Skyline Heights PILOT: Metro Council Weighs $851,035 Tax Break for 280 Affordable Apartments off Dickerson Pike Nov. 5
Resolution RS2026-2358 would let MDHA accept payments in lieu of taxes on Skyline Heights, about 280 apartments for households at or below 60% of area median income at 915 and 927 Skyline Ridge Drive off Dickerson Pike. Metro’s fiscal note puts the 10-year abatement at $8,417,983. The Council has it
Metro Council has a new affordable-housing tax deal on its Nov. 5 agenda. Resolution RS2026-2358 would let the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA) accept payments in lieu of taxes, or a PILOT, on Skyline Heights. The project is about 280 apartments at 915 and 927 Skyline Ridge Drive, east of Dickerson Pike.
The sponsors are council members Sean Parker, Jason Spain and Rollin Horton. Legistar shows the file was created Oct. 23 and referred to committee on Oct. 27.
The numbers
The units would be limited to households earning 60% or less of area median income, using income averaging. The tax break would run 10 years.
| Item | Figure |
|---|---|
| Units | About 280, at or below 60% AMI |
| Site | 21.95 acres, two parcels, east of Dickerson Pike |
| Building | One five-story building with a basement level and structured parking |
| Estimated value when finished | $81,213,164 |
| Standard yearly tax (estimate) | $914,135 |
| Year 1 PILOT payment | $63,100, rising 3% a year from Year 2 |
| Year 1 abatement | $851,035 (93.1%) |
| 10-year totals | $8,417,983 abated; $723,371 paid to Metro (92.1% abated) |
| Monitoring fee | Up to 5% of each year's PILOT payment, paid to MDHA |
The figures come from the Council Office analysis and fiscal note. The analysis says the final assessed value will not be known until the project is finished.
Payments over the 10 years
The fiscal note uses the same $81,213,164 value and $914,135 standard tax for every year. Only the PILOT payment changes, rising 3% a year:
| Tax year | PILOT payment | Abatement | Share abated |
|---|---|---|---|
| Year 1 | $63,100 | $851,035 | 93.1% |
| Year 5 | $71,020 | $843,115 | 92.2% |
| Year 10 | $82,331 | $831,804 | 91.0% |
| 10-year total | $723,371 | $8,417,983 | 92.1% |
After Year 10, the agreement says the owner pays 100% of regular property taxes if the project lease is still in effect.
Where the program stands for 2026
Metro caps MDHA's yearly PILOT abatements at $5 million. Before Skyline Heights, the resolution lists $2,158,039 still available after seven other 2026 deals, including Madison Station, Belmont Village, Fallbrook Apartments, Skyline Ridge, Encore on Buena Vista, Five String Flats and Trinity Community Housing.
The Council first approved the program in 2016 with a $2.5 million yearly cap. A 2024 ordinance raised the cap to $5 million. The analysis says this would be the 64th PILOT overall and the eighth for MDHA in 2026. After it, $1,307,004 would remain under the cap for the rest of the year.
Who owns it: two names in the file
The documents name the owner two ways. The resolution says "927 Skyline Ridge Drive, LP" plans to acquire the property and build the project. The Council Office analysis says the owner is "Trinity Community Housing LP." Both are printed here as the documents state them. Expect the name to be cleared up in committee.
How the deal works
Under the agreement, MDHA takes title to the site and leases it to the owner. Because MDHA owns it, the property is exempt from regular property tax, and the owner pays the set PILOT amount instead. The agreement also requires the owner to run the project under federal tax-credit rules for at least 15 years after it is finished.
The analysis lists the program rules. The maximum term is 10 years. The break applies only to tax above the land's value before development. The lease ends if the property sits vacant for two years.
What 60% AMI means in dollars
The analysis puts the 2026 income cap at $48,780 for one person and $69,660 for a family of four.
Why Metro uses PILOTs for housing
The Council Office analysis says PILOT agreements are basically tax abatements on property taxes that would otherwise be owed to Metro. Metro once used them mainly through the Industrial Development Board to bring in large employers. A change to state law later let MDHA use PILOTs to create affordable rental housing, with Council approval.
MDHA must file a yearly report with the Council, the Assessor of Property and the State Board of Equalization. The report lists each PILOT property's value, term, payments made and the taxes that would otherwise be owed.
Planning's review of the site
The Planning Department found the project consistent with the NashvilleNext general plan. The site is already governed by the Skyline Apartments specific plan, which allows the 280 units. Planning put the density at about 12.75 units per acre.
The south side of the site has the steepest slopes and problem soils. Putting the units in one building keeps grading on the north side. The plan keeps about 8.9 acres along Skyline Ridge Drive as undisturbed conservation area, plus a hillside preservation area to the south. Access would come from a private extension of Altitude Avenue off Dickerson Pike.
Questions likely in committee
- Which entity is the owner of record: 927 Skyline Ridge Drive, LP or Trinity Community Housing LP?
- When would construction start, and when would Tax Year 1 begin?
- How many units would sit at each income level under income averaging?
Dates to watch
- Wed., Nov. 4, 2026 — Planning and Zoning Committee and Budget and Finance Committee (per DocketCity's committee listing).
- Thu., Nov. 5, 2026 — Metro Council agenda (per Legistar).
The Council's other Nov. 5 land-use items are in Metro Council Sets Nov. 5 Hearings on Three County Hospital Road and Hydes Ferry Rezonings.
What it means for Dickerson Pike homeowners
New supply nearby
Two hundred eighty income-limited rentals is a large addition for this stretch of north Nashville. It adds rental options for workers and should not compete directly with owner-occupied homes for sale. For other Metro housing funding this month, see Nashville Housing Trust Fund Commission Returns $3.5 Million to the Barnes Fund After Motel Conversion Falls Through and Metro Council Approves $6 Million in Barnes Fund Grants for 39 Affordable Homes for Sale.
Traffic and open space
New traffic would use the Altitude Avenue extension onto Dickerson Pike. The conservation areas on the plan would stay undisturbed, which matters for neighbors along Skyline Ridge Drive.
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What is RS2026-2358?
A Metro Council resolution that would let MDHA enter a PILOT agreement for Skyline Heights, about 280 apartments at 915 and 927 Skyline Ridge Drive for households at or below 60% of area median income.
How much tax would Skyline Heights pay?
The fiscal note shows a first-year payment of $63,100, rising 3% a year, against a standard tax estimate of $914,135. Over 10 years Metro would receive $723,371 and abate $8,417,983.
Who qualifies for the apartments?
Households earning at or below 60% of area median income. The Council Office analysis puts that at $48,780 for one person and $69,660 for a family of four in 2026.
When does Metro Council vote on Skyline Heights?
Legistar lists it on the Nov. 5, 2026, Council agenda. DocketCity lists Planning and Zoning and Budget and Finance committee hearings on Nov. 4.
Who is the owner of Skyline Heights?
The resolution names 927 Skyline Ridge Drive, LP, while the Council Office analysis names Trinity Community Housing LP. Both names appear in the file.
Source links
- Metro Nashville Legistar — RS2026-2358, Skyline Heights PILOT (full text, analysis and fiscal note)
- Metro Nashville Legistar — RS2026-2358 attachment: PILOT Agreement and Planning Department memo
- DocketCity — RS2026-2358 committee listing
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Related local news:
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- Metro Council Approves $6 Million in Barnes Fund Grants for 39 Affordable Homes for Sale
- Metro Council Sets Nov. 5 Hearings on Three County Hospital Road and Hydes Ferry Rezonings
- How much is my Nashville home worth in 2026?
- How fast do homes sell in Nashville?
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