NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Something that makes Nashville really special is the history it's held on to during so much change. Many deserve credit for preserving our past and Mac McDonald is one of them.
The longtime downtown resident and businessman was honored on Wednesday night for his contributions to The District.
The District is the downtown neighborhood between Bridgestone Arena and the Cumberland River.
Mayor-elect Freddie O'Connell presented the Spirit of The District award to McDonald at FGL House on 3rd Avenue.
"It took a lot of work on everyone's part to make The District an overnight success, which took us 30 years to make," said Mac McDonald at the event.
McDonald has been a major player in The District for decades.
He owned multiple buildings, was a resident, and did a lot of work on Second Avenue to ensure history wasn't lost.
"We knew things could happen here. We had a vision. We had an imagination and we had a lot of cooperation — thank goodness — from our mayors and a lot of their staff members and councils," McDonald said.
McDonald has helped orchestrate many memorable events over the years. Those include Dancing In The District and Faux Gras, which was Nashville's interpretation of Mardi Gras.
"Our deal was if you think you're having fun now — stay tuned, we have something else coming out," he said.
McDonald told us he is excited about the direction Nashville is going because the people in charge care about the past.
"Yes, there are going to be challenges, but we have already proved ourselves that we have overcome a lot of challenges," he said.
