The push to rebuild downtown Nashville’s Second Avenue has attracted dozens of residents and community groups who have ideas on what should happen to the historic district, as it recovers from the Christmas Day bombing.
After an initial round of community workshops and listening sessions, some stakeholders have developed a strong appetite to make the district more friendly to pedestrians. Some floated the idea of painting a mural to commemorate the legacy of the neighborhood on the AT&T transmission building at 166 2nd Ave. N.
Others say they want a complete rebranding of Riverfront Park on First Avenue. The park was once a main attraction but lost its popularity during Nashville’s development boom.
One big idea was lining the First Avenue strip with food trucks and making it a partial dining space, or even opening an official Riverfront Park restaurant. There is also a desire to ban vehicle traffic within small sections of the neighborhood.
Other ideas included:
- Installing additional lights to increase safety in the area
- Widening sidewalks
- Installing information kiosks
- Planting more trees in the area
- Making more room for public art projects
The city will be holding regular listening sessions to gather feedback from the community on how to rebuild the area. The process, however, will take years to complete.
Mayor John Cooper previously appointed Nashville architect Ron Gobbell to lead the rebuild effort. Stakeholders will ultimately need buy-in from city officials and Second Avenue property owners to implement their ideas.
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