For the second year, the Nashville Downtown Partnership and Vanderbilt University are teaming up for the Partnership’s Annual Meeting and Awards Luncheon on Wednesday, Oct. 19, from noon to 1:30 p.m. at the Renaissance Nashville Hotel. This year’s keynote featuring former Tampa Mayor Bob Buckhorn is centered on the success of the Tampa Riverwalk in Florida and how it could serve as a model for the development of Nashville’s riverfront.
Upon completion in 2013, the Tampa Riverwalk became the center of urban Tampa, creating new and expanded economic opportunities, improved neighborhoods and sustained quality of life for all. Event guests will hear a firsthand account of this story from Buckhorn, Tampa’s 58th mayor who led the project to completion, and learn how Nashville can invest similarly in the development of its own riverfront.
“It did not take long for us to see the value in sharing downtown Tampa’s story with our community, given what’s on the horizon for downtown’s next chapter through the redevelopment of our urban riverfront,” said Tom Turner, Nashville Downtown Partnership president and CEO.
“The economic health of Nashville’s downtown core affects the lives of all Nashvillians and is critical to our work at Vanderbilt,” said Vanderbilt University Chancellor Daniel Diermeier. “Prioritizing innovation in the city’s urban centers will provide opportunities to positively shape our region’s social and economic landscape, positioning Nashville and its communities to thrive for the next century.”
In addition to the keynote presentation, the partnership event will recognize individuals and businesses that are shaping and transforming the downtown neighborhood to ensure Nashville’s urban core continues to attract and nurture smart growth. This year’s award winners in the categories of Live, Work, Play and Invest will be announced at the event.
Tickets to the partnership’s Annual Meeting and Awards Luncheon are available for purchase at nashvilledowntown.com/events/annual-meeting.
About Nashville Downtown Partnership
Organized in 1994, the Nashville Downtown Partnership is a private-sector nonprofit corporation and membership organization whose core purpose is “to make downtown Nashville the compelling urban center in the Southeast in which to live, work, play and invest.” For more information, visit nashvilledowntown.com.
About Vanderbilt University
Founded in 1873, Vanderbilt University is globally renowned for its transformative education and research. The university’s 10 schools reside on a park-like campus set in the heart of Nashville, providing a collaborative culture that empowers leaders of tomorrow. Top-ranked in both academics and financial aid, Vanderbilt offers an immersive residential undergraduate experience, with programs in the liberal arts and sciences, engineering, music, education and human development. The university also is home to nationally and internationally recognized graduate schools of law, education, business, medicine, nursing and divinity, and it offers robust graduate degree programs across a range of disciplines. Learn more at vanderbilt.edu.