Neighborhood Update Report

N ashville C ivic D esign C enter

Neighborhood Update Report June 2009

Acknowledgements

Table

This report was produced by the Nashville Civic Design Center staff in cooperation with the Nashville neighborhood groups with which the center has worked in the past. The report was written by Sarah Floyd, staff intern, and edited by Gary Gaston, Design Studio Director, with significant contributions by Anna Shell and Marielle Lovecchio, staff interns.

Introduction

3

Wedgewood Houston

4

Chestnut Hill / Cameron Trimble

6

Questions and comments may be directed to: NEIGHBORHOOD UPDATE REPORT Nashville Civic Design Center 138 2nd Avenue North, Suite 106 Nashville, Tennessee 37201 (615) 248 - 4280 voice (615) 248 - 4282 fax info@civicdesigncenter.org www.civicdesigncenter.org The Nashville Civic Design Center is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization with funding from the Frist Foundation, the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County, the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency, the University of Tennessee, and Vanderbilt University.

Founded in 2000, the Nashville Civic Design Center is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to elevate the quality of Nashville’s built environment and to promote public participation in the creation of a more beautiful and functional city for all. Š2009 Nashville Civic Design Center

of

Contents

Buena Vista, Germanown, East Germantown, Hope Gardens and Salemtown

Rolling Mill Hill

Edgehill

Lafayette

East Bank

Dickerson Road

8 11 13 16 18 20

Introduction

This report is based on five months of research, from January to May 2009, regarding the developments within specific neighborhoods in Nashville, TN. Since its creation, the Nashville Civic Design Center has been approached by various community organizations and the Metropolitan Government of Nashville to conduct studies for the future development of struggling Nashville neighborhoods. The studies were prepared between 2002 and 2008, and can be found in the Nashville Room of the Nashville Public Library and on the NCDC website.

The information in this report was collected through surveys and local newspaper articles appearing within the past seven years. Surveys were sent to each neighborhood organization with which the NCDC has worked in the past, or members of the community who would have the most complete knowledge of neighborhood character and recent developments.

Neighborhood organizations that were sent the Neighborhood Survey are: Chestnut Hill: Trimble Action Group Wedgewood Houston: South Nashville Action People Germantown and surrounding neighborhoods: Historic Germantown, Inc Edgehill: Organized Neighbors of Edgehill Lafayette: No existing neighborhood association

East Bank: Rediscover East!

Dickerson Road: Dickerson Road Merchants Association, McFerrin and Cleveland Park Neighborhood Association Only a few of the surveys sent were returned to the Civic Design Center within the requested time frame.

Therefore, most of the following information was collected from newspaper articles and internet blogs addressing public neighborhood interests.

goals, and suggestions for where neighbors and Nashville government can direct their focus for further progress.

This report’s aim is to give a clear impression of the direction that development has taken compared to the direction originally envisioned, in order to understand what new steps can be considered for further growth.

This report serves as an addendum to the NCDC’s past “Findings and Recommendations.” It completes the former neighborhood visions by taking present circumstances into consideration.

Reading the reports: The format for this report gives a quick overview of the each neighborhood’s goals and its present conditions. The layout allows an easy comparison between the two.

The first section of each neighborhood report provides a summary of the “Findings and Recommendations” that the NCDC published from the original neighborhood report. The goals are bulleted for easy comprehension, and many are condensed to better compare the overall vision to present conditions and concerns.

In the following section, recent developments are discussed. In most cases, the direction of growth and change has not necessarily coincided with the original goals. For this reason, each comment is not directly related to each goal and its completion or lack thereof.

Issues that have lately risen in public discussion have been summarized.

The final section is a discussion of the general condition of the neighborhood, how it compares to past

Nashville Civic Design Center Report: Neighborhood Update Report page

Historic railway line map from the Nashville Railway and Light Co. Note the high connectivity to Nashville’s urban neighborhoods.

Wedgewood Houston

• Identifying buildings that violate code restrictions and working with Metro Codes to enforce their compliance.

• With the help of MTA, providing covered bus stops for bus users.

Past Areas of Focus The 2008 report found that the following were important areas of focus for the short-term development of Wedgewood-Houston: • Completing the existing lighting and signage plan for the neighborhood by using $100,000 of the Community Development Block Grant from MDHA. • Constructing affordable housing for artists and other residents in the neighborhood on SNAP owned property using the remaining $300,000 of the CDBG fund.

• Enhancing the entrance points to the neighborhood by painting and adding low intensity up-lighting to the water tower at the northeast entrance and the CSX railroad bridge at the southwest entrance.

• Halting the use of the State Fairgrounds racetrack during school hours to reduce distraction for students at Fall-Hamilton School.

• Working with the Metro Police Department to increase police presence in the neighborhood.

