NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It's on a lot of Nashville bucket lists, but ever since the bombing, Second Avenue North hasn't quite been the same.
To find out how things are moving along with the restoration, we checked in with the Civic Design Center, which was also seriously damaged by the blast on Christmas in 2020. CEO Gary Gaston believes the street has come a long way.
"The first year was really just let it all sink in, the clean up," said Gary Gaston. "And then we began the process of working with the city and local stakeholders, business owners and property owners to envision what should the plan look like now that we have the chance to go back and rebuild."
Gaston remembers seeing the design center right after the bombing. It took a year to reopen that space.
"Glass was on every single surface of this 4000 square foot office," Gaston explained.
Since then, important infrastructure and road work has started out on the street.
In May, the block between Church and Union Street shut down, so the Second Avenue Rebuild team could first work on damaged utilities under the street, and then the streetscape.
Currently, sidewalks are being poured near the Washington Square building and brick paver install will begin next week. The next section of roadway to close will be the block between Commerce Street and Broadway. We're told it will be closed to vehicle traffic starting in January, but business and walkways will remain open.
Gaston said it's important to support the businesses that have made it this far.
"During construction, that's a difficult time for a business owner, and we want these small businesses and entities to be able to be here when things reopen to traffic," he said.
The design center is part of the large effort to restore the entire street as efficiently as possible. Feedback from the community has helped that be a collaborative process. The plans for the new second avenue are in the player above, consider watching to see them.
"What do we love about Second Avenue? What do we want to see changed... if we can change it? What do we want to make the same? So, I think that's really exciting to know we have a plan that's being built to make this street — I'll say this very confidently — the most beautiful street in Nashville," he said.
Fostering Hope provides Christmas for kids in foster care. I'm delighted to see Fostering Hope expand this year to expand their reach to now include kids in Foster care in metro AND foster kids in East TN hard hit by Helene.
-Bree Smith
