Cheekwood has engaged HASTINGS, a Nashville-based, nationally renowned architecture firm, to design the optimal parking facility that will preserve the serenity of the landscape. Per our agreement with Metro Parks and Metro Planning Commission, construction on the new facility will begin in 2026.
The state-of-the-art facility will provide parking for 750 vehicles, and include several EV charging stations, an easy rideshare drop-off and pick-up area, a new ticketing center, an expansive 28,000 square-foot green roof, new gardens, and a sustainable rainwater harvesting system. The project is anticipated to cost $25 million, and we are following a strict timeline to ensure its completion in 2027, to meet the construction milestones of our current agreement with Metro Parks.
The design of the facility ensures that it seamlessly integrates into the beauty of Cheekwood, preserving the landscape and gardens while making parking simpler and more accessible for all Cheekwood visitors.
There’s no other way to say it: The new parking facility is essential as we believe in Cheekwood’s future—where love grows!
The Architect
HASTINGS, a nationally acclaimed firm based in Nashville, Tennessee, specializes in architecture, interior design, and urban planning. HASTINGS works throughout the United States across a diverse range of typologies – including cultural, music and entertainment, academic, commercial, multifamily, and hospitality. The firm is dedicated to delivering award-winning, sustainable designs that honor the environment and reflect local culture. HASTINGS is currently ranked the #3 architecture firm in the United States by ARCHITECT magazine and has been featured in publications including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, Wallpaper, Architectural Record, and Interior Design. Their accolades include over 100 design awards and 150 LEED certifications.
The Contractor
Founded in 1941, R.C. Mathews Contractor is one of Middle Tennessee’s most trusted and forward-thinking builders. Known for leadership in sustainability, concrete structures, and progressive construction methods, they deliver projects that last generations. Specializing in nonprofit and parking garage projects, R.C. Mathews has completed more than 30 nonprofit facilities and over 5,000 parking spaces in Nashville. Their portfolio includes some of Nashville’s most iconic spaces, including the Fisher Center and Frist College of Medicine at Belmont University, Vanderbilt University’s E. Bronson Ingram College, and expansions and renovations to the Ryman Auditorium, the Belcourt Theatre, and the Hermitage Hotel.
The Team
Design & Construction:
- Architect: HASTINGS
- General Contractor: R. C. Mathews
- Geotechnical Engineer: UES Geotechnical Services
- Surveyor: Cherry Land Surveying Inc.
- Civil Engineer: Barge Cauthen & Associates
- Structural Engineer: EMC Structural Engineers, P.C.
- Mechanical & Electrical Engineer: Power Management Corporation
- Landscape Architect: HDLA
Cheekwood:
- Jane MacLeod, President & CEO
- Dan Miller, Executive Vice President & Chief Financial Officer
- Beth Murdock, Executive Vice President & Chief Operations Officer
- Peter Grimaldi, Senior Vice President, Gardens
- Sarah Sperling, Senior Vice President, External Relations & Museum Affairs
- David Cobb, Vice President, Facilities & Construction
- Emily Luxen, Director of External Relations & Neighborhood Liaison
Donate today and help ensure Cheekwood’s Future
Acknowledging Our Past, Building the Future
Built between 1929 and 1932, Cheekwood Estate & Gardens is considered one of the nation’s finest remaining Country Place Era estates. Mabel and Leslie Cheek built their home and estate far enough outside downtown Nashville to enjoy the land’s rolling hills and unspoiled vistas while still accessible to friends and visitors.
As visitors approached the estate through the grand front gates, the winding driveway eased guests into the tranquil setting and provided an exhilarating moment as the Mansion revealed itself around the bend and atop the tallest hill.
Almost 100 years later, Cheekwood visitors still experience that moment of awe as they enter our historic front gates. Since Cheekwood opened as a public botanic garden and museum of art in 1960, we have added numerous visitor amenities, formal gardens, and outdoor sculptures. But, through all these evolutions, Cheekwood’s rolling hills and breathtaking vistas remain the centerpiece of every visitor’s experience.
The new Parking Pavilion & Welcome Plaza will honor the original design and historic landscape by maintaining an exhilarating arrival as guests enter past the historic main gates and into the new facility seamlessly. With easy-to-navigate entrances and exits set into our iconic landscape, guests will experience a welcoming arrival to Cheekwood.
More than just a new, accessible parking facility, we’re building a new component of the guest experience that will enable our many visitors to continue to believe in Cheekwood for decades to come.
Donate today and help ensure Cheekwood’s Future
Why Parking and Why Now?
For over 40 years, Cheekwood has partnered with Metro Parks to expand our parking capacity on adjacent parkland just outside our gates. Many of our guests have experienced the long walk from the overflow gravel lots on mulched pathways to Cheekwood’s front gates. While these lots allowed more visitors to experience Cheekwood than ever before, they were never ideal. Nonetheless, the overflow parking enabled Cheekwood to welcome countless happy visitors to our cornerstone events, making it the cultural landmark it is today. Cheekwood Harvest, Holiday LIGHTS, El Día de los Muertos—and exhibitions like Chihuly at Cheekwood—all these and more are dependent on parking.
We are grateful to the City and Metro Parks for the longstanding agreement that allowed our many visitors to access Cheekwood. As that agreement ends in 2027, it is time for Cheekwood to seize its future and its destiny!
In agreement with Metro Parks and the Metro Planning Commission, construction of the new parking facility will begin in 2026 and must be completed in 2027.
