Meeting Transcript

Is incredibly clear. It is one story. It is never deviated. It doesn't matter what anybody says or reads, it is this. We have a vision for families. For families from here and abroad to be entertained, and especially for families who live here, to have a place. I have seven grandchildren, another one on the way. My legacy is to have a place to bring them downtown. Uh where they're where they're safe, where they have interesting things, where they have places to learn and places to be entertained and places to live. And that is our intention for this site. And uh uh, you know, as we go, uh we just launched uh I think it's uh the eastbend.com where you can go and give your opinion uh opinions, and we're gonna read every email. We want to hear from you because now Nashville has the opportunity to lock arms. Uh and I'll just I'll close with this. Uh I I'm not very good with notes anyway, just put it up. I signed the contract uh to purchase this property with this pen, which I've only used once, uh, and I'll never use it again. And the reason I did that uh is because of whose pen who this pen was created after. Uh uh it's a special pen, it was created after a guy named Victor Hugo, who said had many great quotes, uh, one of which has stuck with me and given me the fuel many days to do this project. And the quote was this not the mightiest army can withstand the force of an idea whose time has come. And I would just say this we're not the army, we're the idea. And I would just invite Nashville and you guys to come be a part of the idea. Mayor, thank you for your leadership and including me today, and David, thank you for your leadership and hard work on this project. I may need to borrow your hat if the wind does too much more work on my hair, but um it's a real pleasure to be here with all of you today. As an urban planner, it is so rare to have the extraordinary opportunity to be able to see a development and a vision come to life in an urban area and such a critical uh and and potentially vibrant part of our city. Um, through our work, I am excited to imagine reclaiming concrete for green space and redevelopment that can bring people together in public spaces and in homes and in places where people want to gather, and I really want to thank so many residents for expressing their vision. I love urban planning because it's really an opportunity for people to talk about what they want to see in their community and their built environment, and that was expressed here today, and it happened through the work of the planning commission and the good solid work of the planning department, and then later at council who showed leadership and helped to elevate all of the hopes and the dreams that we have for this site. And so we do have a lot of expert expectations, Mr. Bra Byerley, and I'm really looking forward to working with you as we move forward. This is a first step, and there's a lot of incredible work to come, and I'm here for it, and I'm excited. And Ben, I'd like to introduce uh you, Ben York, the CEO of the East Bank Development.