The long-awaited redesign of Nashville’s little-known youth memorial garden wants to offer quiet respite for all at Centennial Park

The Metro Nashville Parks Department is sharing more details about the redesign of the city’s little-known youth memorial garden at Centennial Park.

The Children’s Memory Garden honors more than 200 Nashville youth who lost their lives to violence.

Tim Netsch, who runs Metro Parks’ planning and facilities development division, says the garden will serve in part as a plaza space for residents and visitors.

“One of the cool things in the memorial itself, in that plaza space,” Netsch says, “there will be in-ground LED lights that glow in a soft way in the evenings.”

The garden, he says, will be divided into two small contemplative spaces, as a quiet respite for park-goers. The areas will include custom granite benches and new signage for the memorial.

Landscapers are also planning to plant a large memorial tree in the center of the plaza, in addition to smaller trees around the garden. The project is expected to take at least one year to complete.