Scrap Metal Staying?

Philip Metals, a scrap metal business many in East Nashville, Tenn., were hoping would relocate soon, is potentially rebuilding at their current Cumberland River property.

A scrap metal business that occupies a prime piece of real estate on the Cumberland River downtown may be in the process of rebuilding instead of moving as both the city and East Nashville residents had hoped.

Philip Metals has unique requirements for its business – access to an interstate, a river and railway service.

City officials have been in discussions with the company about relocating to a less prominent location, but the company is now asking for at least one permit to rebuild its business after a period of bankruptcy.

“Just at the moment when East Nashvillians were beginning to see a glimmer of hope that the East Bank would no longer be occupied by industrial blight, it is very concerning that Philip Metals is taking actions that would seem to indicate that they are staying much longer than we anticipated,” said Councilman Mike Jameson, in whose District 6 the property sits.

“There are so many major things happening over here now, or on the verge of happening, that the Philip Metals property is really the last frontier in terms of development for East Nashville,” Rediscover East! President Kristina Wait said.

“It’s our gateway, it’s our entrance, so obviously we are very concerned about what would happen there. I am getting the sense they don’t plan on going anywhere in the immediate future.”

The property is integral to rebuilding the riverfront landscape that includes such projects as the redevelopment of Rolling Mill Hill, a proposed Sounds ballpark and residential/retail development on the Thermal site and possibly a new convention center.

For its part, the company said construction of the Gateway Bridge inhibited the business’ barge loading facilities and it is now requesting a permit to alleviate that problem. The permit involves diverting storm water runoff into the city’s sanitary sewer system.

“It will allow us to primarily make barge shipments from our own property,” Philip Metals General Manager Charlie Fay said. “Before the new bridge came through, we shipped from a location directly behind the office building and the new bridge went right over the top of that facility so we had to move.”

The city’s efforts to help the company relocate have not come easily because of its unique transportation requirements.

“Philip Metals is a good business, they are just in the wrong place,” Metro Finance Director Manning said. “We need to work with them to find the right place in the Nashville community because, one, they are an environmentally-friendly company. Truthfully they are just recycling. But I think the whole community would like to see them located in a more acceptable location that frees up the value of the land for them to gain some benefit from.”

Metro Water Services Pretreatment Manager Hugh Garrison said he reviewed the Aug. 9 request from Philip Metals/PSC to take an 8,100-square-foot storage area, which currently discharges into the storm sewer and then to the river, and disconnect it from the storm sewer and connect it to the sanitary sewer.

“We received a permit application for a site at 200 Davidson St.,” Garrison said. “At this point, the department is going to deny receiving that waste because it is actually storm water coming from the pad that they are wanting to send to us. There is a prohibition that does not allow the discharge of storm water to the sanitary sewer.”

The city was in negotiations to assist Philip Metals/PSC in relocating before the company went into bankruptcy. Discussions were suspended until Philip emerged from bankruptcy last December.

Manning said the city resumed talks last spring and the company was exploring some alternative sites. Nashville (Tennessee) City Paper