Nashville Metro Council Rejects $100 Million Downtown Flood Control Project

"The Metro Council in Nashville rejected a contentious $100 million flood-protection proposal Tuesday night that had been criticized for focusing on the downtown area at the expense of other, lower-profile neighborhoods in the Tennessee capital," reports Richard Fausset.

The flood protection proposal would have included a flood wall and a pumping system in response to a flood in May 2010 that left ten people dead and damaged or destroyed 11,000 properties in in Davidson County, which includes Nashville.

Fausset lists a more specific list of complaints from opponents to the project, who said that the flood protection proposal would have protected only a few high-profile, downtown assets, "like the symphony hall and a new convention center." Critics also argued that "the money would be better spent buying and demolishing homes in flood-prone areas."

Joey Garrison's local coverage of the vote included the flood control project among a trio of proposals supported by outgoing Mayor Karl Dean but rejected by the Metro Council. The other two capital investments rejected by the council included $113 million for jail consolidation and $23 million for a new police headquarters.