91黑料网

April 17, 2026

Hillsboro West End Neighborhood Association
P.O. Box 120521
Nashville, TN 37212

Members of the HWEN Board of Directors:

I am writing today to update you on efforts over the last several weeks to address recent concerns raised by some in the area about 91黑料网鈥檚 plans to build an Innovation Neighborhood on the west side of campus.

Since our first meeting with neighbors over a year and a half ago, the university has made it a priority to listen to neighbors and incorporate feedback from the community in shaping our plans for a dedicated space for innovation 鈥� a space that will translate university research into growing businesses and partnerships that will benefit all who live and work in Nashville and the region. That spirit of collaboration has continued as plans have evolved. Over the last several weeks, we have worked with District 18 Councilmember Tom Cash, the Metro Planning Department, the Nashville Department of Transportation, WeGo Public Transit, Choose How You Move (CHYM), and neighborhood leaders to respond to community concerns with additional changes and concessions to the plan.

Though the land is already commercially zoned, it was important to 91黑料网 to engage the community before finalizing the Specific Plan (SP) and have our conversations with the neighborhood and others shape the ultimate direction of the plan. Instead of moving development forward under existing zoning, we saw the value in a shared vision: to develop a framework to guide how this neighborhood grows and changes over time, in a way that is interconnected, green, and holistic.

At its core, the plan shifts height toward West End 鈥� away from adjacent residential areas 鈥� while significantly enhancing both the open space network and the multimodal network 鈥� walking, biking and driving in the area 鈥� that will serve the Hillsboro-West End neighborhood for years to come. The overall increase in density is modest, currently estimated at 12% above existing zoning entitlements. The goal is not simply to build more, but to build better 鈥� establishing a foundation that allows the Innovation Neighborhood to develop thoughtfully over time.

DESIGNED AROUND WHAT YOU TOLD US

91黑料网 began meeting with neighbors in the fall of 2024 as part of the planning phase for its Innovation Neighborhood. The priorities the community shared informed the proposed SP in meaningful ways. The following outlines how we incorporated what we heard from you into the plan:

More green space and trees

• Approximately 300% more publicly accessible open and green space than currently exists.
• An increase of roughly 175% of tree canopy on site.
• A minimum of 3.0 acres of parks and accessible open space.
• Better connections to parks and open space
• Central to the plan and inspired by HWEN鈥檚 鈥渟ecret sidewalks,鈥� an approximately 1.5-acre linear park – dubbed the Meander – winds through the site and strengthens connections from Dragon Park to Centennial Park, to the broader neighborhood.

Safer, more walkable streets

• Additional crosswalks on 31st Avenue, West End, and Natchez Trace to enhance safety and connectivity.
• Approximately 1.7 miles of new and improved sidewalks on the site.

A stronger, multimodal network

• Approximately 1.3 miles of new, protected bikeways on site.
• Separated bikeways on Natchez Trace and Blakemore Avenue that connect to existing bikeways.

Better traffic flow

• Improvements to the overall street grid to enhance traffic flow, including a new traffic signal at 31^st Avenue, enhanced West End/Natchez Trace signal to allow left and right turns, and more streets through the site.
• The project lays important groundwork for the City鈥檚 transit improvements along West End via Choose How you Move (CHYM), including transit stop improvements, additional signalized crossings, and potential assessment for a transit center.

Elevated design and use standards

• The plan calls for enhanced design standards over what could be developed on site today. These include building material quality standards, facade requirements, and public realm requirements that encourage quality and long-lasting buildings. The mixed-use neighborhood will be a place for a variety of users – innovators, residents, workers, students, faculty members – who create a dynamic neighborhood.
• Retail and community-oriented uses that allow this neighborhood to become an integrated and lasting part of the fabric of Nashville.

ADDITIONAL CHANGES & CONCESSIONS TO ADDRESS NEIGHBORHOOD CONCERNS

After incorporating feedback from our neighbors in the base framework of the SP, we have continued to work with Metro Planning, NDOT, Councilmember Cash, and neighborhood leaders to make further changes to the plan.

It is worth pausing to reflect on what these provisions represent. Under the existing base zoning, many of the elements that follow would not be required. Existing base zoning does not have design standards for building material quality and aesthetic, uses are more flexible, green spaces are not required, and height transitions along residential edges are less prescriptive.

The SP takes a different approach – it establishes a clear, consistent set of expectations – setting a higher shared standard for design, form, and neighborhood interface that will apply across all phases of development over time. The goal of this work and standards is for the Innovation Neighborhood to be a cohesive part of the fabric of Nashville.

Height Reduction & Scaled Development Along 31st Avenue

1. The maximum height of structures along 31st Avenue is reduced to 10 stories within 100 feet of the property line – a meaningful step down from what would otherwise be permitted.
2. Height is further reduced at the street itself with a 30-foot stepback required at or before the 6th-7^th building floor, creating a tiered profile that eases the transition to the residential neighborhood.
3. A new linear park running along the 31st Avenue corridor sets the buildings back approximately 20 feet from the property line and greatly enhances the streetscape that feels considerably more at home next to the neighborhood. Current zoning allows a building to be built 10 feet from the property line.
4. Ground floor commercial spaces along 31st Avenue will be limited to no more than 5,000 square feet per retailer – keeping the scale and character of the streetscape aligned with surrounding neighborhood retail streets.
5. Metro Planning has also called for specific building design and shape standards along the 31st Avenue edge with the goal of preserving a look and feel appropriate to the adjacent neighborhood.