• Asking Animal Control to find homes for the roving packs of dogs in the neighborhood.

According to input from the community, affordable housing, police response to drug and gang problems, and building a new SNAP community center were high on the list of items of concern.

Current Projects and Issues In the final survey conducted by the NCDC in March 2009, SNAP expressed frustration toward the Metro Development and Housing Agency for their slow response releasing the Community Development Block Grant for specific projects in their neighborhood. They cite this as the major reason for slow development.

Although there has been some street lighting work in 2006 and minor signage improvements, no major projects have been completed at this time. This includes the plan for landmark signs at the entrance points of the neighborhood.

Because they saw it as a more achievable goal, SNAP opted to concentrate on the renovation of the SNAP center on Martin Street over the plan to develop new affordable housing on SNAP owned land. Although there have been several requests to the MDHA to develop a proposal, this has yet to occur.

The Tennessee State Fairgrounds, on the other hand, has been very responsive to SNAP’s request to limit

Nashville Civic Design Center Report: Neighborhood Update Report page

the use of the racing strip during school hours. Fairgrounds management has greatly improved the noise problem.

Another issue concerning the Fairgrounds is its possible relocation to an area better suited for the high traffic it creates. In the previous report, community members voiced that they consider the State Fairgrounds an asset to their community. The events at the Fairgrounds are a popular draw for people outside the community and residents alike.

However, the possibility of the Fairground’s relocation may be a benefit for the long-term growth of the community. This would open land within the neighborhood for parks and walking trails, and would eliminate entirely the noise from the Fairground racetracks.

Recently, the Metropolitan Board of Fair Commissioners issued a request for proposals for the relocation and redevelopment of the current State Fair site.

A group of architectural and design firms and real estate partners from the Nashville area have come together under the name of Wedgewood Partners to propose a new vision for the 117 acres. The proposal, a mixed-use development of residential and office space with room for retail and a 25 acre park, is touted to be socially responsible, environmentally sustainable, and economically viable, both for the Wedgewood neighborhood and the city of Nashville. Included in the plan are considerations for current neighborhood residents, such as a limit gentrification fund. A community visioning process is promised so that citizens have some input in the new design, should it come to fruition.

The movement of Greer Stadium has also been a topic of concern. During the development of the 2008 report, the Nashville Sounds were discussing the option of moving their stadium further into downtown

Nashville, possibly onto a location on First Avenue.

In December of 2008, the Sounds officially renewed their lease at Greer Stadium and finished renovations to fit ADA compliancy. This agreement makes their presence in the Wedgewood-Houston community fairly permanent. The stadium is still considered an asset to the neighborhood so this development will not be a negative one and may even be beneficial for the community’s long-term growth.

process and for citizens to be actively involved in this process as well.

Overview and Future Goals The most significant setback identified by the Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood has been the slow response from the Nashville government in releasing promised grant money and responding to requests.

Many of the proposals the Civic Design Center laid out in the past require the collaboration of SNAP and/or members of the community with Metro government’s various departments in either providing money or support. Metro government can work to improve the neighborhood by giving more priority to the requests of the Wedgewood-Houston community. The attention given to new construction of streetlighting and neighborhood signifiers will help to enliven the area by giving its members a sense of pride and place for their neighborhood.

However, while waiting for government to take action, the community can focus on creating a sense of place by developing programs and projects that build networks between neighbors. Other neighborhoods have initiated community gardens and neighborhood watch programs. The Nashville Civic Design Center’s Green Neighborhoods Program, in which SNAP has expressed interest, may be a good beginning point for this goal. Additionally, it is important for the result of any new plans for the fairgrounds site to have the existing neighborhood in mind during the design

Nashville Civic Design Center Report: Neighborhood Update Report page

The SNAP Community Center works to promote positive change in the Wedgewood Houston neighborhood.

Chestnut Hill / Cameron Trimble

Current Projects and Issues • Increasing affordable housing along Creek Street and Lewis Streets by working with non-profits that specialize in building affordable housing in urban neighborhoods.

• Designing Greer Stadium property into a mixed-use neighborhood.

Past Areas of Focus The Nashville Civic Design Center completed the report on Chestnut Hill, formerly Cameron Trimble, in 2005. The following is a list of short-term goals for neighborhood redevelopment based on meetings with neighborhood residents and business owners:

• Changing the name of Wharf Street to Chestnut Street and designing it to be a neighborhood boulevard by installing cross walks between 1st and 4th Avenues, adding on-street parking and sidewalks, planting tree, and turning it into a mixed-use neighborhood.

