Downtown Nashville could soon get its first public restrooms, and city planners want to hear from residents before deciding where they should go.
The Nashville Downtown Partnership has partnered with Pillars Development to launch a new planning initiative aimed at identifying the best locations and features for future public restroom facilities in the urban core. The effort is funded through the 2026 Downtown Public Safety Grant, which the partnership secured in collaboration with Metro Nashville.
This early phase of the project centers on gauging community needs, scouting potential sites and building out recommendations that improve cleanliness, health and accessibility across downtown. Beyond restrooms, the grant also covers upgrades to downtown infrastructure, outreach services and public safety measures.
Planners will study existing conditions downtown, evaluate possible locations, look at restroom models used in other cities and weigh the practical realities of maintaining and operating new facilities. The findings will shape future conversations about whether and how public restrooms get built in the area.
“We encourage everyone with an interest in downtown Nashville, and Nashville as a whole, to participate in this conversation and help identify solutions that meet the needs of our growing community,” said Edward Henley III, founding principal of Pillars Development.
The partnership plans to work closely with downtown residents, employees, business and property owners, visitors and other community stakeholders throughout the process to pinpoint the most practical locations for the facilities.
Pillars Development brings a track record of shaping major projects across Davidson County, including the SoBro Master Plan, Imagine East Bank and the Metro Nashville Parks Master Plan.
Final findings and recommendations from the restroom study are expected later this year.
Nashville residents can weigh in at a public meeting scheduled for Tuesday, Aug. 11, from 6 to 7:30 p.m. at The Downtown Presbyterian Church, located at 154 Rep. John Lewis Way N. Pillars Development will walk attendees through the project’s goals, share early findings and collect community feedback.