Local Nonprofits Team Up to Restore Second Avenue

The downtown food-and-beverage biz was hard hit by the Christmas Day bombing. Not only were many of the affected businesses damaged by the blast involved in hospitality, but a lot of the displaced residents of the neighborhood were employees at those same spots. As usual, Nashville helps its own, and groups continue to rally to raise money to aid the physical and emotional recovery of the blocks around Second Avenue.

The DISTRICT Inc. is a nonprofit dedicated to the revitalization of three downtown historic districts — Broadway, Second Avenue/Riverfront and Printers Alley. Acting sort of like a tiny chamber of commerce, The DISTRICT has worked to raise awareness of these neighborhoods and promote positive news about what have in the past been considered some pretty seedy parts of town before the renaissance of the 21st century.

Another nonprofit, The Metro Historical Commission Foundation, is aligned with the Metro Historic Commission to promote its efforts to "identify, protect, study and interpret the rich history of all of Nashville." The Foundation was founded a few years ago to support activities of the Commission over and above those funded in the Metro budget. The organization aims to help preserve historic sites and educate residents and visitors about Nashville’s history.

These two groups have come together to create a fund dedicated to helping to "restore the historic district damaged by the bombing, including supporting structural assessments of and facade repairs to the irreplaceable historic buildings impacted by the explosion."

“The collaboration of these two organizations created a win-win for preservation,” says Tim Walker, executive director of Metro Historical Commission. “Both entities are working toward the same goal to ensure the city's vibrant and unique personality is restored.”

Kelly Kaplan, chairman of the board for The District, Inc., notes, “This fund will help support the building owners of Second Avenue to restore their properties and allow them access to a centralized collection of resources to help them on the path to recovery.”

If you’d like to help out with these worthy efforts, a page has been set up to accept donations to the fund.