Greer Stadium site/Fort Negley expansion/redevelopment

[Jamie Hall]

16 hours ago, cda said:

Has there been any discussion on if the MLS stadium could be put there. 

It was discussed, debated, and argued extensively. In fact, it's not hard to find people still eager to argue over it.

[markhollin]

Stadium seating area and press box are fully razed now.  Will be interesting to see how they grade that hillside.  Is there a lot of limestone immediately behind where home plate was, or can it be be landscaped with a more natural slope?   Also, will be curious to see if they actually leave a ball field on the spot.  Would be great if home plate could remain right where it is as a reminder of the layout of Greer.  After all, it WAS a baseball field for at least half a century BEFORE the stadium was built, and the playing surface is perfectly flat.  I've seen a few sketches showing the diamond with a backstop and a few small bleachers for seating a a couple hundred people.  Looks like all the lighting towers are coming down as well (at least the ones along the left field line are already gone).

Looking forward to seeing what the eventual design of the park will be.

After the remaining scrap is removed, the next phase will be tearing up the acres of asphalt surface lot to the west and north of the stadium site. 

Looking north towards home plate from Chestnut St., 1/2 block east of Fort Negley Blvd:

Looking NW from Chestnut St., towards right field line, 1/2 block east of Fort Negley Blvd:

Pile of blue seats and other rubble along the left field line.

Perspective of layout:

[PaulChinetti]

Meant to post these last week. Leaving a home plate would be cool, I do hope they do that.

 

[markhollin]

Hillside where stadium once resided is now landscaped.  Only thing lifet is a support wall for what used to be the concourse that is covered with graffiti.  Not sure if that will remain or not. All light towers removed.  Beginning to get a feel for how this will look as park land now.  

Looking from center field towards home plate. NW from Chestnut St., 1/2 block west of Hagan St: 
 

[titanhog]

5 hours ago, markhollin said:

Hillside where stadium once resided is now landscaped.  Only thing lifet is a support wall for what used to be the concourse that is covered with graffiti.  Not sure if that will remain or not. All light towers removed.  Beginning to get a feel for how this will look as park land now.  

Looking from center field towards home plate. NW from Chestnut St., 1/2 block west of Hagan St: 
 

Just a nice, passive Civil War memorial park with trees, grass, benches, a few markers and sidewalks would be awesome.  To me, we don't need to overthink this and try to make it fit everyone's needs / wants.

[PruneTracy]

On ‎2019‎-‎05‎-‎20 at 7:47 AM, PaulChinetti said:

Leaving a home plate would be cool, I do hope they do that.

I think it was @PHofKS who suggested leaving the entire diamond and using it as a venue for vintage baseball.

http://tennesseevintagebaseball.com/

Makes for good atmosphere when you're next to a Civil War historical site (so would have pre-Sounds Sulphur Dell, for that matter).

[BnaBreaker]

1 hour ago, titanhog said:

Just a nice, passive Civil War memorial park with trees, grass, benches, a few markers and sidewalks would be awesome.  To me, we don't need to overthink this and try to make it fit everyone's needs / wants.

Agreed.  If they aren't going to do a complete redevelopment of the area surrounding Fort Negley into a new full service neighborhood then that is definitely the next best option in my opinion as well.  I've long wondered why the fort isn't something the city called more attention to.  There aren't many cities that can say they have a Civil War era Union fort within their city limits.  I wonder how many visitors are even aware of it's existence?  

[donNdonelson2]

You have to remember that Nashville was an occupied city at that time. It is not a time that was looked back upon with any sort of nostalgia by those in the generations that followed.

[MidTenn1]

It should just as importantly be a place of reflection regarding the slave labor that built the fort and much of the south.

[titanhog]

27 minutes ago, donNdonelson2 said:

You have to remember that Nashville was an occupied city at that time. It is not a time that was looked back upon with any sort of nostalgia by those in the generations that followed.

What's weird is that historically speaking, if you truly study the Civil War and who fought on each side, you will quickly determine that you probably had ancestors who fought on both sides.  Take me for instance.  I was born and raised in the south and have never lived anywhere else but the south.  However...my most direct ancestors fought for the north.  My great grandfather on my dad's side was injured at Antietam.  My 3rd great grandfather on my mom's side was killed at Wartrace, TN fighting for the north.  And...just on one branch of my family tree...there were actually brothers who fought on opposite sides.

I say that because those of us today often look at it as if we were born in one section of the nation...and that means all of our ancestors must have fought for that side.  It makes a lot of people born in the south feel like they somehow have to take up for the south in the war...and many born in the north feel a pride that the north fought for the right side...even though they may find out through ancestry that most of their relatives fought for the other side.