Community members and organizations are responsible for much of the development that has occurred in Chestnut Hill since the 2005 report. The Trimble Action Group (TAG) has played a large role in creating a strong neighborhood identity. Their work has included pushing for the name change from Cameron Trimble to Chestnut Hill and restoring a sense of community to the neighborhood. TAG’s goal is to encourage new people to move in, but also to protect the interest of residents who already live there. So far, their work has been aided by over $500,000, which the neighborhood received in a Community Development Block Grant.

This money has been used to repair the older homes of low-income residents and to build a walking track.

• Working to expand local commerce by establishing a commercial center along Chestnut Street from 1st Avenue to 4th Avenue and along Murfreesboro Pike from Wharf Avenue to Lewis Street.

• Changing zoning within the neighborhood to prevent the encroachment of heavy commercial industries.

• Creating shared spaces for neighbors to communicate by allowing Cameron School grounds to be used during after-school hours and retaking community centers for residents’ use.

• Creating a community garden or recreational park within the neighborhood.

• Building a greenway along Brown’s Creek, and adding housing to the southern edge of Dudley Park.

Nashville Civic Design Center Report: Neighborhood Update Report page

Housing in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood

Developers have also taken advantage of the wide range of architectural styles present in the Chestnut Hill’s derelict homes. They have refurbished many historic homes along Second Avenue South, and these homes are currently attracting new residents to the area.

As another community resource, Trevecca Nazarene University has just announced the creation of the J.V. Morsch Center for Social Justice, which will include new classes and courses of study for students starting in the Fall of 2009. The Center for Social Justice has great potential for initiating positive change and development within the Chestnut Hill community as it provides the double benefit of serving the immediate community and training new service-leaders for the future.

Currently, the center has collaborated with TAG to work on environmental justice issues. Their projects for the near future include transforming the land around Brown’s Creek into a greenway trail, initiating a composting program, and fostering a community garden program that rents raised gardening beds to community members who wish to garden.

The community garden, especially, is a project that aims to bring the neighborhood together. The garden provides fresh produce to residents who have only one small grocery store in the immediate area. For $10, residents can by a small 4’ by 12’ plot of land and beginning planting. The community groups hope that they can expand the garden’s influence by constructing farming stands where residents can sell their produce to their neighbors. Potential programs also include a garden bed for culinary arts students at Johnson Alternative School.

Nashville Sounds have renewed their lease and finished renovations to fit ADA compliancy. This comes as a new development, because during the writing of the past report, the Sounds had been considering a move downtown onto First Avenue. Therefore, the goal of transforming Greer Stadium into a mixed-use development is no longer a relevant possibility.

Overview and Future Goals Chestnut Hill is well on its way to achieving the goals set forth in the 2005 Neighborhood Report only four years into the project. Many of the goals listed in the report served either the purpose of repairing the urban character of the neighborhood or to knit together a stronger sense of community. With the help of TAG and the Center for Social Justice at Trevecca University, Chestnut Hill has taken steps towards both of these aims, whether by repairing older homes and attracting developers to the area or by creating neighborhood connections with community gardens, greenways, and walking trails.

Chestnut Hill can further develop their neighborhood by continuing their work of revitalization and urban infill. As more residents enter the community, the opportunities for local commerce along Chestnut Street and Murfreesboro Pike will grow and new neighbors will continue to appear. Attention should be given to building and maintaining affordable housing so that gentrification does not occur. Chestnut Hill should find itself unrecognizable from Cameron Trimble in the years to come.

Finally, Greer Stadium will officially be a permanent presence in the Chestnut Hill neighborhood, as the

Nashville Civic Design Center Report: Neighborhood Update Report page

Residents in Chestnut Hill have successfully planned and implemented a community garden

Buena Vista, Germantown, East Germantown, Hope Gardens,

and

Salemtown

more housing diversity. This includes adding more mixed-use units with housing on the second and third floors and retail and commercial on the ground floor.

Restaurant patrons enjoy their surroundings in Germantown.

• Reconfiguring streets so that they incorporate on-street parallel parking and adding flexible parking lots.

• Emphasizing Morgan Park as an important neighborhood center.

Past Areas of Focus The Civic Design Center report of 2002 incorporated the neighborhoods of Buena Vista, East Germantown, Germantown, Hope Gardens, and Salemtown into one study area and made the following suggestions: • Interlinking the neighborhoods by reopening streets that have been closed to vehicular traffic and encouraging pedestrian and bicycle traffic by introducing greenways and by examining the design and placement of sidewalks.

• Incorporating the industrial sites of Neuhoff and Werthan into the neighborhood fabric with redevelopment, and renovating the Waste Water Treatment Plant as an environmental learning center.

• Planting trees in the median of 8th Avenue North to make it a neighborhood boulevard and redesigning 5th Avenue as a link to the city and Monroe and Garfield Streets as eastwest connectors.

