💨 Does Nashville have too much pollution?

🖤 Fort Negley’s Forgotten History

Renovations have begun at Fort Negley, an area that was once home to a thriving Black neighborhood, a history few Nashvillians were taught. On today’s podcast, historian Dr. Angela Sutton and African American Cultural Alliance CEO Jeneene Blackman join us to explore how this history is being recovered, and why it matters now as the city reimagines the future of Fort Negley. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]

• Watch their short documentary, “What Happened to Bass Street.” [YouTube]

💨 Does Nashville Have Too Much Pollution?

Recent data from the Environmental Protection Agency shows that levels of fine, inhalable particles exceed EPA standards in Nashville. A coalition of environmental groups have filed a lawsuit against the EPA on behalf of Nashville and other impacted Southern cities for failing to uphold its own standards. [WSMV]

🏗️ State Creates Tunnel Board

A measure that creates an authority board over any state subterranean projects has passed the Tennessee legislature and now heads to Gov. Bill Lee’s desk. The state-appointed board will oversee the construction of the Music City Loop, Elon Musk’s tunnel connecting downtown to the airport. State Democrats argue the bill is yet another push to strip Nashville of its control. [Nashville Scene]

• Listen to our chat with City Cast Las Vegas about similar tunnels in the city. [🎧 City Cast Nashville]
• Another proposed state-controlled board would oversee Nashville’s tourist tax dollars. It’s being considered by the legislature this week. [Tennessee Lookout]
• And an update: Tennessee’s state budget now includes a line item to fund administrative costs for the federal Summer EBT Program, which will help feed 700,000 kids. [Tennessee Lookout]

⚡ Interim Report Underlines NES Failures

On Friday, the Nashville Electric Service Board released an interim report from two local attorneys hired to conduct an independent review of NES and its Winter Storm Fern response. The report found that while NES had an emergency plan in place, it only accounted for at most 50K outages, nowhere near the 231,749 customers that lost power. The report also highlighted a lack of a unified communication structure that led to fragmented decision-making and misaligned messaging. A more detailed report is due June 15. [🔐 Nashville Business Journal]

Welcome to your neighborhood bulletin board, where we keep you updated on upcoming community meetings we think you should know about, from chatting with councilmembers to discussing traffic solutions. Not sure what district you live in? Check here!

City-Wide

• Early voting for Davidson County’s Primary Election runs April 15 to 30.
• On April 27, the Metropolitan Action Commission reopens its Emergency Winter Housing Assistance Program for those still impacted by storm damage. In addition to mortgage and rental assistance, the program is expanding to help with utility costs.
• The 2026 Ticket to Ride event celebrates transit month with a free ride on the WeGo Transit Star Train to Donelson Station on May 1.
• Nashville has launched a City Hall & Public Square virtual and walking tour.

Airport Area

• The planning department will discuss the Couchville Pike area at a District 13 community meeting on April 25.

Antioch

• On April 22, attend a virtual community meeting to discuss a proposed rezoning at 13181 Old Hickory Blvd.
• On April 23, join Councilmember Antoinette Lee and Metro Departments for a District 33 virtual community meeting. She’s hosting another virtual community meeting on April 27.
• District 8 is having a community safety meeting with Metro Police and Fire at the Hamilton United Methodist Church on April 27.

Bellevue

• The Beech Bend Drive traffic-calming meeting is on April 20 at the Bellevue Regional Community Center.
• Volunteer at the Warner Parks to clean up litter and clear obstructions on April 25.

East Nashville

• Vision Zero Coordinator Valeria Martinez is hosting two transportation community meetings that will include details about the Choose How You Move Gallatin All-Access Corridor project and East Bank coordination. The first is on April 28 at the East Library Branch. The second is on April 29 at the East Police Precinct.

Madison

• District 9 Councilmember Tonya Hancock is holding community office hours at Madtown Coffee and Yazoo Brewing Company on April 27.

North Nashville

• The MNPD North Precinct team will be conducting an increased safety awareness community meeting on April 25.
• Help out at a 21st Ave. North cleanup on April 27.

The Nations

• Meet at Fat Bottom Brewing for a neighborhood cleanup on May 2.