As many as 11 sidewalks could get built or repaired in Nashville this year, depending on how much match money property owners are willing to chip in.
Three of the neighboring property owners to these sidewalks have offered to participate in the town’s 50-50 sidewalk funding program.
Town council member Arthur Omberg’s motion — which passed unanimously June 15 — was to approve the whole list. But owners who’ve offered a match will get their sidewalks done first, and if others also will put up half the cost, theirs can be done this year, too, he said.
The new top priorities are the sidewalk in front of the old Muddy Boots on the north end of Van Buren Street, the asphalt sidewalk section on the west side of Jefferson north of Molly’s Lane and the asphalt section in front of the Heritage Mall. Their owners already have offered a match.
The others on the list that Town Manager Scott Rudd compiled are from Van Buren Street to Honeysuckle Lane (no sidewalk now), in front of the new Visitors Center on south Van Buren (no sidewalk now), north of the Village Green in front of the Tilton House going north (poor condition), from the Pat Reilly parking lot to Van Buren Street (no sidewalk now) and from Van Buren to the Pioneer Village behind the courthouse (no sidewalk now).
Three other areas had been ranked No. 1, 3 and 5 on the priority list, but Omberg specifically wanted these property owners to offer a match before work would be done. Those projects had the highest cost estimates.
They are from Van Buren Street to the History Center along the north side of Gould (no sidewalk now), from Hawthorne Hills to State Road 46 on the north side of Hawthorne Boulevard (no sidewalk now), and from Schoolhouse Lane to where the school district’s sidewalk starts on the south side of Main Street.
The multi-level sidewalk along courthouse property also was on the list, but the two contractors the town asked to submit bids did not bid on it.
The town has about $20,000 to spend on sidewalks this year — about four times the normal budget — thanks to increased funding from the state.
