East Bank Development Authority approves bylaws process, seeks outside counsel and sets Feb. 19 meeting

The East Bank Development Authority, meeting for the first time, voted to authorize its chair to work with the Metro Legal Department to draft an initial set of bylaws, directed the chair to solicit recommendations for outside legal counsel and set its next meeting for Feb. 19 at 9 a.m.

The actions come after Metro officials described the authority's enabling law and next organizational steps. Tom Cross of the Metro Legal Department said the body was created by a private act of the Tennessee Legislature that the Metro Council opted into, and that most of the authority's powers will require subsequent council approval. "This came to be through a private act under the state constitution," Cross said.

The authority was formed to coordinate redevelopment of the roughly 550-acre East Bank area between the interstates and the river, a site Metro officials said is far larger than recent Nashville projects such as The Gulch or National Yards. Bob Mendez, chief development officer in the mayor's office, told members the administration expects to propose an intergovernmental agreement with Metro that will address assets, employees and operating money and that Metro would likely cover early operating costs until rents or other revenues are sufficient.

What the board approved and why

At the meeting the board took three procedural actions: - It approved a motion authorizing Chair Emily Lamb to work with Metro Legal to prepare an initial, basic set of bylaws and bring them back for board consideration at the next meeting. The motion was made by Hal Cato and carried by voice vote. - It authorized the chair to solicit and bring recommendations for outside counsel for the…