Why are we rebuilding Second Avenue?
Christmas Day 2020
On Dec. 25, 2020, a bomb inside an RV was detonated on Second Avenue near the AT&T building located between Commerce Street and Church Street. The damage impacted 65 buildings, many of which are historic structures built in the late 1800s. Though the city shook in the wake of the blast and Christmas Day of 2020 will forever be engrained in the history and hearts of Nashville, we also proved once again how strong this community is by coming together and rebuilding.
Setting a Foundation to Rebuild
With the direction to not just restore the effected zone, but to build back better than ever, a new vision for both Second Avenue and First Avenue was formed with the guidance of key stakeholders, Urban Land Institute Advisory Services panelists and the general public. A space for locals, outdoor dining, urban trees and connections to the Cumberland River were at the forefront of the visioning process. As damaged buildings were making plans to rebuild, many responded with incorporating recommendations such as activating along First Avenue, creating connections between Second and First Avenues and integrating unique techniques to incorporate art into the buildings. Because MDHA serves as lead developer for the city, the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County and Metro Planning asked MDHA to lead the design and construction efforts for the Second Avenue Rebuild on behalf of Metro.
What’s happening now?
Construction Plans and Timeline
Reeves Young was selected by a committee of representatives from MDHA, Nashville Department of Transportation & Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT) and the Metro Planning Department for the multiyear construction project. All have committed to conducting work while maintaining pedestrian access to the businesses throughout the project. The north block, between Church Street and Union, was the first portion of this streetscape project beginning in May 2023. It reopened in June 2024. The south block was the second portion to undergo construction in January 2024, and construction was completed in December 2024.
South Block Construction Complete
The south block of Second Avenue has reopened to vehicles with traffic changes as of Friday, Dec. 20, as construction is now complete between Commerce Street and Broadway. This milestone is ahead of schedule–construction began in January 2024 and was projected to last approximately 12 months–as well as before the fourth anniversary of the bombing on Christmas Day 2020.
North Block Construction Complete
Construction on the north block of Second Avenue between Union Street and Church Street is now complete as part of the Second Avenue Rebuild. That section of the road re-opened to vehicle traffic June 3, 2024.
Progress Updates
December 2024
Construction on the south block is complete! Second Avenue from Commerce Street to Broadway reopened to vehicle traffic on Dec. 20, 2024. Traffic on the south block now runs one way northbound from Broadway up to Commerce Street where it is then diverted westbound. There is a temporary change in direction on Commerce Street between Third Avenue and Second Avenue during this time as it becomes a one-way westbound street. These patterns will be in place through construction on the middle block between Commerce and Church Streets, which is anticipated to be completed by the end of 2025.
June 2024
Construction on the north block is officially complete! Second Avenue from Union Street to Church Street reopened to vehicle traffic the morning of June 3, 2024.
January 2024
Traffic changes on Second Avenue were implemented on Tuesday, Jan. 2, 2024, as construction relating to the Second Avenue Rebuild begins on the south block. Second Avenue between Church Street and Broadway will be closed to vehicular traffic and parking during construction on the south block.
Businesses and buildings along the south block of Second Avenue will remain open with sidewalks for pedestrian access throughout.
While the south block of Second Avenue is closed to vehicular traffic, there will be pedestrian crosswalks across Second Avenue on both sides of the road closure between Commerce Street and Second Avenue and Broadway and Second Avenue. There will also be a pedestrian crosswalk across Commerce Street, which will be closed to vehicular traffic between the crosswalk and Second Avenue. The entrance to the SP+ Parking Garage at 201 Commerce Street will remain open.
December 2023
Construction on the north block between Church Street and Union Street is approximately halfway complete, and MDHA will begin construction on the south block between Commerce Street and Broadway in early 2024. Barricades that do not impede vehicle or pedestrian access have been placed along the sidewalks on the south block between Commerce Street and Broadway to prepare for construction to begin in early 2024. The roadway will remain open to vehicles through the holidays with traffic changes and road closures between Commerce Street and Broadway anticipated to begin in early January. The first phase of construction on the south block entails roadway, tree preparation and underground utility work to separate stormwater from the combined sewer system. Businesses will remain open and accessible to pedestrians throughout construction on the south block.
September 2023
Current construction activities are focused on the north block from Church Street to Union Street and include installation of stormwater infrastructure, excavation and preparation of tree wells, selection of individual trees for this block and utility coordination. The project team will be in communication with south block stakeholders and businesses as we prepare for construction commencement on the block between Broadway and Commerce Street in 2024.
May 2023
The Second Avenue streetscape renderings for the north block and south block are completed. Construction begins on the north block between Church Street and Union Street.
September 2022
Reeves Young was selected as Construction Manager at Risk via a Request for Qualification/Proposals solicited by MDHA. The committee that made the selection consisted of representatives from MDHA, Nashville Department of Transportation & Multimodal Infrastructure (NDOT) and the Metro Planning Department.
February 2021
The city began organizing and listening to key stakeholders through a series of visioning sessions. These community engagement meetings were led by the Civic Design Center, Metro Planning, GHP and MDHA and heavily focused on those directly impacted by the blast: the residents, building owners, businesses and merchants along Second Avenue. This focused group was heavily involved in the visioning and design process, even choosing some of the design details, throughout the dozens of meetings.
What’s next?
Pioneering the Future
The Second Avenue Rebuild is offering the city with multiple opportunities to refine, develop and implement new items as pilot projects.
- In 2022, Metro Council adopted a Dark Skies Initiative for the city and the Second Avenue Rebuild has selected the city’s first approved streetlight that is Dark Sky approved.
- Outdoor dining was a highly requested feature from the community and ULI experts and has been incorporated into the streetscape designs. Updated outdoor dining design guidelines are being produced by the city to help streamline the process and encourage businesses to activate along the widened sidewalks.
- In order to activate the west side of Second Avenue between Commerce and Church Streets, the city will be installing permanent kiosks to support food and retail services.
- In order to activate the First Avenue side of buildings, we must rethink waste practices to eliminate the need for dumpsters along our front porch of the river. The stakeholders and businesses have participated in a waste study and are working with city leaders to develop a new Waste & Recycling management system that will pave the way for a pedestrian forward streetscape along First Avenue.
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