NASHVILLE, TN — A new picnic pavilion is now under construction in Hadley Park near the corner of 28th Avenue North and Albion Street.
“I’m excited to see improvements in Hadley Park that are worthy of its historical significance to Nashville,” said Metro Parks Director Monique Horton Odom.
The picnic pavilion will replace an older picnic shelter that was built in the 1960s that had reached the end of its lifespan. The striking, butterfly-roofed pavilion is designed to anchor this high-profile corner of the park and celebrate the culture of the surrounding community with colorful, patterned ceiling panels inspired by African textiles, examples are pictured above.
A new masonry monument sign at the street will also incorporate the textile motif as well as the name of the park (official name pending a decision by the Tennessee Historical Commission). The project is scheduled to be completed this fall.
Situated between Fisk University and Tennessee State University, two historically African American institutions, the L-shaped park is shaded by large-canopy trees, including hickory, ash, and elm, which dot the rolling terrain. Located within the southern portion of the grounds are picnic shelters, two baseball diamonds, a playground, and open, grassy fields, all encircled by a paved walking trail that meanders just within the perimeter of rectilinear streets. The northern section of the park contains the bandshell and is home to the Hadley Park Community Center, fronted by a U-shaped parking area. Farther north is the Hadley Park Tennis Center, opened in 2018, with nine outdoor hard courts and four indoor courts laid out in grid-like fashion.
It is the mission of Metro Parks and Recreation to sustainably and equitably provide everyone in Nashville with an inviting network of parks and greenways that offer health, wellness, and quality of life through recreation, conservation, and community.