Nashville to cut down cherry trees to make way for NFL draft stage
Correction: A previous version of this story misspelled Metro Parks Horticulturist Randall Lantz' name.
UPDATE: Mayor David Briley announced on Twitter Saturday afternoon that the cherry trees slated to be cut down will instead be removed intact and relocated.
Twenty-one mature cherry trees on public land in downtown Nashville will be removed as part of preparations for the upcoming NFL draft, according to the city.
The trees will come down at 9 a.m. Monday, said Thomas Mulgrew, press secretary for Mayor David Briley. Those that are removed will be replaced, and trees that can be replanted will be, he said. The trees that are cut down will be mulched and used to line trails at other parks.
The 2019 NFL draft is scheduled for April 25-27 in Nashville, centered around the end of lower Broadway near the Cumberland River. The tree removal is necessary to accommodate structures including a giant stage and other logistical elements that will serve as a focal point for the draft, according to the city. Plans for the stage and other structures were released in late January.
The trees' removal would come ahead of the annual Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival, which features a walk along the tree-lined downtown riverfront and is scheduled for April 13.
The Nashville Tree Foundation Board President Noni Nielsen called the removal "incredibly short-sighted" for a one-time event that will last only a few days.
"I’m sure many will say that 21 cherry trees are not material in the grand scheme of things, and we can and should have that discussion," Nielsen said. "But this feels like an inflection point for our city. Are we genuinely committed to a sustainable, livable Nashville? If so, what does that look like in practice?"
► 'Outrageous':Petition to save cherry trees gets thousands of signatures
► First look:Lower Broadway, Nissan Stadium to transform into NFL Draft spectacle
200 cherry trees to be donated
In a statement, Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. President and CEO Butch Spyridon said his organization and the NFL will donate 100 cherry trees each — 200 total — to Metro Parks. Those trees should be planted and blooming by the spring of 2020, he said.
"We know a beautiful city is vital to attract visitors, and we will continue to work with the city to make sure Nashville remains attractive,” Spyridon said.
The trees that are coming down include 10 at the Court of Flags at the foot of Broadway and First Avenue, and 11 that border a walkway starting at Broadway and going up First Avenue North, according to the city. The 21 trees coming down are among 68 total trees in a planting area, the city stated.
The NFL and Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp. are paying for the tree removal, Mulgrew said.
Metro Councilman Freddie O'Connell, whose district includes downtown, expressed concern about the way the plan was implemented.
"I applaud (the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp.) for their ambition and success in securing the NFL draft," O'Connell tweeted Saturday. "In this case, though, actual Nashvillians deserved much great transparency in a decision that will remove beautiful cherry trees just prior to the (Nashville Cherry Blossom Festival)."
The decision to remove the trees
When Metro learned during negotiations over NFL draft plans that the size of the stage and other structures would require that cherry trees be taken down, Metro advised that keeping those trees was a priority, according to the city.
Briley's office discussed removing the trees with Metro Parks Horticulturist Randall Lantz, who planted the majority of the trees a number of years ago.
There are trees in the area that have already died, and others are compromised and should be replaced, according to Lantz. The city views the tree removal as an opportunity to shore up the soil and replant new, healthy trees.
In addition to the 21 trees being removed for the draft preparations, Metro will also replace at least five trees that are are dead, diseased or damaged.
Draft impact
Last year's NFL draft in Dallas last year brought about $74 million in visitor spending and an economic impact estimated at $125 million, according to the Nashville Convention & Visitors Corp.
About 100,000 people per day are estimated to attend the draft that will include national television coverage.
► NFL in Music City:Everything you need to know about the 2019 draft
The plan to removed the trees was announced at a meeting of partners of Root Nashville, a public-private partnership that reports to leadership from Briley’s administration.
The aim of Root Nashville is to plant 500,000 trees in Nashville by 2050.
"Trees help beautify and cool the city, and they help mitigate dramatic flooding, make the ground more resilient to it," Tracey Shafroth said. Shafroth works as an advisor to the Martin Brown family, which has for several decades worked to fund and encourage tree planting across the city.
Even if all the replacement trees survive the transplant, which is not a guarantee, Shafroth said, it would take years or decades for them to grow back to the level of the ones removed.
"We don't plant trees for ourselves, we plant them for our grandchildren," Shafroth said. "They take a long time to grow, and their benefits grow as they grow. These are serious issues."
Road closures for the draft begin Friday
Downtown road closures in anticipation of the NFL draft will begin on Friday, April 5, when First Avenue from Demonbreun to Church Street, and Broadway from First to Second Avenue, will close to allow for stage construction, according to the Metro Nashville Police Department.
► Keep up with what's happening in your city: Get full access to Tennessean.com with a digital subscription
Reach reporter Mariah Timms at mtimms@tennessean.com or 615-259-8344 and on Twitter @MariahTimms.