We Are The District
The DISTRICT is a private 501 (c)(3) non-profit organization dedicated to economic and community revitalization of three historic districts and their contiguous areas in downtown Nashville; Broadway, 2nd Avenue/Riverfront and Printers Alley, collectively known as The DISTRICT.
Its programs seek to foster and stimulate growth of a district identity, community spirit, civic pride and unity while promoting the people in the area and to further retain downtown Nashville’s historic character.
We Are Proud Members of:
• Nashville Downtown Partnership
• Nashville Chamber of Commerce
• Nashville Sports Council
• The Nashville Convention & Visitors Bureau
• Civic Design Center
• The Greater Hospitality Association
A Preserve America Community Neighborhood
The DISTRICT’s commitment to preserving and celebrating downtown Nashville’s historic character received national recognition when First Lady Laura Bush named The DISTRICT one of the first five communities in the nation to receive the designation of Preserve America Community Neighborhood.
The Preserve America initiative recognized communities committed to protecting and celebrating their cultural and historic heritage while using those assets to encourage economic development, education, and community vitality. The designation reflected the very principles upon which The DISTRICT was founded—preserving the unique character of Second Avenue/Riverfront, Lower Broadway, and Printers Alley while supporting their continued growth and evolution.
This national recognition remains an important milestone in The DISTRICT’s history and a testament to the decades of work by property owners, businesses, residents, preservationists, civic leaders, and volunteers dedicated to protecting the historic heart of downtown Nashville.
Our History
The roots of The DISTRICT reach back to the mid-1980s, when Nashville community leaders began looking for new ways to revitalize and protect the city’s historic downtown. The concept was patterned after the National Trust for Historic Preservation’s Main Street Program, an initiative created to help communities bring renewed economic activity and energy to traditional downtown commercial districts while preserving their historic character.
Among those credited with championing the idea locally was Mark Sturdivant, along with other early advocates who envisioned applying the principles of the Main Street Program to Second Avenue North, Lower Broadway, and Printers Alley.
Working in collaboration with Historic Nashville, Inc. and the Metropolitan Historical Commission, the Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency (MDHA) provided a three-year grant of $30,000 per year as seed funding for the new program. The DISTRICT began taking shape under the auspices of Historic Nashville in 1986, with grant funding supporting the program during 1987, 1988, and 1989.
At the same time, the Historic Riverfront Association, a 501(c)(3) organization established in the mid-1980s, was working to promote, preserve, and protect the businesses, residents, and historic buildings along First Avenue North and Nashville’s riverfront. Following the conclusion of the Market Street Festival in 1989, Historic Nashville approached the Historic Riverfront Association about expanding its scope to encompass Second Avenue, Broadway, and Printers Alley.
The association welcomed the opportunity. Because the Historic Riverfront Association already held 501(c)(3) nonprofit status, that organization provided the foundation for the expanded organization that became The DISTRICT.
For nearly four decades, The DISTRICT has worked to protect the character that makes these neighborhoods unique while supporting the businesses, residents, property owners, and organizations that keep downtown Nashville vibrant. Our mission brings together preservation and progress—encouraging thoughtful growth while retaining the historic buildings, streetscapes, businesses, and sense of place that tell Nashville’s story.
Today, The DISTRICT serves as a partnership among the business community, property owners, residents, preservationists, nonprofit organizations, and government agencies with a shared interest in downtown Nashville. Through advocacy, communication, community initiatives, events, and partnerships, we work to identify neighborhood assets, respond to challenges, and help shape positive change throughout the areas we serve.
Our Board is focused on turning goals into results—supporting a downtown where people live, work, shop, dine, play, and visit, while strengthening the identity, community spirit, civic pride, and long-term vitality of Nashville’s historic core.
Preserving the Past.
Supporting the Present.
Shaping the Future.
The neighborhoods The DISTRICT represents have changed tremendously since those early years, but the purpose behind the organization remains remarkably relevant.
Second Avenue/Riverfront, Lower Broadway, and Printers Alley are not simply entertainment districts or collections of historic buildings. Together, they represent generations of Nashville commerce, architecture, music, hospitality, and culture—and remain places where people live, work, own businesses, invest, gather, and welcome millions of visitors each year.
The DISTRICT continues to advocate for these neighborhoods while embracing the thoughtful evolution of downtown Nashville. By bringing together the people and organizations invested in their future, we work to ensure that Nashville’s growth strengthens—not erases—the character and history that made these neighborhoods special in the first place.
Three historic neighborhoods. One shared downtown. The DISTRICT.