NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — This spring, the North Gulch area will become a little greener.
Metro Nashville Parks Department announced Frankie Pierce Park will be built in the area of Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard and 11th Avenue North, between the train tracks.
City officials said that area of downtown is under development and will soon be home to many more people and businesses. Right now, the city considers the area to be a "park desert," so adding a 2.5 acre greenspace will be beneficial.
The park is a partnership between Metro Nashville and the nearby Capitol View development, which provides space for both residences and businesses.
Plans show Frankie Pierce Park will offer volleyball courts, a dog park, and a yoga lawn. The park will also be a trail head for the Gulch Greenway, which links to a system of more than 190 miles of biking and running trails in Davidson County.
Metro Parks said choosing to name the park after Juno Frankie Pierce was an easy decision.
According to the city, Pierce was an influential leader in the African American community and in the local women's suffrage movement. She was involved in the Red Cross, YMCA and YWCA, and founded the Tennessee Vocational School for Colored Girls. She passed away in 1954 and is memorialized on the Alan LeQuire Tennessee Woman Suffrage Monument in Centennial Park.
In addition to encouraging local residents and workers to get outside, Metro Parks expects Frankie Pierce Park to be an economic driver. Metro said parks and greenways typically help with property values and tourism.
