Dean hails Bridgestone, ECD deals at Rotary

Mayor Karl Dean hailed his administration's recent economic incentive deal with Bridgestone Americas and addressed education as the "biggest challenge facing Nashville" in a speech Monday afternoon to the Downtown Rotary Club.

Earlier this month, Dean announced that in exchange for $50 million in incentives from Metro, and more from the state, Bridgestone would be relocating its headquarters to a 30-story tower in SoBro, bringing 1,700 employees downtown, including 600 from out of state. On Monday, Dean cited the tiremaker's history in Nashville and sponsorship of the arena down the street. He likened the deal, along with a similar arrangement with Nashville-based HCA, to a baseball team re-signing star players before they hit free agency.