Bordeaux is located in the Northwest part of Nashville and closely associated with North Nashville. Once you cross the bridge over the Cumberland River on Clarksville Pike going away from downtown, you are officially in Bordeaux. Bordeaux is a predominately Black community with a large number of working, middle and upper-class residents. This is a community only 10 minutes from downtown and should have been prioritized when it comes to economic development.
Nashville the ‘It City’ has been witnessing extraordinary new growth and development, adding to the marketability of affected areas. But Bordeaux, when compared to other areas, continues to get the short end of the stick. It seems to only get offered developments and projects other communities do not want. It seems that what Bordeaux homeowners say they want and what the developers want, also, too often conflict.
Many of the residents of Bordeaux want nice restaurants and high-end stores, but now they are forced to frequent other communities for these amenities. Residents want their property values to equal those in other communities, especially when they have homes that are equivalent or better than homes in other areas. However, their homes are assessed at a much lower rate. It’s not asking too much (when your home or business is your biggest asset) to accurately have its value calculated. Your home or business generates economic growth for your community and generational wealth for your family.
The amenities that other communities enjoy seem to be lacking in Bordeaux. Many of the residents feel it is because of Bordeaux’s predominantly Black population—but that is changing. Nevertheless, the argument given to those advocating for Bordeaux’s beneficial redevelopment is that this area is overlooked because developers and investors feel Bordeaux lacks the density and per capita income necessary to support such high-end investments.
Many of the residents feel they are literally forced to go outside Bordeaux to seek the shops and restaurants absent in their community, and they find no shortage of their friends and neighbors also frequenting these businesses. In fact, Bordeaux residents bring attention to other areas where shops and businesses were incorporated in the community to drawn and attract residents to move into those areas. Adding insult to injury, Bordeaux residents are told they lack the income to continually support the high-end businesses they want. If developers and investors use lack of density and low per capita income as reasons for investing in Bordeaux, then why is Bordeaux the ‘go to’ place for those promoting homeless shelters and low housing projects other communities don’t want. These projects do not increase the per capita income investors and developers claim is necessary for high end amenities.
Such proposed living units and suggested projects won’t aid in improving the per capita income ratio to support the businesses, shops, restaurants and stores Bordeaux residents crave—keeping developers and investors at bay. In fact, it will only continue to serve as an excuse for those developers and investors finding reason not to develop these amenities in Bordeaux.
Thus, the residents of Bordeaux may find themselves in a conundrum, trying to decipher the truth of the motives of Nashville as a whole. Bordeaux should not be looked at in a monolithic light. Make no mistake, Bordeaux is an economically diverse community made up of working class, middle class and upper-class residents. In fact, Bordeaux includes affluent and opulent communities second to none with incomes warranting the amenities offered so abundantly to other surrounding communities.
The only thing Bordeaux is guilty of is expecting to actually receive the amenities so openly showered on other predominately White communities. Yes, I said it, if you feel this thought is unwarranted—prove it. For those so adamant that what Bordeaux needs is ‘higher density and higher per capita income,’ don’t chastise residents who try to generate such density and per capita income.
It is time for Bordeaux to be respected. Let’s stop those trying to dump everything on this community no other community wants. That only helps in bringing down property values as well as depriving residents of upscale amenities. Recognize! ‘Boo the Fool’ no longer resides in Bordeaux.