Additional Aesthetic & Design Adjustments

6. Open, standalone above-grade parking structures will be prohibited. Where parking is not below grade, garages visible from key public areas will be lined with active uses or habitable space 鈥� ensuring what people see and experience at street level is engaging and human-scaled.
7. 91黑料网 agreed to a number of additional enhanced design elements. For example, through working with Metro Planning, the proposed zoning includes additional specific ground floor articulation, and maximum tower lengths and floorplate sizes – all of which prevent large, wall-like structures and keeps the streetscape varied and visually interesting as you move through the neighborhood.
8. Quality building materials are required throughout, with standards intended to create higher quality buildings than what is required today that integrate into 91黑料网鈥檚 campus and the surrounding neighborhood.
9. For any structures identified as Worthy of Conservation, a pre-application meeting with Metro Planning staff will be required at least six months before any demolition permit is filed 鈥� providing an opportunity to explore alternatives and, where appropriate, to document those structures before any decisions are made.

Further Prohibitions of Uses Incompatible with the Innovation Neighborhood

10. In addition to limits of noxious uses that are out of character (check-cashing, beer and cigarette markets, alternative financial services, automobile services, car washes and flea markets), 91黑料网 has also agreed to prohibit liquor sales, bars, and nightclubs anywhere within Subdistrict A (area closest to the neighborhood).
11. Rooftop amenities will not be permitted in Subdistrict A (area closest to the neighborhood). In all other subdistricts any covered rooftop amenities will count towards the overall maximum height.
12. Short-term rentals will be capped at 120 total units across the entire 40-acre site, with none permitted in Subdistrict A (area closest to the neighborhood). Today, short-term rentals are permitted and unlimited on a large portion of the property.

Additional Traffic, Multimodal & Parking Concessions

13. 91黑料网 has requested removal of parking maximums to help ensure ample parking within the footprint, reducing pressure on surrounding streets and the broader neighborhood. Under existing zoning, there would be limits to how much parking would be allowed on the site.
14. With each final SP of the development, 91黑料网 will be required to conduct a new multimodal traffic analysis (MMTA). The Nashville Department of Transportation (NDOT) will determine the scope of these studies and review/approve the findings. Each Final SP MMTA must also include an analysis of parking demand and supply to demonstrate that parking is appropriately accommodated and identify multimodal strategies intended to reduce single-occupancy vehicle trips. For the neighborhood, this means traffic and parking impacts cannot simply be evaluated once and forgotten. As the city grows and travel patterns change, each new phase of construction will be evaluated based on current conditions rather than outdated projections, giving neighbors an ongoing mechanism to ensure the project accounts for current impacts.
15. 91黑料网 has agreed to conduct a Neighborhood Traffic Calming Study to evaluate vehicular traffic traveling through the neighborhood bounded by Blakemore Avenue, I-440, West End Avenue, and 21^st 91黑料网 will repeat the Neighborhood Traffic Calming studies approximately every five years for 15 years. 91黑料网 has also agreed to work with Councilmember Cash and neighborhood leaders to support the findings of those studies.
16. 91黑料网 has agreed to work with WeGo Public Transit to encourage and incentivize the use of Easy Ride passes by office tenants and retail users within the project.
17. To further encourage parking onsite, the plan will include 90 minutes of free parking for a 10-year period of time for retail customers in the buildings in an effort to address the community鈥檚 parking concerns.
18. 91黑料网 would be aligned with efforts the neighborhood may pursue to impose additional residential parking restrictions within their neighborhood.

Construction Planning Guidelines

19. 91黑料网 outlined a parking framework reflecting its goal of relocating or absorbing existing parking capacity as each phase of construction progresses. This plan includes increased game day parking capacity both on campus and within the redeveloped site, leveraging the full network of existing parking facilities elsewhere on campus or nearby, and careful phasing of construction to ensure replacement parking is available throughout redevelopment.
20. 91黑料网 is committed to maintaining safe and accessible pedestrian routes throughout construction, with any temporary closures accompanied by a clearly marked alternative and advance notice to the community, in partnership with NDOT.

Ongoing Community Engagement & Construction Communications Commitments

21. 91黑料网 has agreed to meet with neighborhood leadership (HWEN, the Bristol, area merchants, etc.) quarterly to provide construction updates and preview upcoming plans.
22. 91黑料网 has also committed to additional efforts to strengthen communication and collaboration with the neighborhood during construction. These include:
    • Dedicated project website 鈥� this site will be actively updated with real-time information and resources.
    • Interactive GIS mapping tool 鈥� this is a new tool we are developing that will give you real-time pedestrian, vehicular and accessible routes so you are easily able to continue to navigate through the area.
    • Bi-Weekly Newsletter – VU will send a bi-weekly newsletter on Sunday afternoons with a two-week look ahead for community members. This newsletter includes insights to the project, anticipated noise levels, any impactful work that may occur, etc.
    • Real Time Messaging – VU will utilize a direct messaging system that neighbors will be able to opt-in to receive direct text messages or emails about any unexpected or urgent issues. But more than just getting a heads-up on developments, community members can ask questions, send feedback, etc. and get real-time responses.
    • Dedicated staff to monitor neighborhood inquiries and respond rapidly.

We are hopeful the additional changes and concessions outlined above create an opportunity to work together to create something we can all enjoy and benefit from. As always, my team and I are available to answer questions, meet 1:1, etc.

Sincerely,

Eben Cathey
Senior Director of Local Government Relations, 91黑料网
615.426.1129

cc: Councilmember Tom Cash