• Minimizing the interstate’s presence by planting trees to reduce noise and adding small parks and gardens at the ends of streets that terminate at the interstate.

• Reintroducing schools into the neighborhood.

Current Projects and Issues Germantown and the surrounding neighborhoods are currently some of the up-and-coming hot spots in Nashville. Development firms have bought many of the vacant lots in the area, especially within Germantown, and new construction sites for residential housing are appearing throughout the neighborhood.

Germantown historically has had a larger number of permanent housing units than rental units, and this trend has continued with the number of condos in construction. The old Werthan industrial site on 8th Avenue North has been converted into lofts and condos that maintain the historic hardwood floors and brick in the building. There are currently 85 units built on the main site, and by it’s completion, the whole complex is set to have nearly 300 lofts.

• Developing more residential housing and

Nashville Civic Design Center Report: Neighborhood Update Report page

Along Van Buren Street, between 3rd and 4th Avenues North and across the way from Morgan Park, is a new multi-family, mixed-use complex that is being marketed for its sustainability called Morgan Park Place.

Sixty-two condo units comprise the complex, including a mix of town homes, flats, and cottages.

Other smaller scale lofts that are currently being built or completed are the Summer Street Lofts along 5th Avenue North and Madison Square along Madison Street between 5th and 6th Avenues.

New rental units are also being built, the largest of which is Station Lofts located on 8th Avenue North.

This provides 64 rental units. Although there are a few more rental units of smaller scale planned for the area, condos far outweigh apartments. A good neighborhood should have a mix of both rentals and condos, however, the number of permanent residences that are currently being snatched up on the market

is a good sign that Germantown is creating a strong foothold in development.

The Neuhoff Meat Packing Plant has already begun the process of redevelopment and is being redesigned as an urban neighborhood where people both live and work. Currently, the complex caters to the arts. As of January 2001, the Neuhoff building was the site chosen to relocate the Nashville Jazz Workshop, and the Nashville Cultural Arts Project and Jazz Poet’s Garden soon followed. The specific design for the building complex is still on the drawing board.

As far as streetscaping, both Buena Vista and Salemtown have been approved for a federal block grant for street improvements. Buena Vista’s project has been completed and Salemtown is waiting for work to begin. The improvements to Buena Vista include traffic calming, new period-distinctive street signs and lights, neighborhood identifying signs, and the addition of a median on Madison Street. The block grant for Salemtown was awarded in 2007 and should be implemented in 2009.

The renovation of Morgan Park has been on the to do list for the Nashville Metro Parks Department since 2005 when a grant of $200,000 was promised for the creation of a walking trail, gardens along the trail, a modified baseball field, and a new playground. These projects have yet to be fully realized, but some of the work has been completed. The greenway trail that connects the Riverfront and MetroCenter with Morgan Park has been begun with paved surfaces, plantings, and the addition of benches.

The renovation of the Morgan Park Community Center was completed in early 2008. The Parks Department’s finished center includes a weight room, racquetball court, and a new meeting space in a restored historic building adjoining the recreational center. The old playground at Morgan Park has been demolished and is waiting for new work to begin. Although its grant has been frozen for some time now, Metro Council plans to purchase playground equipment for the park in 2009. The Parks Department is currently constructing a fountain in the southwest corner of the park.

Completed streetscaping in Buena Vista

Nashville Civic Design Center Report: Neighborhood Update Report page

Overview and Future Goals

New condos near Morgan Park in Germantown

Germantown, Buena Vista, Hope Gardens, East Germantown, and Salemtown were already experiencing the beginnings of revitalization when the report was written in 2002. The area has taken off tremendously since then and is expected to continue to grow in the coming years. The neighborhoods’ selling points have been their walkable streets, local commerce, and trendy, environmentally friendly housing units. The Community Development Block Grants awarded to Buena Vista and Salemtown for streetscaping demonstrate the community members’ and Nashville Metro’s commitment to preserving and enhancing the neighborhoods’ urban character and trendy reputation. The large number of new housing developments also shows that the neighborhood continues to be popular.

Despite the large amount of growth to the area, some neighborhoods still have problems with crime and disrepair. Metro Government and community leaders should continue to concentrate on methods to create a feeling of community and safety in all areas of the neighborhoods. They should also work to protect current residents by encouraging affordable housing to prevent gentrification and displacement of neighbors.

New development in Salemtown

Nashville Civic Design Center Report: Neighborhood Update Report page 10

Rolling Mill Hill

Past Areas of Focus The report completed in 2002 called for several factors to be taken into account for the development of Rolling Mill Hill including: • Conceiving of Rolling Mill Hill and the Rutledge Hill neighborhood as part of a whole.

Hermitage Avenue should be developed in a manner that emphasizes its role as a “main street” of the new urban neighborhood. It should be treated as an urban street/boulevard and not designed like a highway.

