NASHVILLE, Tenn. – Nashville has opened the first completed section of the River North Greenway, part of a larger plan to create nearly two miles of pathways connecting the developing East Bank with the city’s existing greenway network.
Mayor Freddie O’Connell said the city cut the ribbon on the first section last week as Nashville works to make the East Bank more accessible to pedestrians and cyclists.
Once completed, the River North Greenway is expected to stretch nearly two miles, connecting the Oracle campus and planned pedestrian bridge with the Shelby Bottoms Greenway.
The project is part of a broader vision for parks and public spaces across the East Bank, a 550-acre area expected to undergo significant redevelopment.
Nashville is targeting 118 acres of parks, greenways and civic plazas across the East Bank, which city officials expect could eventually be home to approximately 30,000 residents.
Plans also call for three additional greenway connections linking surrounding neighborhoods directly to the Cumberland River and new public spaces. The routes are intended to provide additional options for people traveling by foot, bicycle and other nonmotorized transportation.
The River North project is one of several greenway investments underway across Nashville.
The city recently upgraded the 440 Greenway between Park Plaza and Centennial Park, improving connections to the park and nearby neighborhoods.
Another project will add approximately one mile of greenway between Sevier Park and Browns Creek Pike, connecting two existing sections of the network.
The city is also working with the Tennessee Department of Transportation on the planned Opry Mills Connector Greenway.
The greenway expansion comes amid several other changes to Nashville’s park system.
Mariposa Park recently opened in Antioch, bringing a public park to an area of the city that previously did not have one. Metro also secured funding for improvements at Mill Ridge Park and acquired an additional 300 acres for Beaman Park.
The city’s Parks Board has also approved an update to Nashville’s Plan to Play parks master plan, while the new Old Hickory Community Center has opened.
Additional work has been completed throughout the Cumberland River Greenway network, including improvements intended to maintain continuous public access around Ascend Amphitheater.
Metro officials are also making safety and maintenance improvements to trails, playgrounds, facilities and other public spaces throughout Nashville’s parks system.
