Mayor David Briley announced a plan Monday night to buy nearly 800 acres of open space in the Bells Bend area of northwest Nashville.

The $9.3 million purchase of 789 acres about 15 miles from downtown would be paid with funds set aside for new Nashville greenways. Metro Council must first approve the expense this fall.

"Preserving and adding greenspace is vital as our city continues to grow and develop," Briley said. "These nearly 800 acres of farmable land have great potential for food production, sustainability efforts and agritourism."

The Bells Bend area still retains a number of family farms despite aggressive development in recent years across the Metro region. In many cases, farmers have transitioned from purely agricultural work to cater to tourists with tours, food tastings, cooking classes and other attractions to stay in business.

The properties off Old Hickory Road include a sod farm on 107 acres owned by Thomas Bros. Grass.

Metro Parks Board will consider support of the plan to pay $1.5 million for the sod farm at its July 2 meeting, which begins at noon at 2565 Park Plaza.

Briley hopes to spend $7.8 million on a 682-acre family farm owned by the Graves family since 1900.

"The Graves had twelve children, ten of whom are still living, and all twelve were raised on the farm," a representative for George Graves and Ann Walker Graves said, in a written statement. "It will be used for a public purpose. They feel (this) will be a great asset to the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County."

The Graves' farm purchase will be taken up in the fall by the Parks Board and Metro Council.

The rapid loss of open space in Nashville has increasingly driven protests against dense development in recent years.

A 2018 report from the University of Tennessee - Knoxville quantified the value of undeveloped land in the 10-county greater Nashville region. It found that the economic benefits of green spaces are vastly underestimated.

Open spaces increase the value of nearby homes in the area by $15.1 billion, according to "The economic value of open space in the Cumberland Region" report. They also save residents $466 million in health care costs by encouraging physical activity.

But rising land values threaten the roughly 3 million acres of farms, forests, parks, wetlands and other natural lands in the heart of Middle Tennessee – particularly those in and around cities.

Only 15% of open space in the region is protected from development, and 85% of it is privately owned, the report found.

Parks Director Monique Odom said she applauds Briley's plan because it would help relieve pressure from increasingly urbanized neighborhoods.

"With the growth the city is experiencing, the preservation and acquisition of greenspace is critical, and the benefits to our health and ecosystems are enormous," Odom said. "This acquisition is also a big step in helping us to continue our very active mission to provide all areas of the city with an inviting network of parks and greenways that offers an improved quality of life through recreation, conservation and community."

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