At the corner of Harding Pike and White Bridge Road, where Belle Meade Plaza used to be, the concrete trucks keep working after dark. The Belle Meade Village construction update says to expect one or two night pours a week. Blasting and excavation are substantially complete, and concrete work will "continue throughout the next year." Under that garage deck is a piece of the Richland Creek Greenway that does not exist yet. Metro says the developer will build it, and it will open when the project is complete.
That is how this end of the greenway works now. The fall closures are Metro fixing and replacing trail that is already there. The new mileage near Belle Meade is tied to two private construction projects, so the dates that matter to anyone using this trail are construction dates for two buildings.
What Is Closed Right Now, and Roughly Until When
Metro Parks lists two active closures on the Richland Creek Greenway this fall. The Parks and Recreation closures page was updated October 14, 2026.
| Segment | What's happening | Dates |
|---|---|---|
| Trailhead and parking lot at 22 White Bridge Road, at the NES substation | Closed for construction | August 10 through November 6, 2026 |
| Boardwalk from Colorado Avenue to the 51st Avenue area | Closed for replacement | Began October 11, expected to last about 11 to 14 weeks |
The trailhead closure is listed through November 6, a little over two weeks from this post's date. The boardwalk is a longer wait. Eleven to 14 weeks from October 11 puts it somewhere between late December 2026 and mid-January 2027. Plan on walking around that stretch through the holidays. A shorter repair near the Knob Road trailhead ran August 24 through 28 and is done.
Metro's notice comes with aerial maps of the closed segments but no written detour. Check the closures page before heading out, since it gets updated as the work moves along.
The New Mileage Belongs to Two Construction Projects
Metro keeps a list of greenway plans and projects, and two entries on it sit at the Belle Meade end of Richland Creek. Both are marked as greenways being built in partnership with new private development.
- Belle Meade Village, 0.38 miles. The developer will build trail from Highway 70S through the new development along Richland Creek. It passes under White Bridge Road, crosses the back of the Ingram property, and connects to the existing trailhead at the Old White Bridge. The easement has been dedicated, and the greenway will open when the project is completed.
- NOVEL Richland Creek, 0.15 miles. Metro lists it as under construction and slated to open in fall 2027.
Together that is a little over half a mile. Greenways for Nashville puts the Richland Creek Greenway at McCabe Park at 4.1 miles, so these two pieces add only about an eighth to the length. Where they sit is what makes them matter. The Belle Meade Village segment would run under White Bridge Road and link Harding Pike to the existing trail. That crossing is short, but it is the one that ties the Belle Meade side of the corridor into the rest of the greenway.
Why the Opening Date Is a Building Date
Belle Meade Village is AJ Capital Partners' redevelopment of Belle Meade Plaza at 4500 Harding Pike. The developer describes a 15.5-acre site set for completion in 2028. It plans green space, public walkways, and parks across about 60% of the property, "including the activation of Richland Creek and connection to its namesake greenway." The developer says that connection links to the Sylvan Park neighborhood and McCabe Park.
Construction started in October 2025. Per the Summer 2026 update, vertical construction on the retail village and condominiums starts after the below-grade garage is finished. The Nashville Post reports the residential side as two condominium buildings with 46 residences each, plus retail and a boutique hotel. On its Belle Meade Village portfolio page, AJ Capital Partners describes seven two- and three-story buildings arranged around a central courtyard and anchored by an antique carousel, with more than 40 storefronts, a members' club, and a boutique hotel.
Metro says the trail opens "when the project is completed," and the developer sets completion for 2028. The Belle Meade Village segment arrives with the garage, the condos, and the storefronts, on the same 2028 timeline.
NOVEL Richland Creek is on a slightly faster track. Crescent Communities and Stockbridge Capital Group are building it on the former Stein Mart site in Lion's Head Village, near White Bridge Pike and Harding Pike. Crescent announced the groundbreaking on May 7, 2026. The plan is 277 apartment homes and about 4,800 square feet of ground-floor retail. The project's own site gives 2028 for completion. Metro's fall 2027 target for its 0.15 miles of greenway falls before that. Trader Joe's, next door in Lion's Head Village, is an existing grocery and not part of the new project.
The other extension people sometimes ask about runs from the White Bridge trailhead toward St. Thomas Hospital, and it is less settled. Metro's adopted FY2025–26 capital budget lists a "Richland Creek Greenway – St Thomas segment" in planning, with a total cost of $1,446,900 to be funded by proposed general obligation bonds. Parks Board minutes from June 2025 say that extension was supposed to come with the Harding Town development, which had paused. For now it stays in the planning column.
A Different Walk While the Boardwalk Is Out
With the Colorado Avenue boardwalk closed into the new year, Percy Warner Park is a short drive down Highway 100 from Belle Meade. Friends of Warner Parks has a newly restored grassland there called Clare's Meadow. It sits where the Mossy Ridge Trail, blazed red, meets the Cane Connector Trail, blazed red and white. The group says it is especially beautiful from late spring through fall, while the native grasses and wildflowers are in bloom.
Friends of Warner Parks gives the quickest way in on foot:
- Park at the Vaughn's Creek Trailhead on Highway 100.
- Take the Cane Connector trail to the paved road near Sycamore Grove Shelter.
- Turn left on the paved road. The meadow will be up on your right.
To drive closer, turn onto Gaucho Road from Old Hickory Boulevard. Follow it past the Steeplechase Grandstand, bear left at the fork, continue past Talley Bluff, and the meadow will be on your left before you reach Sycamore Grove Shelter. The group is restoring more grassland at the Burch Reserve and in Edwin Warner Park.
The trails out there have had their own work this year. Over the summer, the Friends of Warner Parks S.W.E.A.T. crew repaired a bridge, added trail signs, cleared debris left by Winter Storm Fern, armored slopes, and improved drainage. If you want to help, the group's volunteer calendar has a volunteer hike on Saturday, November 7, from 8 to 9:30 a.m. An invasive-plant "Pullin' Party" follows from 10 a.m. to noon.
While the White Bridge Trailhead Is Still Closed
Metro lists the White Bridge Road trailhead closure through November 6. Until then, there are some easy outings within a mile or two of the construction fencing, starting at Belle Meade Historic Site & Winery at 5025 Harding Pike.
- Sunday, October 25, 1 to 4 p.m. The site's free family Trick-or-Treat has candy stations, crafts, hayrides, games, a hay maze, and therapy pets.
- Sunday, October 25, 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. The last Victorian Spiritualism after-hours tour of the season includes a cocktail reception, history presentations, and a nighttime visit to the mausoleum.
- Thursday, October 29, 6 to 8:30 p.m. Witching Hour: A Craft & Coven Social takes place at Bonnie's.
The full lineup is on the Belle Meade events page. Once the trailhead lot reopens, the White Bridge end of the greenway is usable again, though the boardwalk closure is still in place to the north. The Belle Meade Village segment, the one that would carry the trail under White Bridge Road toward Harding Pike, stays off the map until the buildings around it are finished in 2028.
If you're keeping an eye on how Belle Meade Village and NOVEL Richland Creek will change the corner of Harding Pike and White Bridge Road, I'm glad to talk it through, whether you're walking it every morning or wondering what it means for a home nearby. Brock Daniel Mixon is always happy to share what he's learning about this part of town. Let's Connect.
