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FREE AND CHEAP FAMILY THINGS
MAY 23, 2024 | VOLUME 36 | NUMBER 20
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Blakeford completes $75M expansion at Green Hills campus BY WILLIAM WILLIAMS
Mayor Freddie O’Connell delivers the State of Metro address. PHOTO: HAMILTON MATTHEW MASTERS
O’Connell pushes transit improvements in State of Metro address Mayor announces $3.1 billion transportation project has cleared independent audit BY ELI MOTYCKA At the beginning and the end of a merciful 23-minute State of Metro address last week, Mayor Freddie O’Connell talked about transportation in front of two big purple WeGo buses inside The Fairgrounds Nashville. A stage and rows of plastic chairs completed the main expo center’s transformation into O’Connell’s auditorium, where he spoke to a captive audience of local officials, city employees, prominent civic leaders, media and Metro hangers-on. The 61st annual address was an obvious opportunity to pitch O’Connell’s top priority: passing a comprehensive overhaul to Nashville’s roads and bus system for $3.1 billion. He took a brief aside to praise the
steady hand of chief development officer Bob Mendes regarding the East Bank (the crowd broke out in spontaneous applause at the mere mention of Mendes), particularly affordable housing slated under a Mendesnegotiated deal with Fallon Development. Quick plugs for various programs available to low- and fixed-income residents, like a property tax freeze and free financial consulting, shored up the spiritual solidarity with struggling longtime Nashvillians that helped bring him into office. He said nothing about city-state relations, a topline campaign issue last summer, preferring instead the bread-and-butter bullet points that even conservative >> PAGE 2
Blakeford Senior Life residents gather for a ribbon-cutting event. PHOTO: JENNIFER RAIN PHOTOGRAPHY
Nonprofit Blakeford Senior Life has announced it has completed a 3.5-year-long, $75 million community expansion and renovation on its Green Hills campus. The campus now offers a dedicated memory care wing, new independent living apartments and a fitness and aquatics center featuring smart gym equipment. The expansion and renovation also included new dining options and a physical therapy wing. The address of Blakeford Green Hills is 11 Burton Hills Blvd. Nashville-based Solomon Builders served as general contractor, with the expansion added approximately 175,000 square feet of building space to the existing 300,000 square feet. The expansion and renovation began in late 2020 and provides space for 125 more residents than previously. Relatedly, Blakeford has announced the launch of its Blakeford Foundation, which offers three funds for prospective benefactors to consider. “As we wrap up this extensive project, we
are excited to celebrate this new chapter of Blakeford with our residents and team and share the new campus with >> PAGE 2
Blakeford residents PHOTO: JENNIFER RAIN PHOTOGRAPHY
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