After political infighting, a compromise has been reached on the redevelopment of Nashville’s old convention center — and how the National African-American Music Museum will be part of the project.
The resolution of conflict surrounding the museum was one of three developments Tuesday night in which the Metro Council opted against what had initially been aggressive proposals. The others deal with school bus seatbelts and police traffic stops, and are detailed below.
Several council members, including Erica Gilmore, have said
the museum deserves more prominence in the $430-million-dollar effort.
On Tuesday, Gilmore said the development team agreed to some of her requested changes — including the addition of a museum entrance on the side of the building that faces Lower Broadway.
“They say you gotta know when to hold ’em, know when to fold ’em. Know when to walk away, know when to run. So we’ve got some good concessions,” Gilmore said as she withdrew a more aggressive set of requests at the regular meeting of the council.
Other members
told The Tennessean that they had worried about derailing the project by seeking too many changes. And Mayor Megan Barry said museum backers can now return to the task of fundraising for the museum, which has been much delayed.
School Bus Seatbelts Considered
Meanwhile, officials have decided to look closer at mandating school bus seatbelts before sending a recommendation to the Metro Board of Education.
Councilman Ed Kindall said last night that it could be hasty to make sudden changes.
“Rather than trying to appear to be dictating to the school board to do something, we want to ensure that they understand that we want to support them and hope that they will move forward in ensuring the safety of our children,” he said.
The council has been considering a requirement for seatbelts on all newly purchased school buses. This follows a deadly crash in Chattanooga, as well as injuries to schoolchildren in a recent Nashville incident.
Councilwoman Karen Johnson said a portion of Metro’s 700 buses are nearing 15 years old, the age when they are typically replaced. As the primary sponsor of a seatbelt mandate, Johnson now says she wants to examine a range of safety measures before providing enthusiastic financial support.
Activists Will Present On Police Data
The council also pulled back on a proposal involving Metro Nashville Police Department.
Members were considering asking that the police department respond to a study that found racial disparities in traffic stops — and to regularly provide them with traffic reports.
Instead of applying that pressure, the council decided Tuesday to host activist group Gideon’s Army to examine police statistics in a public meeting.
The group has criticized police after examining
police data to find that black drivers are stopped more often than whites.
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