Bells Bend

For years, Charlotte Pike has been the armpit of Nashville. Similar to Nolensville Road, Charlotte Pike has been referred to as Little Mexico. I'm referring from the section that begins downtown and continues West until it turns into Hwy 70. (for those of you familiar with the street, that is the entire road.)

Charlotte Pike is filled with car repair stores, used tire shops, Mexican restaurants and Mexican grocery stores. Recently, the addition of the Nashville West shopping center has been added to increase the quality of people in the area.

However, Tony Giarratana and his people think that Charlotte Pike and West Nashville is the new Cool Springs of Nashville. The Bells Bend area is under review for a new $4 BILLION development to lure new business to Nashville. Apparently Davidson County was jealous of Williamson County for landing the Nissan North America headquarters.

Although it seems as though everything Tony G puts his hands on turns to gold, I'm skeptical that he can turn farmland into a thriving metropolis in West Nashville.

According to the Nashville Business Journal: "The 1,500-acre site, dubbed the May Town Center, will be a new office district for Nashville, with at least 5 million square feet of office space, four major corporate campuses, a central core of retail-and-office, and condominium homes, Giarratana says. The 984 acres will connect to Bells Bend Park, creating the largest land mass in Metro's park system."

The project ultimately needs a bridge crossing the Cumberland River. The bridge would connect the Nashville West shopping center to the Bells Bend area and the May Town Center. If approved, construction will not begin until 2010.

There are many projects currently under proposal such as the new Convention Center and a new baseball stadium. Can Nashville support this project? Does Nashville need this project?