[donNdonelson2]

I did not post my comment to “take a side,” but to put some background out there as to why Nashville of old wouldn’t embrace the ”glorification” of the occupation of the city. That fort was not a symbol of a happy time for many.

My family members who fought, from rural counties of Tennessee, fought on the side of the Union.

I think we should showcase all of our historic properties to their best use and appreciation.  (Even those that might be considered the warts on the face of our history.)

 

[titanhog]

9 minutes ago, donNdonelson2 said:

I did not post my comment to “take a side,” but to put some background out there as to why Nashville of old wouldn’t embrace the ”glorification” of the occupation of the city. That fort was not a symbol of a happy time for many.

My family members who fought, from rural counties of Tennessee, fought on the side of the Union.

I think we should showcase all of our historic properties to their best use and appreciation.  (Even those that might be considered the warts on the face of our history.)

 

That's what I'm saying.  We should show our history and even though some people may think it glorifies one side or the other...just show it how it was / is.

[CenterHill]

3 hours ago, PHofKS said:

It should just as importantly be a place of reflection regarding the slave labor that built the fort and much of the south.

Yes, I agree and it is that.    I had an occasion while out on a run last year to do an impromptu self guided tour of Ft Negley, having lived here for years but never visiting it.    My impression was, (a) wow, this is an incredible historical site and I can’t believe I’ve never done it, (b) the exhibit signage, while aging and fading in places, was  well-done and informative, and (c) the role that slaves and conscripted former slaves played in the fort’s construction, and their treatment and the conditions in which they were forced to live, came through prominently in the exhibits.     In fact (c) is what left the deepest impression on me.    

The new park should emphasize and pay homage to that.      

Edited June 1, 2019 by CenterHill

[thenorthchannel]

Drove by  this AM and crane was removing the guitar scoreboard piece by piece.  

[markhollin]

You can still make out the infield diamond to the right in the first shot.

Looking east from Ft. Negley pedestrian ellipse:

Looking SE from Ft. Negley pedestrian ellipse:

[markhollin]

Black laborers who built Fort Negley in 1860s remembered.

More at The Tennessean here:

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/2021/10/24/fort-negley-nashville-civil-war-history-black-soldiers-union-army/6122034001/

[markhollin]

 

Metro Parks and Metro Historical Commission are hosting “A Night for Fort Negley” on Tuesday, November 9th from 5:30 to 7:30 PM at Rose Park Middle School to kick off the first community meeting for the Fort Negley Master Plan.

Fort Negley Park is a 64-acre park in the heart of Nashville. Recognized as one of the nation’s most important historical sites, it is home to distinct natural and cultural assets and was designated a ‘Site of Memory’ by the UNESCO Slave Route Project in 2019. The community is encouraged to attend this interactive event to share their thoughts on how best to preserve, maintain, honor, and enhance this sacred space.

More info here:

https://www.nashville.gov/departments/parks/news/night-fort-negley-community-meeting-be-held-next-tuesday?utm_source=Sailthru&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=2021.11.08 NASH&utm_term=NASHtoday Subscribers - MASTER

[nashvylle]

I wish Adventure Science Museum would relocate and the building would be transformed into some sort of history museum. 

Edited November 8, 2021 by nashvylle

[AUNash]

This would really be a great idea if it could be combined with a dramatic upgrade of ASC. It really underperforms for this market I think. Ideal solution might be to relocate ASC to the Bicentennial Mall area (if there is space). Build a new state of the art science museum there. And convert the current bldg to some use aligned with the Ft Negly site.

[Melrose]

Museums are not-at-all stable nonprofit organizations that are difficult to operate and maintain over the long term. ASC is sort of plugging along,  but really doesn't seem to have the strong corporate/ or other support to necessarily really  take it to the next level.   

  A new "history" museum would need many, major benefactors to launch, let alone keep running over time.  Based on the fact that Friends of Ft. Negley doesn't really seem to doing any significant fundraising to even just do anything with the Greer space/actually maintain that over time,  an additional new museum concept nearby seems far fetched.....

[TheRaglander]

My kids are 16 and 14 now but back in the day we would go to ASC and lots of other museums like that.  Murfreesboro, Chattanooga, etc... and all the aquariums.  (Chatt, Gatlinburg, Atlanta...) ASC never changed much.  Most other places have those large corporate sponsored "Traveling exhibits".  ASC had lots of open spaces and a need for a paint touch-up here and there.  Certainly not a place to go to frequently unless you just want them to play on the indoor tower-playground.  The astrology side is pretty impressive.   I know it won't happen but moving that to the Bicentennial Mall would be great as long as they can handle buses.  I think having a dedicated historical building at the ASC site would bring in more than we think.  Not just about the battle of Nashville and Fort Negley, but Nashville's history in general during that era.  With Franklin, M'boro and Shiloh in the near area, a Nashville Civil War stop would bring in visitors.

