Mayor Announces Outdoor Amphitheater, Parks for Riverfront

A sketch of the soon-to-be-built outdoor amphitheater.

Nashville Mayor Karl Dean announced today (Aug. 27) that downtown’s Cumberland River will soon be home to an outdoor amphitheater as part of the West Riverfront Master Plan.

With the repurposing of the Thermal Transfer Plant site, the amphitheater is expected to accommodate 6,500 people (including 2,500 seats, with additional grass seating). The space is envisioned as a “summer amphitheater” for the Nashville symphony and available to residents for daily enjoyment on non-event days. Additionally, the 12-acre area will feature trails, a dog park and gardens.

Across the river on the Cumberland’s east bank, a new riverboat landing green space for tailgating and daily use with moveable chairs and tables, and pedestrian and bike pathways was announced. A lower park will slope to the river for boaters (canoes, kayaks and crew teams) in addition to docking space for the General Jackson with a floating dock for motorized boats. The east bank landing project will be part of approximately $30 million redevelopment that included the Bridge Building and 6-acre Cumberland Park.

In a release from the Mayor’s office, Metro is stated as already owning the property involved on the west and east banks and has funds in place to move forward. Funding for the west bank comes from three previously approved $35 million capital spending plans in addition to $7 million in recently transferred federal flood aid, which will be used to help build the flood wall.

Construction is expected to begin this fall. West bank construction could be significantly completed in 2015.

Last week, a prospective $80 million ballpark on the north side of downtown on the Sulphur Dell site, near Germantown made headlines.