*   Governor Bill Lee’s administration today will ask the State Building Commission to waive the state’s standard disclosure requirements for a major development on state-owned land in the heart of downtown Nashville - a move that would limit public visibility into how roughly 10 acres of taxpayer-owned property gets handed over to a private developer.

  *   Part of the land in question is the state parking lot where Elon Musk’s The Boring Company began drilling its private Tesla tunnel, another sweetheart deal for a billionaire on behalf of Gov.

Lee.

  *   According to today's meeting agenda<https://www.tn.gov/content/dam/tn/statearchitect/agenda-minutes/SeptSBC26_Agenda.pdf>, the state will issue a Request for Qualifications covering Lot 16, Lot 28, Lot 29, the Blue Lot, and the Gold Lot - about 10.37 acres of state-owned surface parking in downtown Nashville - for a mixed-use development including housing, hotel(s), retail and public space.

  *   The Department of General Services is requesting the Commission waive standard disclosure requirements for this procurement, citing the risk that delay "will significantly impact the realized benefit to the state." No further detail on what specifically would be shielded from disclosure is included in the agenda item.

  *   That’s not all: The prevailing developer could also get the option to develop the James K. Polk state office building - bypassing the competitive process that protects taxpayers on major projects, such as redeveloping a downtown tower.

  *   This is another significant transfer of public land value happening with less public transparency than usual, at a moment when Tennesseans are already asking hard questions about who the Republican-controlled state government is working for.

Brandon Puttbrese

Press Secretary

Senate Democratic Caucus