WSMV Channel 4 Group wants to revitalize riverfront near LP Field

Group wants to revitalize riverfront near LP Field

Some consider it an eyesore, while others consider it the future of growth here in Music City.

But now there's a push to rethink the 75 acres that sit south of LP Field on the east side of the Cumberland River. It's home to a few factories and big piles of scrap metal.

But that soon could change.

For cyclist Erik Mitchell, a Wednesday morning ride would not be complete without a pass through this part of town.

"Love it, love it. I'm actually from Hermitage, so I pick up the greenway out at Percy Priest, then out through Shelby Bottom," he said.

But eventually, things could change here dramatically. The Nashville Civic Design Center is about to launch a design contest, inviting ideas for a new kind of sports park on the 75 acres.

Much of the area flooded in May 2010, and plans could call for soccer fields, mountain bike courses, ultimate Frisbee fields and boat launches.

"Our goal is to think about the future of the city, and what opportunities aren't here yet and what opportunities could come to us," said Julia Landstreet, with the Nashville Civic Design Center.

But let's be very clear: all of this is just talk for the time being. After all, Metro Parks doesn't own the land and there are several businesses already in the area. Cooperation, it seems, is just as important as the plan itself.

"We really see this as an opportunity for economic development, private development," Landstreet said. "Even tomorrow, you know. The person who owns the property could say, 'I've been looking for a good idea and thanks, this is great.'"

The best ideas win cash prizes, funded by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. The ideas could be published downtown and possibly become reality, changing the face of downtown by the riverfront.

"I'm all for it," Mitchell said. "It's great to have places for adults and kids to exercise."

The Civic Design Center will start accepting ideas and the winner will get a $5,000 prize.

A panel of judges will reveal those winners next September.

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