• Historic buildings, including the hospital and trolley barns, should be preserved for neighborhood character.

• The edges of the site along the river should be public parkland with the Greenway running through it and the views to the river preserved.

• Academy Place footbridge should be refurbished.

• Public transportation should link the area to and from the business district downtown.

Aerial of the Rolling Mill Hill site under construction. The trolley barns are the flat buildings in the rear. The renovated General Hospital sits in front of them with the facade facing the viewer.

Nashville Civic Design Center Report: Neighborhood Update Report page 11

Current Projects and Issues The Rolling Mill Hill area has experienced much development since the writing of the NCDC’s report. As of November 2008, MDHA had partnered with developers in order to begin developing 34 acres of Rolling Mill Hill into a mixed-use community. The building of the old General Hospital has been part of this project as it has been renovated into upscale condominiums. Mayor Bill Purcell has pushed further aspects of this project forward and the current plan encompasses a plaza, overlook, retail shops, a grocery and a coffee shop.

This final plan also includes a greenway along the river as suggested in the NCDC report. The first residents are planned to move into the neighborhood in the spring of 2009.

Overview and Future Goals Rolling Mill Hill is at the beginning stages of reinventing itself as a mixed-use urban neighborhood. The Metro Development and Housing Agency envisions the construction of the Rolling Mill Hill neighborhood as the catalyst for further redevelopment along Hermitage Avenue and Rutledge Hill.

New condominiums in the Rolling Mill Hill neighborhood

Next, developers and Metro Government should attempt to connect the fledgling Rolling Mill Hill neighborhood with the surrounding community by continuing to focus on suggestions from the 2002 report.

Redesigning Hermitage Avenue as an urban boulevard will give the area a stronger neighborhood feel and link Rolling Mill Hill to the Rutledge Hill neighborhood.

Continuing to focus on running the Greenway trail through the neighborhood and incorporating public transportation will increase the number of routes that tie the area to the rest of downtown.

Nashville Civic Design Center Report: Neighborhood Update Report page 12

Edgehill

• Prevent the encroachment of Music Row and gentrification by working with Metro Nashville for programs and zoning and infilling the neighborhood with mixed income housing.

Past Areas of Focus Based on the 2003 report, the following are recommendations for the future development of the Edgehill neighborhood:

library programs, and better lighting and landscaping of streets that connect to 12th Avenue South.

Current Projects and Issues

• Prevent crime by constructing buildings that promote the “eyes on the street” concept, installing better lighting, and restoring a street grid so that discontinuous pockets are reconnected.

Several new developments have occurred in the Edgehill neighborhood since the 2003 Civic Design Center study, although much remains to be done. In 2005, two projects were completed with the involvement of the NCDC aimed at forming a stronger community identity.

According to surveys completed by thirty-four neighborhood residents, some of the most prominent concerns are of safety, improvement of schools and

The first was the creation of a public plaza that featured the two Polar Bears, monuments from the Edgehill neighborhood’s past. The NCDC organized a

• Modifying 12th Avenue South so that it functions as a main street for the Edgehill neighborhood. This includes modifying lighting and landscaping to fit with the design for the surrounding neighborhoods of “12 South” and “The Gulch,” redesigning the street so it incorporates on-street parking and a bicycle lane, and adjusting intersections to better accommodate pedestrians.

• Encouraging a sense of community by expanding upon community assets. These assets are ES Rose Park, ES Rose Community Center, Edgehill Branch Library, Reservoir Park, the community garden, and the Polar Bear Plaza.

• Filling in 12th Avenue South with buildings for retail and commercial use that better fit urban neighborhood character by pulling buildings to the street with parking lots to the back and by designing more traditional urban storefronts as opposed to suburban designs.

Nashville Civic Design Center Report: Neighborhood Update Report page 13

The old playground near Murrell School before the renovations

design competition and the winning design was built in August of that year. The Polar Bear Plaza is situated on the corner of 12th Avenue South and Edgehill and serves as a landmark of the neighborhood.

construct the final product. It opened for the students for the first time the following Monday.

The second project was the design of a community open space in the lot behind the Edgehill Branch Library and near Murrell School. The Nashville Civic Design Center prepared the plans for the public space, and it was implemented in October of 2005. The space currently lacks picnic tables under the outdoor shelter areas and remains underutilized and is not properly maintained.

More developments include the building of the CarterLawrence Elementary Math and Science Magnet School on 12th Avenue South and the plan to upgrade the Murrell School playground at 14th Avenue South.

