Mayor O'Connell's parks strategy: Add new parks, repair existing ones
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Welcome to Day 4 of Tennessee Trailheads: This week, each edition of Axios Nashville will explore a different aspect of the parks where we picnic and play.
- Subscribe to Axios Nashville here for the next installment.
Nashville's park system is at an inflection point. At the same time it scored below its peers in national rankings, the Parks Department is asking residents to help map out the system's future.
Why it matters: Mayor Freddie O'Connell has noticed the rankings of the most populous cities' parks.
- His approach to parks so far has been a mixture of big-ticket spending and unsexy investments in deferred maintenance to address the backlog of needed repairs.
State of play: The updated vision, called Plan to Play, is meant to identify and prioritize parks needs for the next five years.
- It will draw on residents' suggestions. Thursday is the last day to answer the public survey.
What he's saying: After taking office in 2023, O'Connell's administration refreshed the Plan to Play focus. In an interview with Axios, O'Connell said his administration's goal is to bring the ideas it produced to reality as quickly as possible.
- That requires a balancing act between splashy new park openings and under-the-radar repairs to existing parks.
- "It's establishing a cadence," he says. "You don't grow the new stuff at the expense of needed repairs at existing facilities without a clear strategy."
By the numbers: O'Connell's first two capital spending plans included a combined $60.8 million for the Parks Department. The bulk of the spending has been on addressing a backlog of maintenance projects, including repairs to the Parkwood community center.
- That amount also included $8.3 million for the new Mill Ridge Park and $5 million for Mariposa Park. Both of those parks are in southeast Davidson County.
- "We knew there were parts of the city that had not historically seen investments," he said.
- Another focus has been on parks safety, with addition of more lighting and electronic entrance gates.
Zoom out: Part of O'Connell's approach to parks has been serving as chief cheerleader, using his megaphone to tout the department's constant stream of programming. He mentions a full-moon hike, water balloon fight and coffee with birdwatchers among the unique, free offerings.
- "For years, I've been the dork that goes and looks at the nature centers' monthly calendars," he says. "It's a great way to explore parts of the city."
The bottom line: The Trust for Public Land rankings shows Nashville has room for growth in terms of parks investments.
- Nashville ranked below smaller cities like Lexington, peer cities like Charlotte and in-state cities like Memphis.
- O'Connell says he tracks such parks system rankings and was pleased to see Nashville climb the Trust for Public Land to 74th, up from No. 78 the prior year.
- "We're not where I'd like to be in terms of that," he says. "Those things give you milestones to shoot for. They let you ask questions."
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