The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County (Metro) has released its third capital spending plan, illustrating a $531.9 million investment to support public schools, transportation, water infrastructure and public safety for Fiscal Year 2026.
The document addresses a creeping backlog of maintenance and infrastructure projects, with nearly half of the budget being dedicated to Metro Nashville Public Schools (MNPS) projects and city general services. The remaining funding will be split across several critical sectors, including parks, multimodal infrastructure, libraries, justice facilities, accessibility, technology and water services.
The largest portion of the CSP – totaling $145.3 million – will support city general service projects such as building new fire stations or updating civil service buildings. Metro will spend $24.5 million to relocate multiple Metro agencies and programs, $20 million to modernize and upgrade the vehicular fleet and $18 million to build a new Emergency Communication Center with space for the Office of Emergency Management, Emergency Operations Center, a data center and a call center. Smaller scale projects will target new buildings, headquarters and stations for essential municipal departments and services.
MNPS will receive the second largest funding amount for the coming year, allocating $103.2 million to build or renovate school facilities and other district-wide initiatives. Maintenance projects are among the highest priority for the district, with $31.6 million dedicated for:
- Auditorium upgrades.
- Athletic facility upgrades.
- Electrical, plumbing, HVAC and energy upgrades.
- Elevator remediations.
- Exterior and interior building improvements.
- Fire alarm remediations.
- Paving improvements.
- Roof repair and replacement.
- School site improvements.
New educational facility projects include $28.5 million to build Antioch Cluster Elementary School, $8 million to renovate McGavock High School and $1.5 million to establish an early learning hub. The remaining investments will help upgrade and replace outdated technology, install solar panels on facilities, replace vehicles for the bus and fleet, install competition turf fields and reinforce safety and security measures across all schools.
The Nashville Department of Transportation (NDOT) will be allocated $79 million for the coming year, most of which – $49.9 million – will go toward ensuring the department keeps existing systems and infrastructure in a state of good repair. These projects include paving and sidewalk repair and bringing bridge, street/bridge lighting, paving and non-ADA compliant sidewalks into compliance.
Remaining funding will help expand mobility infrastructure and maintain ongoing programs. Plans include building sidewalks, supporting restoration and resiliency efforts, supporting downtown connectivity, advancing the city’s Vision Zero plan, managing traffic systems and supporting active transportation efforts.
The single largest investment listed in the CSP – $54 million – will go toward completing Phase 4 of the new Juvenile Justice Center facility. Additional investments featured in the capital plan include:
- $37.8 million for the East Bank Development Authority to develop infrastructure and grid projects, relocate gas lines and build internal duct bank infrastructure.
- $23.6 million to support various parks projects, including paving, roofing, restrooms, open space acquisition, beam repair, maintenance shop construction, bridges and boardwalks.
- $22.5 million for stormwater construction, engineering and planning.
- $13.3 million to support ITS radio system upgrades, fiber installation, backup data center upgrades and the East Bank Duct Bank.
- $11.7 million to replace metropolitan and regional transit agency vehicles and match grants.
- $9 million for library construction, property acquisition and repair projects.
- $7.5 million to migrate to a new cloud Enterprise Resource Planning system.
- $5 million to support the Nashville General Hospital’s efforts to replace flooring, lighting, work areas, beds, stretchers, doors, and various additional infrastructure and systems upgrades.
- $3 million for major fire department repair and maintenance.
- $1.6 million to support waste services in Buzzard Hollow.
Photo by Kelly from Pexels
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