psc controversy

If you haven't seen all the recent news about the PSC Metals recycling center downtown, check it out.

Basically there is all sorts of discussion about how the city wants to buy the land and turn it into a big park or baseball stadium or something. Meanwhile the company doesn't want to move, and just signed a 50-some-odd year lease for the property.

Here's my take: I like it. Keep it.

PSC says they don't want to move and aren't going to move. I don't blame them. They have access to river barges, 3 interstates, and railroads, and are centrally located in Nashville. You aren't going to find a better place for them. I also have to assume that they are brining in huge tax revenues to the city given the value of the land they are parked on.

But the best part is that what they are doing is AWESOME. As i've read in several articles: To those driving by it looks like the same pile of trash there day after day, but in reality they have better than 100% turnover a day through there at times. They recycle not 'a ton' but several tons of trash a day. Isn't that a good thing? Do we want that to leave?

So here's my proposal. Keep it, but make it pretty. Not literally pretty, but more socially acceptable. If possible, throw some sort of dome over it. If that isn't possible (i can imagine it would get more than a little stuffy in there), then at the very least, put some sort of tasteful, but large enough to be visible sign up over the facility. Something cool and eye catching like a giant counter showing the number of tons of waste being recycled. Basically they need some good PR. I think most of Nashville (and certainly the tree-hugging East Nashvillians i know so well living nearby) would love to have a big, huge, symbol of Green Nashville in the middle of town.

It's a good business. Just needs to be spun right.