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Greenways staff report progress on 440 connector, Charlotte Railroad Trail and Harpeth River Greenway
Summary
Metro Greenways staff updated commissioners on several projects in design or construction, including a Park Plaza extension of the 440 greenway, a Sevier Park–Browns Creek segment, the Charlotte Railroad Trail connector, Mill Creek permitting work and a Harpeth River Greenway tied to a private development donation of open space.
Cindy Harrison of the Greenways Division presented a rundown of active projects and near‑term construction milestones.
Harrison said the Park Plaza extension of the 440 greenway, a roughly 0.2‑mile link into Centennial Park, is finalizing responses to comments and is expected to be sent to procurement “within the next month or two.” She said designs for the Sevier Park to Browns Creek connection are being tweaked to preserve trees and that work to bid that project will follow the Park Plaza procurement. “It will follow, I believe, on the heels of this first… project,” Harrison said.
On the Charlotte Railroad Trail connector, Harrison said staff met recently with the Cheatham County rail authority and are working on easements and agreements needed where Metro does not own the land. She said the intent for the connector is to bring users to the Farmers Market and to create a linked route through the Gulch and other downtown corridors.
Harrison described Mill Creek earthwork as a permitting‑driven operation to move fill out of the floodplain; she emphasized the greenway will remain open and said the work is weather dependent. She also described the Harpeth River Greenway at Bridal Bellevue, a partnership with a private multifamily developer: the project will pass under a railroad bridge, connect to a pedestrian bridge and include an estimated donation of 20–23 acres of open space from the developer, plus access to roughly 60 acres the city already conserved in the river bend.
Harrison said maintenance and construction choices are shifting toward more durable materials (concrete and steel) and that Metro added at least one parks police officer assigned to greenways starting Feb. 1 to improve oversight. She reported an ongoing Metro Water Services partnership to plant trees: the first phase will plant 58 trees at Mullins Park on the Whites Creek Greenway and additional phases are planned for other sites including Hartman Heartland Park along the Stones River Greenway.
Commissioners asked for timing and procurement details; Harrison said procurement timelines depend on workloads in Metro procurement and cannot be precisely predicted until projects are submitted.
