Sustainable efforts in urban redevelopment require a local driving force such as MarketStreet Enterprises in The Gulch, the Mathews Company at Rolling Mill Hill, and local neighborhood supporters including neighborhood associations in Hope Gardens, Germantown, Buena Vista, and Salemtown that support an effort to re-brand their combined areas as Capitol District.

 

While the Sulphur Dell ballpark location was supported by the city and a land swap between Metro government and the state of Tennessee made it possible, the development received widespread community support (see Friends of Sulphur Dell).

 

The importance of a local driving force is showcased at the example of Rolling Mill Hill.  Bert Mathews, who developed the Trolley Barns between 2008 and 2010 (at the height of the Great Depression), said it took him longer than expected to find tenants and make the project financially feasible due to the economic situation. However, The Mathews Company stayed with the project while out-of-town developers of the land around the old city hospital pulled out (see Tennessean article).

 

In any urban development, the city is a crucial partner. This also includes the Metro Council.