Metro Parks alongside Mayor Freddie O’Connell, and Peabody Union development partners Hensler Development Group, Stiles, and PGIM Real Estate held a formal ribbon cutting reopening the Cumberland River Greenway to the public. The ceremony also unveiled the completion of a significant investment of $3 million by the development team to activate the riverfront Greenway which is alongside Peabody Union within the South Bank neighborhood. Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell noted during his remarks the announcement of Jeni’s Splendid Ice Creams opening along the Greenway segment. The project is located at 30 Peabody Street.
“We are quite fortunate to have greenways in our urban downtown districts, and to have partnered with Hensler Development Group, Stiles, PGIM Real Estate on the redevelopment of this greenway which embraces the river and brings enhanced recreational opportunities to the city, weaving bustling residential and retail opportunities into the greenway experience,” said Monique Horton Odom, Metro Parks Director.
“Greenways connect us to one another and provide a place for Nashvillians to experience the city and one another,” Mayor O’Connell said. “I appreciate Metro Parks and Peabody Union’s collaboration to create a dynamic new destination on the Greenway.”
The strategically important Cumberland River Greenway stretch that runs between the Trolley Barns and Ascend Amphitheater is important connective space alongside the river. The reopening and investment establish a lush and vibrant community hub for users of the Greenway, neighbors, residents and workers at Peabody Union, and all of Nashville.
“We’re proud to have worked with Metro Nashville and Metro Parks to deliver something activated and additive to our already impressive Greenway system,” said Ray Hensler of Hensler Development Group. “In designing Bluff Landing, we took inspiration from some of the great greenway destinations in the United States, such as the High Line in New York City, the Navy Yards in D.C., and the Atlanta Beltline. We’re proud to commemorate its opening as a central hub within South Bank and can’t wait to see it become a top Greenway destination to be enjoyed by Nashvillians.”
The total area of improvements by the Peabody Union development team activating the Greenway, which has been named Bluff Landing, is just under one acre. It includes an approximately 2,600-square-foot observation deck, green spaces, and hardscapes fronting 400 feet of the Cumberland River bluff. Alongside several of the manicured lawns are stadium-style steps to act as a respite and landing spot for those looking for a destination on the greenway system. The new experience will give visitors a place to stop and unwind or enjoy shopping, dining, and other curated activations.
Beyond the Greenway, the Peabody Union development team oversaw significant pedestrian access improvements throughout its property. It reestablished a historic street which has been named Guthrie Street (once Crockett Street) and installed sidewalks along it; it widened sidewalks all along Peabody Street; and it led the addition of a new traffic and pedestrian cross walk on KVB creating easy access to the Ascend Amphitheater from Peabody Union.
The Peabody Union development will include 50,000 square feet of combined retail and food and beverage space within two acres on the ground floor of the development that is easily accessible. Of that space, four retail spaces comprising 16,405 square feet directly face the Cumberland River Greenway. Peabody Union and the Greenway’s opening will further catalyze the 125-acre South Bank district it is at the center of.
The area is envisioned by local stakeholders to be developed as a livable urban neighborhood with quieter, upscale options that are interconnected and to give visitors another option downtown beyond Lower Broadway – Hensler noted.
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