3 years after bombing, Nashville wants tourists to give its downtown another chance
3 years after bombing, Nashville wants tourists to give its downtown another chance
Any time disaster strikes, maybe it’s a tornado, a hurricane, or an explosion, the impact on a local economy can be resounding. Take Nashville: On Christmas Day 2020, a bomb went off on a downtown street. One person died — the man who set off the blast — and more than 60 buildings were extensively damaged.
Businesses located along the impacted street were already having a rough go of it. With the pandemic in full swing, and, suddenly, much of the block destroyed, some had to shutter their doors forever. Others, though, persisted. But 3 1/2 years later, business owners say things aren’t much easier.
Inside Cerveza Jack’s, a Mexican cantina in downtown Nashville, patrons munch on tacos and follow orders when the musician on the stage leads a toast to George Strait.
It’s not a full restaurant, but that might be in part because outside Cerveza Jack’s, the sounds are not quite as melodic.
Much of the street is under construction because of the 2020 explosion. It’s just a block away from Nashville’s ultimate tourist destination: lower Broadway — a street filled with honky-tonks, live music and more than 15 million visitors per year.
Now, with construction crews ripping up and rebuilding Second Avenue, businesses have watched foot traffic decline.
Frank Miller, Cerveza Jack’s owner, said revenue is down 60% since construction began.
“My hope is that this is the worst that it’s ever going to be at this point,” Miller said. “I’ve said that for three years now. And it continues to prove me wrong.”
Two doors down, at Mike’s Ice Cream, owner Mike Duguay points out much of the street’s business relies on pedestrians turning onto the street from Broadway. Before the bombing, 27% of visitors turned onto Second Avenue, according to the Nashville Downtown Partnership.
“After the bombing, just because of the look of the next block and the limited businesses, that number dropped to 20%,” Duguay said. “After the erection of the fences to tear up the street that number dropped to 12%.”
That’s why there’s a new local campaign called “Turn the Corner,” funded by a nonprofit and Nashville’s Department of Transportation. They’ve put up big pink signs signaling that Second Avenue is open, and that tourists should come and spend money.
Laurie Johnson, a disaster recovery consultant, said she’s seen efforts like this across the globe, as cities recover from things like earthquakes, terrorist attacks or hurricanes.
“I think New Orleans struggled with this after Hurricane Katrina and sort of restarting that tourist-based revenue,” Johnson said. “‘Hey, we’re back,’ you know, is a very typical campaign you’ll see.”
Johnson said these initiatives can actually be more effective in kick-starting business than a surge of cash.
At Mike’s Ice Cream, signage is helping to attract customers, like Colleen Alton, who ordered a single scoop on a sugar cone. She’s on vacation from the United Kingdom and wandered over from her nearby hotel. But she said it did feel difficult to get to Second Avenue.
“It’s kind of closed off without the trellis and everything outside. You’d see the front of the business mall as you’re walking up close to it,” Alton said. “It’s only because we really saw the ice cream sign.”
The Nashville city council waived the usual permitting processes for affected businesses so they could build outdoor dining spaces, have live music, and advertise from sidewalks. Still, Mike Duguay said he is really looking forward to when construction wraps up.
“By the time this construction is over in January of 2025, we will have not had anything near a normal year for five total years,” Duguay said. “That’s a long time for any business to carry it.” He’s been wanting to expand the ice cream shop, open up more seating on the second floor of his building. But all that’s on hold until Second Avenue is rebuilt.
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