Mayor John Cooper posted new details about his Capital Spending Plan on Twitter Monday. A total of $30 million dollars, Mayor Cooper wrote, would be allocated toward building a new 14-acre campus for “Nashville youth.”
Located on Brick Church Pike – close to public transportation and community organizations – Cooper said that it “will be home to green space, sports facilities, and Davidson County’s Juvenile Court.”
Davidson County Juvenile Court Judge Shiela Calloway, said in a statement about the project, “I am immensely thankful to Mayor Cooper for prioritizing this project to benefit families and young people in Nashville for years to come. I believe this investment will pay off exponentially, through improved public safety and positive outcomes for our community’s young men and women.”
Through Mayor Cooper’s Funding Plan, he added that the campus is expected to serve 80,000 youths and their families. Cooper said that the plan addresses the growing needs of Nashville, and that, “We are investing in our neighborhoods and our community and cultural assets, building deep public value in a Nashville that is one of America’s most desirable places to live, work and play.”
Some Twitter users responded to the Mayor’s tweet. One user pointed out, “That seems odd to put the juvenile court where you want families and young people to go for sports and green space!”
That seems odd to put the juvenile court where you want families and young people to go for sports and green space!
— Ms Nashville (@MsNashville) November 1, 2021
The youth campus is just part of the Capital Spending Plan, which, in all, tops a half-billion dollars.
Cooper noted in an October statement about the plan that half that amount will be dedicated to education and transportation improvements.
To pay for it, the Mayor’s Office states that “the capital spending plan positions Nashville to leverage city funds to unlock up to $225 million in additional funds from state, federal and philanthropic sources.”
The rest of Cooper’s New Capital Spending Plan includes $85 million for Metro Parks that will open access to 60-plus acres of neighborhood green space, plus fund major projects at sites like the Nashville Zoo and along the Cumberland riverfront. It also included five new public schools, improvements to the public transportation system, enhancing community assets, and city essentials.
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Morgan Nicole Veysey is a reporter for The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Follow her on Twitter. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “John Cooper” by John Cooper.