The opening of the Carter-Lawrence Magnet School has benefited the community as it serves a number of children in the Edgehill neighborhood, many of whom walk to school. Additionally, the school’s location could provide a boost to a number of small mom-andpop stores that are planned around the 12th Avenue South and Edgehill Avenue corner. This spot was left vacant with the closing of Dollar General and Save-ALot, but one business owner has already signed a lease for a small family-owned ‘variety discount store’ and more small businesses are hoped to sign on as well.

For the Murrell School, a group of students from Vanderbilt have completed a project to redesign the playground. The project included an update of the playground equipment and an integration of learning into the outdoors by adding a small garden and a potential outdoor classroom area. Jessica Demorest, a Masters in Education candidate in Organizational Leadership, contacted the NCDC for design assistance on the project. The final plan was implemented on Sunday, April 5th, when 260 volunteers came together to

residents do not own a car and are forced to walk two miles to the closest one. A prime location for a grocery store to be placed is the lot left empty from the closing of the Save-A-Lot on Edgehill and 12th. Unfortunately, there has been no interest so far from grocery stores wishing to locate here, and a non-profit veterans’ association, Operation Stand Down, has agreed to take the spot instead. This space has only been leased for a span of five years, so the neighborhood residents remain positive that by the time it expires, there will be a grocery store lined up to take its place.

Volunteers work to assemble the new Murrell School playground

Edgehill Village is another new addition to the Edgehill neighborhood on Edgehill Ave and Villa Place. The Village is a mixed-use neighborhood that features restaurants, local stores, office space, urban lofts, and potentially a small farmers’ market. Although these developments add to the business sector of the neighborhood, they are not truly of neighborhood character as many of the stores are trendy and upscale.

Gentrification from Music Row was one of the many concerns of neighbors in the neighborhood report.

The Edgehill Village adds activity and commerce to the surrounding area, but it is also a further warning that gentrification is still a major concern.

One goal of the Edgehill community is to attract a grocery store to the area. Nearly one third of Edgehill

Nashville Civic Design Center Report: Neighborhood Update Report page 14

Murrell School students test their new playground

Overview and Future Goals The small developments that have occurred within Edgehill since 2003 are promising because they show a beginning awareness of community. The community garden already behind the Murrell School, the new public space designed by the NCDC, Murrell School’s new playground, and the Polar Bear Plaza are all projects that have - and still do - present a sense of place.

Edgehill neighbors should continue to work to connect their community with projects such as these.

However, beyond these developments, vacant lots and urban sprawl are still important concerns for the Edgehill neighborhood, especially along 12th Avenue South.

The neighborhood still lacks a continuous street grid, streetlighting and streetscaping. 12th Avenue South has witnessed little change. It remains too large for the amount of traffic it carries with no development or streetscaping to match “12 South” and “The Gulch,” and no development on the infill of businesses and housing with more traditional urban design. Edgehill has made progress, but much work remains to be done toward the urban design.

Nashville Civic Design Center Report: Neighborhood Update Report page 15

Plans for the Murrell School playground drawn up by the Nashville Civic Design Center

Lafayette

• Create a neighborhood association that balances the needs of business owners, providers, and homeless in the area and that will implement the suggestions of this report.

• Maintain existing green space within neighborhood, and, as development progresses, consider adding a neighborhood park.

Past Areas of Focus

• Enforce stricter accountability for neighborhood food vendors and service providers in charge of such things as surveillance and clean-up.

Current Projects and Issues The largest issue concerning the Lafayette neighborhood to this date is the proposed Music City Center being placed in a six block area between Eighth and Fifth Avenues. Because of the convention center’s size and location, its design will have a major impact on the development of the Lafayette neighborhood in the coming years. The hopes for the convention center are that it will initiate development south of the site, especially along Korean Veterans Blvd, Fourth Avenue South, and Lafayette, as crowds of people spill out from the retail businesses and hotels of the Center.

According to the Nashville Civic Design Center report completed in 2006, the following are short-term goals for the development of the Lafayette neighborhood: • Increase the amount of residential buildings in the area by working with non-profit developers who specialize in building affordable housing. Also work to construct mixeduse buildings in the area.

• Provide streetscaping on 8th Avenue South and Lafayette Avenue so that they connect the neighborhood better and are more visually appealing.

• Redesign the alley behind the Campus for Human Development.

• Ask CSX to clean up the overgrowth along the tracks within the neighborhood and to paint and illuminate the railroad bridge.

• Add street lighting to 7th Avenue South between Lafayette Street and the CSX Railroad tracks.

Conception of the Music City Center to be placed between 8th and 5th Avenues South

Nashville Civic Design Center Report: Neighborhood Update Report page 16

Campus for Human Development before renovations

the dynamics that will influence the neighborhood’s future. Lafayette has the potential to draw a large amount of people who may not otherwise have ventured into the area. The Metro Government and neighborhood associations need to decide how best to take advantage of these visitors in order to attract a base of permanent residents.

