature greenlit the creation of the authority in April.
The same month witnessed Metro Council passing the deal with The Fallon Company, marking the commencement of development on the first 30 acres of city-owned terrain. Mayor O’Connell, focusing on his priority of community inclusivity, had enforced an agreement to ensure affordable housing remains a cornerstone of the project. "Fallon has agreed to build more than 1,500 housing units with nearly half of the initial units being dedicated at affordable rates – including some deeply affordable," explained O’Connell. These units are to steadfastly remain accessible with affordability mandated throughout the 99-year tenancy of the ground leases, to ensure ongoing availability of affordable living space proximate to job opportunities and public transit, as per Metro Nashville.
