About a week after the decision to move Nashville's New Year's Eve celebration away from Lower Broadway to Bicentennial Capitol Mall State Park was made, it continued to draw excitement and questions.
The Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp announced that the traditional Music Note Drop and fireworks show will move locations with the new title of Jack Daniel's Music City Midnight: New Year's Even in Nashville.
The event has drawn crowds of more than 100,000 people from the state and across the world. Organizers said it was time to expand the space and enhance security for attendees.
Bicentennial Park would also would allow secured entry and exit points. State police have worked with organizers and Metro Police officials said they will continue to be involved.
Since it was expanded to a state park, the city needed approval to have vendors sell alcohol and beer.
The changes were exciting for District 19 Councilman Freddie O'Connell who has lived in Nashville for more than 30 years.
"I think this space is amazing and could serve as a home to more events," O'Connell told NewsChannel 5.
O'Connell was particularly thrilled because it would allow visitors to see a different side of Nashville. However, his excitement was met with caution.
The changes meant his residents who live in Germantown and Salemtown would have to deal with the surge of attendees.
"Traffic and problem is going to be a challenge," O'Connell said. "We have to see if residents in this area can tolerate the disruptive impact of an event of this scale even for just one night of the year."
O'Connell has worked to get his residents and CVB members to meet to address potential concerns.
"I want to give them the opportunity to ask some of those questions, mitigate and resolve any of their concerns and really test the question if this is the right move," O'Connell added.
Details were still being sorted out. To help with parking, there will be shuttles running between Lower Broadway and Bicentennial Park and state parking lots available.
Lower Broadway will still have a large screen to display the concert.
The NCVC said they will continue to evaluate all of its options. Bicentennial Mall may or may not become permanent.
