WeGo board approves consultant pools, property disposition request and grant consultant; several items advance

The Metro Transit Authority of Nashville and Davidson County board on Thursday approved three staff recommendations and adopted its 2026 meeting calendar, while hearing updates on the Journey Pass rollout and major capital projects.

Board members voted to authorize staff recommendations to create a pool of on-call strategic planning consultants covering 15 scopes across the agency, approve a request to the Federal Transit Administration to disposition surplus property in Hermitage, and execute a grant-funded contract for implementation assistance on innovative finance and asset concessions.

The strategic-planning action (item MA25-05O) authorizes the chief executive to contract with a set of firms recommended by staff after a competitive RFP process; staff said they received 30 proposals with 19 deemed responsive and recommended eight firms. Staff described the published RFP, evaluation and task-order approach; the action authorizes aggregated ceiling amounts (staff characterized the total cap as not to exceed $9,765,000 over a three-year base plus renewal options). A board member clarified that individual task orders above the board purchasing threshold would return for approval; staff said routine task orders below that threshold will be handled by WeGo staff.

On a separate action (item MA25-051), staff asked the board to request FTA approval to transfer a 1.49-acre parcel at 416 Andrew Jackson Way in Hermitage to the Metro Department of Waste Services for use as a neighborhood recycling center. Staff said the parcel was acquired in 1996 with federal, state and city funds, later became unused, and required clearing and environmental review after becoming occupied by people experiencing homelessness. Staff reported agency costs of approximately $154,000 over two years for clearing and related activities and an independent appraisal valuing the parcel at $170,000; proceeds, if the FTA approves the disposition, would be applied to WeGo’s capital plan per FTA guidance. Staff estimated FTA review could take about three to six months.

The board also approved item MA-AD-25-052 to award the U.S. Department of Transportation Build America Bureau grant implementation consultant to Greystone Real Estate Advisory Group. Staff reported three responsive proposals and said the Greystone contract would run for the grant term (24 months) and not exceed the grant amount of $999,400; board members confirmed the contract is fully covered by the federal grant.

Votes at a glance

- Approval of the 10/23/2025 MTA board minutes — motion carried (vote tally not specified in the record). - MA25-05O: Award on-call strategic planning contracts — motion carried (board approved staff recommendation; aggregated ceiling amounts not to exceed $9,765,000 as described by staff). - MA25-051: Request to submit FTA disposition request for 416 Andrew Jackson Way (Hermitage) — motion carried; staff will request FTA approval and, if granted, transfer the parcel to Metro Department of Waste Services for its appraised value ($170,000) with proceeds applied to WeGo capital. - MA-AD-25-052: Award contract to Greystone Real Estate Advisory Group for grant implementation — motion carried; contract term 24 months, amount not to exceed $999,400, funded entirely by the U.S. DOT grant. - Approval of the 2026 MTA board meeting calendar — motion carried.

What the board recorded and what remains to be done

Staff emphasized that many of the consultant engagements are structured as task orders, not guaranteed contract dollars, and that task orders above the board’s purchasing threshold would return for board approval. For the Hermitage parcel, staff will submit the formal FTA disposition request and provide FTA-required documentation (appraisal and planned use of proceeds pursuant to FTA Circular 5010.1F). For the Donaldson Station project (presented separately), staff will proceed with public engagement, finalize design and move forward with procurement once drawings and agreements (including land-swap and NES power relocation MOU) are in place.

The meeting concluded with board acknowledgments of staff and employee award winners and adjournment.