Three years after the bombing, Nashville wants downtown tourists to give Second Avenue a chance

Inside Cerveza Jack’s — a Mexican cantina on Second Avenue in downtown Nashville — patrons munch on tacos, cheers their beers, and tip the musician crooning a George Strait song.

The amplifier is turned up, with a crescendo of conversations filling the space.

The medley of sound overpowers what is happening outside the restaurant: Across a barrier of caution tape, traffic cones, and towering fences, the sound of a jackhammer resounds up and down the street.

More: Read WPLN’s ongoing coverage of the Second Avenue bombing

Beyond narrow, protected walkways on either side, much of the street is fenced off. With construction crews ripping up and rebuilding the street’s interior, adjacent businesses, like Cerveza Jacks, have watched foot traffic decline for more than three years.

In 2020, nine months into the pandemic, a bomb went off on Second Avenue on Christmas Day. Suddenly, with more than 60 downtown buildings damaged, some businesses had to shutter their doors forever.

Others, though, have persisted. But, with rebuilding efforts underway, things haven’t gotten much easier.

“I feel like since we got through 2020, 2021, this is not ideal,” said Cerveza Jack’s owner, Frank Miller. “It’s definitely hurt in a lot of ways.”

Cynthia Abrams WPLN News

Patrons cheers their drinks at Cerveza Jack’s in April 2024.

Miller said that currently, revenues are down 60% from the first quarter of 2024 — something he attributes largely to the state of construction.

“My hope is that this is the worst that it’s ever going to be,” Miller said. “I’ve said that for three years now. And it continues to prove me wrong.”

He’s not alone. Two doors down, at Mike’s Ice Cream, owner Mike Duguay also feels the impact of rebuilding efforts.

Many Second Avenue businesses rely on pedestrians to turn onto the street from Broadway. Duguay pointed to numbers that show a substantial drop off over the last four years. Before the bombing, 27% of visitors turned. After the bombing, that number dropped to 20%, and after the erection of the fences, that number dropped to 12%.

Statistics like these have prompted the “Turn the Corner” campaign, an initiative from the Downtown Partnership working to boost Second Avenue’s foot traffic. It kicked off late last month with large pink signs signaling that the street is open.

Cynthia Abrams WPLN News

The Nashville Downtown Partnership erected signs “Turn the Corner” signs, encouraging Broadway pedestrians to turn on Second Avenue.

There’s also a Metro Council proposal that would designate the area between Broadway and Union as a “Tourist Improvement Zone” through March of 2026. This would waive application fees and the usual permitting process for affected businesses to build outdoor dining spaces, amplify live performances, and sell and advertise from sidewalks. The bill will be considered for its third and final reading on May 7.

Miller said he is grateful for these efforts but that he could have used them a lot earlier. He also points out that some elements of the Tourist Improvement Zone — like removing sound ordinances or allowing outdoor dining — are at odds with the current state of construction.

“I do appreciate the idea of making it more of above board, having more signage, the ability to have outdoor patio dining,” Miller said. “But right now, there’s no place for patio dining.”

On Duguay’s end, he said he is looking forward to the day when it is all wrapped up.

“By the time this construction is over in January of 2025, we will have not had anything near a normal year for five total years,” Duguay said. “That’s a long time for any business to carry it.”

The latest rebuilding effort, which began at the start of this year and closed the street to vehicles between Church and Broadway, is expected to wrap up in early 2025.