One of the crucial features of the center that will directly impact the Lafayette neighborhood is whether this building will engage with the street on its south side. Currently, its main entrance is planned for the center’s northeast corner and retail and a loading dock will be on its southern side. This has raised concerns that the building may not be able to attract enough retail to increase commercial activity in the surrounding region, and an alternative placement of the main entrance could be more effective for this purpose.

Another issue related to the convention center is the impact it may have on the three organizations within Lafayette that provide services for the homeless: the Campus for Human Development, the Downtown Clinic, and the Nashville Rescue Mission. These nonprofit organizations may be forced to relocate if they come in conflict with the development surrounding the Music City Center.

However, the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency has passed a decision that will cement the

presence of the Campus for Human Development on 8th Avenue South for many years to come. The Board of Commissioners unanimously agreed to donate a piece of land that was formerly an abandoned parking lot to the organization. This lot is located on Eighth Avenue South, adjacent to the current organization’s home, and will be large enough for the addition of 38-unit shelter.

One of the most important steps that can be taken is for MDHA to release the promised block grant for the improvement of Lafayette’s streets. If Lafayette continues along this path, it will be able to present a more welcoming face to visitors who may then be inspired to extend their visit. More work needs to be done to clean up the streets and to increase the safety of the neighborhood. If Lafayette increases its visual appeal and the perception of safety on its streets, it will find that it is perfectly situated to attract developers and residents.

In addition to these developments, work is still needed for the renovation of the neighborhood itself. Immediately after the completion of the 2006 study, the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency awarded the neighborhood a Community Development Block Grant of $600,000. Most of this money is planned for streetscaping within the neighborhood, especially along Lafayette Street.

Overview and Future Goals The plans to place Music City Center so close to the Lafayette neighborhood has significantly changed

Nashville Civic Design Center Report: Neighborhood Update Report page 17

A view of the Lafayette neighborhood demonstrates the need for improvements

East Bank

Current Projects and Issues One of the past goals for the Cumberland’s east bank was to work on the connection from downtown to the area and to improve the aesthetics and function of the bridges and roads. Although major changes in the design of roads, such as the Interstate Bridge, have not yet occurred, Metro Nashville government has developed a plan with the assistance of the NCDC for the rehabilitation of the entire Cumberland Riverbank area, called the Riverfront Redevelopment Plan.

Past Areas of Focus In 2002, the Nashville Civic Design Center completed a report of the area on the East Bank of the Cumberland.

The following were the goals created for the development of the East Bank:

This 20-year plan is in the first phase of creation, which includes the development of the banks on both sides of the river from I-65 to Woodland Avenue. It seeks to emphasize the Cumberland River as a cultural and economic asset to the city, while also acknowledging its place in Nashville’s history.

• Modify the Interstate Bridge so that it better links the neighborhoods on the surrounding sides.

A cultural element that has been added to the river is an art piece placed next to LP Field on the East Bank. The position allows the sculpture to be seen rising above the Cumberland from the terminus of Broadway. The piece is titled “Ghost Ballet for the East Bank Machineworks” and was created by Alice Aycock, who designed it to encompass Nashville’s heritage. The sculpture is reminiscent of the old-style factories that used to dominate the East Bank. It has received mixed reviews from the public.

• Find a better use of the area south of Shelby Street between the Cumberland River and the Interstate such as a new neighborhood.

• Create a public transportation loop that connects East Nashville with downtown that runs frequently in both directions.

Nashville Civic Design Center Report: Neighborhood Update Report page 18

Some of the changes that have already occurred along the Cumberland are the updating and maintenance of bridges that connect across the river. One of these projects was the construction of a new bridge, the Nashville Gateway, in May of 2004. The bridge connects East Nashville with First Avenue South and is a replacement for the Shelby Bridge.

Meanwhile, the Shelby Bridge has been converted into a pedestrian bridge that connects to the Greenway system eventually projected to run through Nashville.

The refurbished bridge has a bicycle lane in the center surrounded by two boardwalk sidewalks. The bridge contains four pedestrian overlooks that allow people to enjoy the view of the river as they leisurely stroll across it.

• Redesign Shelby Street so that it matches the design of Korean Veterans Boulevard, formerly Gateway Boulevard, on the west bank of the Cumberland.

• Conduct further transportation studies on traffic moving north from Gateway to Ellington parkway for better access and less neighborhood impact.

The second phase of the plan is the creation of an urban island on the East Bank. This island could either be conceptual, with the use of an urban boulevard to partition off the area, or literally, with the addition of a 90-ft wide channel. Four undergraduate students form the architecture school at the University of Tennessee designed possible plans for the island with different ratios of parkland to urban development. All the plans include mixed-use neighborhoods designed to LEED-ND standards.

