Park coming to Cumberland River's east bank

Preparations for an $8.5 million "Adventure Play Park" on the Cumberland River’s east bank advanced Tuesday, as the Metro Development and Housing Agency’s board approved an agreement with the Nashville Sports Authority to relocate 277 LP Field parking spaces that sit within the project’s footprint.

A portion of the 7.5-acre property — situated on a triangular-shaped piece of land between the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge and the Korean War Veterans Memorial Bridge — falls under the domain of the sports authority, which has leased it to the Tennessee Titans organization for parking.

Under the agreement with MDHA, those parking spots would be moved to other areas near LP Field. The swap will only be completed if the sports authority signs off on the deal at its regularly scheduled meeting Friday.

“This development agreement simply sets out the conditions by which we will relocate some of the parking that’s there today on the riverfront to other areas around the stadium in return for setting up this site for construction of the 'Adventure Play Park [1],' ” said Ed Owens, riverfront redevelopment director for MDHA.

Construction of the park — which would include a wide range of amenities for children and adults alike — is the first installment of Nashville’s Riverfront Redevelopment Project, a bold 20-year plan to transform the Cumberland’s east and west banks through expanded parks, trails, water recreation and environmental preservation, among other things.

Mayor Karl Dean over the summer set aside $30 million in the 2009-2010 capital spending to jump-start the long-awaited revitalization.

Designs for the Adventure Play Park are being completed by the architecture firm Hargreaves Associates in preparation for a late summer/early fall groundbreaking and an opening by the summer of 2011, according to Owens. He said the renovation of the existing NABRICO building, which sits near the Shelby Street Pedestrian Bridge, should be the next phase.

“We hope to start the final design of the NABRICO project within the next few months to bring it along in conjunction with the adventure play park,” Owens said.