[PruneTracy]

20 minutes ago, TheRaglander said:

The astrology side is pretty impressive.

I'm trying not to stoop to pedantry on this. But I can't help it, I'm a Sagittarius.

[Nathan_in_DC]

20 hours ago, Melrose said:

Museums are not-at-all stable nonprofit organizations that are difficult to operate and maintain over the long term. ASC is sort of plugging along,  but really doesn't seem to have the strong corporate/ or other support to necessarily really  take it to the next level.   

  A new "history" museum would need many, major benefactors to launch, let alone keep running over time.  Based on the fact that Friends of Ft. Negley doesn't really seem to doing any significant fundraising to even just do anything with the Greer space/actually maintain that over time,  an additional new museum concept nearby seems far fetched.....

During and just after grad school, I worked for an academic non-profit that promoted the academic study of the American founding and the early history of the United States. We mostly hosted conferences, worked with universities to endow chairs in History, Political Science, and Philosophy departments, publish academic journals, that sort of thing. But, because of the nature of the organization, we often worked very, very closely with museums and the organizations behind them...and what you say is extremely true with only a very few exceptions. For a museum and the associated support organization to be successful, it needs a significant amount of government support and a large endowment from a sponsoring individual or organization. And even then, they require huge amounts of donations every year to stay afloat. Museums can't be stagnant, they have to constantly be considering how to update and develop exhibits, improve collections (not just taking on new stuff but managing what they have properly), and pay enough to attract quality staff.

Fort Negley would be an awesome site for a Tennessee Museum of the Civil War. Honestly, if done correctly you could just turn it in to the Tennessee Museum of Military History at Fort Negley. But, with the new State Museum having a rather comprehensive Civil War exhibit, I doubt we'll be seeing the sort of support from the State we would really need to see. The best hope for good facilities on the site would be a large grant from State and Federal government combined with a large private donation, and a long-term funding agreement from the city and a long-term fundraising development strategy that doesn't rely on admission fees. All of this will require a concerted lobbying effort to get state and US legislators on board with the project as well as a dedicated development team to get the ball rolling, and that is most certainly not being done right now.

[fishsticks176]

19 hours ago, Nathan_in_DC said:

During and just after grad school, I worked for an academic non-profit that promoted the academic study of the American founding and the early history of the United States. We mostly hosted conferences, worked with universities to endow chairs in History, Political Science, and Philosophy departments, publish academic journals, that sort of thing. But, because of the nature of the organization, we often worked very, very closely with museums and the organizations behind them...and what you say is extremely true with only a very few exceptions. For a museum and the associated support organization to be successful, it needs a significant amount of government support and a large endowment from a sponsoring individual or organization. And even then, they require huge amounts of donations every year to stay afloat. Museums can't be stagnant, they have to constantly be considering how to update and develop exhibits, improve collections (not just taking on new stuff but managing what they have properly), and pay enough to attract quality staff.

Fort Negley would be an awesome site for a Tennessee Museum of the Civil War. Honestly, if done correctly you could just turn it in to the Tennessee Museum of Military History at Fort Negley. But, with the new State Museum having a rather comprehensive Civil War exhibit, I doubt we'll be seeing the sort of support from the State we would really need to see. The best hope for good facilities on the site would be a large grant from State and Federal government combined with a large private donation, and a long-term funding agreement from the city and a long-term fundraising development strategy that doesn't rely on admission fees. All of this will require a concerted lobbying effort to get state and US legislators on board with the project as well as a dedicated development team to get the ball rolling, and that is most certainly not being done right now.

with recent expenditures at our current museum and archives, I wouldn't count on any state money being earmarked for new museums for the foreseeable future, unfortunately.

Edited November 10, 2021 by fishsticks176

[markhollin]

Tuesday night's  community meeting was the first of many to discuss Fort Negley's master plan, according to Metro Parks. 

Around 150 people attended the meeting and were allowed to vote on different futures for the park afterward. 

Some of the parks department's ideas included preserving the history of Fort Negley while also providing walking paths, sports fields and other public uses. 

More at The Tennessean here:

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/local/2021/11/11/metro-nashville-starts-talks-future-fort-negley/6355742001/