NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — The iconic Belle Meade steps at Percy Warner Park will be closed for the first half of 2020 as a restoration project is underway.
J.K. Fa said, "We like to run up and down them."
The Belle Meade steps are the gateway to the trails. Many people run up them for a hard workout.
"It’s a really great work out, probably a little more tiring than you’d expect," George Swenson said, "Definitely a good area to meet with everyone."
People like Swenson, and the Fa family, found out the iconic steps will be temporarily closed on January 6th.
Eleck Fa said, "Kind of disappointed, but I’m glad they’re putting some effort into making it better."
Govan White is the Vice President of Friends of Warner Parks, a nonprofit that is raising money so that the 1930's steps are preserved. In addition, they plan on tackling drainage and erosion issues which need to be corrected for safety reasons.
"It will be safer, sustainable, and livable for a hundred years" White said, "Makes it more challenging for people to walk and hike up here, also Nashville as a city has grown."
As more people visit the park, normal wear and tear needs to be fixed. They're raising $15 milliondollars for the improvement project.
"We’re taking the invasive plants out, and restoring the park," White said.
The french-inspired Allée was built in the 1930s, and it provided jobs during the Great Depression. It's a place families still love today.
Lindsay Fa said, "I’m really glad they’re going to put the time and effort and money into making it even better for us."
The nonprofit is encouraging people to come out for a final hike on January 4th and 5th. Construction is expected to take 6 months. Trails will remain open.
Swenson said, "It definitely will be missed for a few months, but it will be good to have them back."
The next phase of the project will include the renovation of the Warner Park Nature Center.
