2025 Downtown Code Amendment

On May 30, 2025, an amendment to the Downtown Code (DTC) became effective. The amendment updated the DTC’s Bonus Height Program (BHP), outdoor space general standards, and made several minor housekeeping amendments. The approved Metro Council bill indicates that projects seeking to use the BHP shall be able to utilize either the 2010 BHP or the newly adopted 2025 BHP for a period of one year, subject to the following:

This choice shall not be construed as a right in perpetuity to not conform with any future alterations to the DTC.
Projects proposing to use the 2010 BHP shall submit for Concept Plan approval within six months of the effective date, and the project shall certify its bonus height with the Planning Commission within one year of the effective date.
Projects that have earned and certified transferrable entitlements pursuant to the 2010 BHP shall be permitted to retain, use, and transfer those entitlements, provided, however, that projects that have certified bonus height under the 2010 BHP but have not constructed during the development vesting periods provided by state statute (and as provided for by the Metropolitan Government in RS2014-1330), such projects shall forfeit any entitlements earned, including transferrable entitlements. If those projects do subsequently proceed, they will need to apply for bonus height again under the 2025 BHP, or under the 2010 BHP if they meet the grace period deadlines described above.
Mixing and matching between the 2010 BHP and 2025 BHP is not allowed, including, but not limited to, mixing individual bonus options, and utilizing any changes in the bonus height maximums for the property.

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Please email designstudio@nashville.gov with questions regarding these changes.

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Downtown Code (Planning)

Local Planning Studies (Planning)

Planning Department

2025 Downtown Code Amendment

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