What's the mess at Centennial Park? Project underway to improve visitor experience

The expansive lawn in front of Centennial Park's Parthenon has basically been a fenced-off construction zone for almost a year. 

But once the fence comes down this fall, there will be better days ahead for patrons of this grand park, which attracts an estimated two million visitors a year to enjoy walking, running, biking, picnicking, lawn games, reading and events.

Centennial Park is in the midst of Phase 2 in a revitalization project that focuses on 19 acres that include the Great Lawn in front of the Parthenon, the West End entrance road, more walking paths and lighting and landscape improvements near the Parthenon and other areas of the park.

"It is the city's 'central park,'" said Centennial Park Conservancy director John Tumminello. "And, of course, the Parthenon is Nashville's iconic landmark and the centerpiece of the park."

'Restore, renovate and revitalize'

The goal of the longstanding public/private revitalization project is to make the park more usable for events and more accessible for walkers and bikers, Tumminello said.

 "I believe it is going to be beautiful and enhance people's enjoyment and usage of the park," he said.

The Centennial Park Master Plan was developed in 2010 in collaboration with then-Mayor Karl Dean, Metro Parks and nonprofit Centennial Park Conservancy to "restore, renovate and revitalize Nashville's central park."

"A lot of the work is something no one can see," said Metro Parks Assistant Manager of Planning and Facilities Development Tim Netsch.

Much of the activity behind the fence is taking place underground as crews re-engineer soil and add irrigation and drainage systems and add other infrastructure and utilities to support the project, Netsch said.

Great Lawn makeover

Netsch said a major part of Phase 2 is the new surface that is being installed on the lawn.

 "It is almost like a pro sports field turf," he said. "It will be much more durable and will let it recover much more quickly. It will be a lot more resilient" especially after challenging events, like a rainy crafts fair weekend, that are often followed by others events.

Netsch said the lawn will be flanked on each side with 20-feet-wide pedestrian promenades shaded by double rows of trees. The spaces between the trees are designed to accommodate tents and food trucks during events.

In addition to making the park more event friendly, officials say Phase 2 of the revitalization will offer twice the number of walking paths and increase opportunities for jogging and biking in the park.

Parthenon lighting

Another piece of the project that is taking place largely underground is a new LED lighting system for the Parthenon that will showcase the architectural features of this Nashville icon from dusk until dawn in varying degrees of light.

The master plan says, "The Parthenon will be illuminated with an impressive daily lighting feature to emphasize the building’s quiet elegance and reveal its three-dimensionality at night. Each of the architectural and decorative elements will come alive sequentially until the building is fully lit. At the end of the evening, the building will slowly 'go to sleep,' leaving the Parthenon glowing softly. The lights will turn on in a dramatic sequence every evening."

Netsch said the new lighting system will be much less obtrusive than the current spotlights that are housed in rusty cages outside the Parthenon now.

Other aspects of Phase 2

A section of the public roadway is being removed, reclaiming paved areas for trees and grass and making the park safer for pedestrians. 

The 20-feet wide pedestrian promenades on each side of the lawn will be shaded by double rows of shade trees, which will be native hardwoods, primarily oaks.

For every tree removed, two trees will be planted.

The spaces between the trees are designed to be wide enough for food trucks and tents during events.

The West End entrance is being redesigned to provide more space for pedestrians, new entry signage and colorful new planting beds. 

The project includes the installation on the East Promenande of the monument to Tennessee Women Suffragists. The piece, created by renowned Nashville sculptor Alan LeQuire, was commissioned by the Tennessee Woman Suffrage Monument organization to commemorate the importance of Tennessee's pivotal role in granting women the right to vote. An event is scheduled at the monument on Aug. 18 to commemorate ratification of the 19th Amendment.

Upcoming phases for the park's revitalization include a new Children's Memory Garden and a new event pavilion, but no firm timetable is set for those projects.

Timetable and funding

The project, which was originally scheduled for completion in August, had some weather delays and is now expected to finish this fall.

The public/private funding for the $11 million Phase 2 was approved in Metro's 2017 and 2018 fiscal budget years. The contract with the general contractor Rock City was executed in March of 2019.

Five million dollars, including a leadership gift from the HCA Foundation, came from the Conservancy, with the remainder coming from the Metro Parks previous budgets.

What was Phase 1 of the master plan?

Phase 1, completed in 2015, was a $9 million public/private partnership that improved the water quality of Lake Watauga, unearthed long-buried Cockrill Spring, built a dedicated space for Musicians Corner and created a new parking area at the Parthenon.

If you want to know more about the Centennial Park Revitalization project, see pictureyourpark.com.

About Centennial Park

Located on West End and 25th Avenue North, 132-acre Centennial Park features: the Parthenon, miles of walking trails, Lake Watauga, the Centennial Art Center, historical monuments, Centennial Performing Arts Studios, a sunken garden, a band shell, an events shelter, sand volleyball courts, a dog park and a playground.

Park staff works with volunteers to maintain beehives on one of the islands in Lake Watauga. They use a boat to get to the island.

Cockrill Spring water is used to irrigate the front lawn at West End and is pumped to Lake Watauga to help with water quality.

The vegetated floating wetland islands in Lake Watauga absorb nutrients equal to an acre of actual wetland. This helps with water quality because the islands compete with algae for phosphorus and other nutrients. 

The rain water that comes off the Parthenon roof drains to Lake Watauga to help with water quality.

The Centennial Art Center was originally a public swimming pool complex. It was built in 1932 and was closed during integration in the 1960s. The building was adapted to be an arts center in the 1970s. A sculpture garden stands where the pool once was.

The park was the site of the 1897 Tennessee Centennial Exposition.  A large number of elaborate but mostly temporary structures, including the Parthenon, were built to serve the 1.8 million visitors to the Exposition.

The Parthenon replica of 1897 was reconstructed of concrete from 1921 to 1931 and received a major renovation in 1990. Annual Parthenon attendance is about 350,000.

Reach Ms. Cheap at 615-259-8282 or mscheap@tennessean.com. Follow her on Facebook at facebook.com/mscheap, and at Tennessean.com/mscheap, and on Twitter @Ms_Cheap, and catch her every Thursday at 11 a.m. on WTVF-Channel 5’s “Talk of the Town.”