All You Need To Know About Midtown's Proposed Business Improvement District
🏢 Council to vote on the MBID · 130+ Kroger workers axed · Much more!
Good afternoon, everyone. Council is one vote away from establishing the MBID... Nashville Kroger facility to layoff 130+ workers... ex-state representative Robin Smith could get a lighter sentence... And much more!
Join Us On December 10th for an evening with writer Aaron Renn. Renn's recent book, Life in the Negative World, talks about being a Christian in a culture hostile to Christianity. This is the first in a new series of monthly lectures we'll be hosting. Paying subscribers receive free access to this and future events. (Buy Tickets)
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Brushing up on all things MBID before council's final vote
From Megan Podsiedlik
Stakeholders in Midtown are one council vote away from establishing their own Business Improvement District (BID). The hotspot has continued to grow, and so has local buy-in for the BID. According to the Tennessean, 543 property owners in the area would pay into a self-imposed levy that neighbors can use to fund services not covered by the local government. If passed, the district would be established in 2027 and would operate with a budget of about $1.5 million in annual revenue.
What the MBID will do: According to bill sponsor Jacob Kupin, locals would put the money toward “beautification, cleaning, safety, and neighborhood improvement.” During last week’s council meeting, Kupin provided his colleagues with a comprehensive booklet outlining the MBID. He has also organized opportunities for community input and has provided helpful material for his constituents online.
Changes made to the BID: Much of the contempt surrounding this bill seems to have died down due to Kupin’s dedication to diplomacy and transparency. The council passed the MBID bill on its second reading last week with a few changes to address some of the concerns raised by his colleagues.
Kupin added an amendment that limits any security enforcement put in place by the MBID to entities “blessed by the Metro government in some capacity.” The sponsor also addressed concerns regarding parking garages and clarified that stakeholders in Midtown do not wish to collect any parking revenue.
“I'm committed to continuing to work on this,” said Kupin, who explained that state law limits the timeline in which the council can pass a BID and reminded members that they can add amendments on its third reading. “I want this to be a BID that everybody can get behind and support.”
Localized investment in public safety: BIDs have become an attractive option for area stakeholders who want to invest their dollars towards localized safety and beautification initiatives. “You’re effectively taxing yourself, but you’re directing that right back into your community,” Kupin told the Tennessean.
Much like the legislation that merged the Gulch’s Business Improvement District with downtown’s Central District earlier this year, Kupin has run into concerns regarding lack of Metro oversight and security interactions with Nashville's homeless population.
While certain members are resistant to this type of localized investment when the funds and security partnerships can operate outside of the council's purview, there are many reasons why this option has become a popular way to address public safety. For one, the Metro Nashville Police Department continues to have a difficult time fully staffing its precincts. Also, the "defund the police" sentiment persists among certain council members who continue to try and chip away at MNPD's budget. In addition, poor officer retention, especially among those assigned to Broadway, has forced MNPD to add incentives to ensure a sufficient police presence downtown.
Members will cast their final votes on the bill to establish Midtown's BID next Tuesday, December 16.
Join Us On December 10th for an evening with writer Aaron Renn. Renn's recent book, Life in the Negative World, talks about being a Christian in a culture hostile to Christianity.
At our event, he will discuss this in addition to the crisis of civic leadership plaguing cities like Nashville. Aaron runs a very popular Substack, has written for The Guardian, The Wall Street Journal, and The Atlantic and was recently profiled in the New York Times. Currently, he's a Senior Fellow at American Reformer.
This is the first in a new series of monthly lectures we'll be hosting. Paying subscribers receive free access to this and future events. (Buy Tickets)
HEADLINES
- 🚂 TN Attorney General Jonathan Skrmetti and eight other Republican attorney generals have expressed concern over the potential merger between railroad giants Union Pacific and Norfolk Southern. In a letter, the AGs warned about “undue market concentration that stifles competition and therefore creates higher prices, lower reliability, and less innovation at the expense of America’s manufacturers and, ultimately, America’s consumers.” (State Affairs)
- 🪓 Over 130 workers to be laid off at Nashville Kroger fulfillment center. (WSMV)
- 🗒 A public registry of domestic violence offenders in Tennessee when "Savanna's law" goes into effect on January 1, 2026. (News 10)
- ⚖️ Prosecutors agree that ex-Rep. Robin Smith should be resentenced to probation for her role in the Phoenix Solutions public corruption case, but they argue the former state Republican Party chair's conviction should stand. (State Affairs)
LOCAL FLAIR
DEVELOPMENT
- Construction is underway on Franklin City Hall and is expected to be complete by 2027. (Tennessean)
- Germantown’s Brooklyn-style Italian restaurant, Pelato, to open a second location in Franklin. (NBJ)
- Big Loud pays $13.1 million for MetroCenter building. (Post)
- Four new In-N-Out Burger locations opening in the Nashville area. (Axios)
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
🪕 22nd Annual Bluegrass Benefit concert for Nashville's Homeless @ Station Inn, 8p, $20, Info
🎸 Billie Marten @ The Basement East, 8p, $33.44, 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 Megan Podsiedlik and Camelia Brennan.