East Bank plan for an urban island

The area of land surrounding the Cumberland River

was once filled with industrial sites and parking lots but many of these plants have now been removed. One of the last remaining industries along the river is the PSC Metals scrap yard. The site where the scrap yard is located is in high demand for developers because of the growth that both banks of the river have seen lately. The city has interest in converting these 50 acres into a park and urban neighborhood, and one developer, Towers Investment, has already expressed interest in 25 acres of the lot. Although PSC’s lease is not set to expire until 2024, the relocation of the scrap yard in some point in the future is likely as development continues. In addition, residents of the new Rolling Mill Hill development across the river may prefer a more scenic view in the future.

Overview and Future Goals Although the East Bank has yet to experience substantial change in development, Metro Nashville has put a lot of effort into the future design of the region. The redevelopment of the Cumberland is a high priority for the Nashville government and should see more progress as public interest grows and more resources become available.

View of the Cumberland River and the urban sculpture, “Ghost Ballet for the East Bank Mahineworks.” The Shelby Street Bridge spans the river in the background.

The connection between the East Bank and downtown was one of the major suggestions in the former study.

Shelby Street is still in need of streetscaping to match the design of Gateway Boulevard to the west of the Cumberland River. Furthermore, the Interstate Bridge still needs modification to improve connection and aesthetics, and the area below Shelby Street between the river and the Interstate would better serve as a neighborhood district.

Shelby Street (left), between South 4th and South 11th Streets, has sufficient right-of-way to become a place of civic pride. The simple introduction of a planted median can greatly improve both the aesthetic feel and safety of the street. Other easy additions are brick pavers located at crosswalk intersections. These changes help slow traffic, which makes crossing the street less dangerous, especially for children and the elderly. The urban boulevard (right) in Portland, Oregon is an example of how a planted median and brick-paved crosswalks have been successfully implemented.

Nashville Civic Design Center Report: Neighborhood Update Report page 19

Dickerson Road

• Provide parks that meet the needs of the residents and preserve natural systems for residents in the future.

signage and landscaping on the median and replacement and improvement of sidewalks on both sides of the road, traffic signals and crosswalks.

• While maintaining the single-family core of the neighborhoods, work to create a mixture of housing types and to create activity centers to serve the needs of neighbors.

Past Areas of Focus The Nashville Civic Design Center reviewed the Dickerson Road area in 2006 and gave the following recommendations consistent with goals set by the Metropolitan Planning Commission.

• Redesign Dickerson and Gallatin Roads into mixed-use neighborhoods. This also involves redeveloping abandoned and run-down commercial and industrial buildings into residential units.

• Work on roadways so that they afford an easy and comfortable drive around and within Cleveland Park, McFerrin Park, and the Greenwood neighborhoods.

• Make sidewalks safe and comfortable for pedestrians to encourage walking and provide methods for every person to have mobility throughout the community. Design parking areas that do not detract emphasis from a pedestrian environment, and use landscaping to beautify the area and add comfort for people walking.

• Encourage the use of bicycles within the area by adding bike lanes and changing the configuration of the roadway so it is safer for all bicyclists and pedestrians.

• Add signs and visual markers to define locations in the area for people searching for their destination.

Current Projects and Issues In February 2009, the streetscaping project for Dickerson Road finally broke ground. The Dickerson Road Merchants Association has been a major advocate for the development of the Dickerson Road area and has managed to secure nearly $2 million for this project in the form of a state grant and an MDHA development block grant. The project includes the addition of

Nashville Civic Design Center Report: Neighborhood Update Report page 20

Views of new streetscape construction on Dickerson Road

In addition, improvements include the placement of eight life-sized buffalo statues along the road as a tribute to the road’s history as a buffalo trail. The buffalo, and the possible change of the road’s name to Skyline Boulevard, represent the neighborhood’s attempt to remove itself of the road’s negative past reputation.

Further signs that the neighborhood is improving are the statistics for prostitution and crime. Both have decreased in recent years thanks to the work of the Metro Police of the East Precinct.

Overview and Future Goals With the improvements to Dickerson Road, the Dickerson Road Merchants Association has satisfied many of the recommendations given by the Civic Design Center in 2006. The beautification of the street, the placement of buffalo statues along it as neighborhood symbols, and the decrease in prostitution and crime are all positive developments that will improve the character of the surrounding area.

Improvements can continue to be made along Dickerson Road by concentrating on the residential and commercial growth in the form of a mixed-use urban neighborhood. This neighborhood should include a mixture of housing options and activity centers to serve residents’ needs. This will increase the activity along the street, which will further reduce crime and provide a stronger sense of community.

Nashville Civic Design Center Report: Neighborhood Update Report page 21