The Red Caboose Park held its first community wide meeting on Sunday January 6, 2019, at The Bellevue Library. This community effort, largely driven by Bellevue Councilwoman Sheri Wiener, has partnered with the The Mayor’s Office, the Metro Council, and Metro Parks to rebuild The Red Caboose Park. A great crowd was in attendance on Sunday and the new plans were unveiled. The new Red Caboose Park playground will feature a large, intricate tree house structure for five- to twelve-year-olds, a smaller tree house structure for two- to five-year-olds, accessible structures, swings, and open spaces. Site plan courtesy of Ragan Smith Associates
There will be a new plaza featuring the newly relocated red caboose, which will welcome visitors, surrounded by personalized bricks saved from the previous playground and newly personalized bricks. Now’s the time to buy your bricks for the new playground. You can personalize your own bricks online and pay for them via VISA/MC. Here’s a link to personalize your own brick! We’ve already personalized two for our family, as the park has brought us years of play and pleasure and we want to be part of this commemoration. That’s My Brick.
Community involvement is encouraged and appreciated as with the previous build. The Park is home to summertime Friday night concerts, the long-running Bellevue Picnic, Easter Egg Hunts, family celebrations, farmer’s markets, and craft fairs. The playground is an iconic part of Bellevue and a symbol of how we work together.
The Rebuild will be completed in the Spring with assistance of volunteers and unveiled at a Dedication Ceremony on June 1, 2019. There are many ways for people to be part of the 2019 Rebuild:
Build Sponsorship: Donors who make contributions of $1,000 or more will receive public recognition at the park, ceremony, and on social media at these levels.
Conductor ($5,000+): Top Donor Board Listing, Recognition at the Dedication Ceremony, and a Write Up in Social Media
Engineer ($3,000-$4,999): Middle Donor Board Listing, Mention at Dedication Ceremony, and Name/Logo in Social Media
Passenger ($1,000-$2,999): Bottom Donor Board Listing, Listing at Dedication Ceremony, and Name in Social Media
Personalized Bench Sponsorship: For a donation of $2,200, individuals and businesses interested in personalizing a bench in the park.
Commemorative Train Donation: Donors who wish to have their own commemorative caboose, may make a $20.19 donation. Commemorative cabooses will be available for pickup at the June 1, 2019 dedication ceremony.
The Rebuild project welcomes all donations about and additional general donations. Gifts, other than the brick purchase can be made by credit card from this page or by mailing a check to the Red Caboose Park Rebuild Fund, c/o The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, 3833 Cleghorn Avenue, Nashville, TN 37215. Any questions about making a donation may be directed by email to Amy Fair or by calling 615-321-4939.
If you are inclined to pitch in on the actual workload, please sign up here. Volunteers will paint the features in the park itself and so some landscaping. Volunteers do not need heavy construction experience or skills, but must be able to lift and hold 50+ pounds and will be required to make connections using bolt hardware, nuts and washers, so volunteers should be able to use power tools and wrenches to make the connections.
Our community has a great opportunity to get involved and remake The Red Caboose Park for generations of family fun!
