Misinformation on Greer Stadium plan: Letters to the editor, Aug. 3

The Tennessean  Aug. 3, 2017

Neighbors collaborated on plan

We read with interest David Plazas’ piece Sunday about “Nashville’s Strong Neighborhoods.”

Building a stronger neighborhood is exactly what the Cloud Hill development at Greer Stadium is about.

As Mayor Bill Purcell said, “Neighborhoods are the essential building blocks of successful city.” Creating strong neighborhoods doesn’t happen by accident.

It requires creating stable, affordable living environments with active open space where people can enjoy their leisure time. It requires connectivity with surrounding neighborhoods and a respect for the history of the place.

The Wedgewood-Houston Neighborhood, along with many others from around the city, came together over the last two years to envision what the Greer Stadium property could become. Their vision has become our plan, which we call Cloud Hill.

With continued input from the community, we hope to create a thriving community where the abandoned stadium now stands. There we plan to create an open public park, along with the infrastructure to activate that park (at no cost to taxpayers); we plan to create a village beside the park, where people of all economic levels can live, work and play together; and we plan to honor the incredible history of Fort Negley Park beside it.

We hope everyone who believes in strong neighborhoods will help us make this vision become a reality.

Thank you.

Bert Mathews, Tom Middleton and T Bone Burnett, Cloud Hill Partners

Misinformation on Greer Stadium plan

The proposed plan to revamp the old Greer Stadium site seems to have been taking a lot of heat lately. What started as a well-intentioned way to preserve the fort and to help the Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood grow in a thoughtful way has morphed into an angry swirl of misinformation and false claims.

To be clear, the Cloud Hill proposal:

  • Leaves 60 percent of the site to green and open spaces, including a great lawn area where the community can gather.
  • Provides much-needed affordable housing for artists and musicians as well as creative spaces for them to work.
  • Brings archaeologists, preservationists, and historians into the dialogue to protect the integrity of the fort as well as the African-American history of the site.
  • Reconnects Fort Negley to the city and generates revenue to help maintain and rehab the fort.
  • Follows the guidelines Metro gave anyone interested in bidding on the project.
  • Is based on input gathered from people who live in the Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood.

The Cloud Hill plan has been presented by people who love our city. Their proposal is a progressive concept. It strikes a balance between those who want to preserve green space and the economic reality that our city needs to develop a positive future.

Frances McWhirter Andrews, Nashville 37215

Redevelopment benefits neighborhood

As a resident of Chestnut Hill, I’ve been involved in providing input about the Greer Stadium redevelopment for the past several years. I’ve attended info sessions, responded to surveys, and met face to face with my city councilman.

I was extremely excited at the proposal to create walkability, arts spaces, affordable housing, and green spaces, while preserving the history of the site.High on my list of concerns was also making sure the land remained owned by the city, which is exactly what is happening under this proposal.

Now that it’s finally going to be redeveloped, voices from outside the neighborhood (and outside Nashville) are suddenly concerned that my neighbors and I don’t know what’s best for the site.

We’ve been waiting years for something to happen to Greer Stadium and I will continue to support smart development that helps out my neighborhood. Thriving communities need gathering spaces where people can live, work, and play. This proposal contains these elements and would make Chestnut Hill and Wedgewood-Houston better.

Joseph Weekly, Nashville 37210

william rosenthal