NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Brookmeade Park is currently undergoing a significant revitalization effort. For over a decade, Brookmeade Park served as a homeless encampment, until the city stepped in to relocate the unhoused.
The video above shows the difference having a team clean up the area has made, and the community desire to continue beautifying it.
Brookmeade community members have fought to restore the park, and Metro Parks invited them Tuesday night to participate in a community meeting.
Dede Byrd, a Brookmeade Park resident for 30 years, has witnessed the park's evolution. For Dede and many others, active involvement in the restoration process is crucial. She envisions the park becoming a valuable asset for the community, offering a range of opportunities.
Phil Luckett, representing Metro Nashville Parks, notices a major difference between the past and the present of the park.
"If you go back and look at what it looked like before and what it looks like now, it’s quite different," Luckett said.
Since the city's efforts to rehouse the homeless population, the city of Nashville has been working to clean and secure the park, ensuring it becomes a safe again.
"The boardwalk section down there is totally unsafe. It’s gotten many broken boards," Luckett explained.
The next phase of the project involves Metro Parks initiating the bidding process to select a contractor.
"We have a little over $600,000 to do the project. If we need more, we will go back and ask for more," Luckett said.
At the community meeting, residents got to present their ideas on what they would like to see. Many community members are advocating for paddleboarding and kayaking, since the park is next to the Cumberland River.
Becky Lowe, Founder of Reclaim Brookmeade Park, views this as a promising start and is optimistic about the ongoing involvement of the community. She wants to continue being apart of the restoration process.
"We need to see how the money is being spent. Who is going to get the contract, and will that reflect what the community wants? Are we going to have a say in it?" Lowe said.
Her sentiments echo those of many neighbors who believe that the park should offer more than just a restoration of its original state.
After reviewing the proposed designs Byrd thinks more could be done with the park. "We felt the council gave the park board enough money to move forward with bigger ideas, not just a restoration to what was there originally," Bryd said.
She does feel optimistic about the future of the park.
"I like all those ideas and I’m not opposed to any of them. I just want there to be something in the park that draws people to it," Bryd expalined.
Metro Parks anticipates Brookmeade Park to reopen to the public next fall. If you weren't able to make it to the meeting, you can send your ideas, suggestions, and comments to metroparks@nashville.gov.
