Nashville to study downtown riverbank safety after death of Riley Strain

Following the disappearance and death of Missouri student Riley Strain in March and another man's fall from a steep downtown riverbank a few days later, Metro Nashville is embarking on an analysis of Cumberland riverbank safety.

Nashville's council unanimously approved a resolution Tuesday requesting multiple Metro departments to produce a report of "recommended changes to increase the safety, security, housing resources for the unhoused, and cleanliness" of property abutting the Cumberland River within the downtown interstate loop.

The analysis will focus on safety and cleanliness concerns about the increasingly popular riverfront in addition to the safety and wellbeing of unhoused Nashvillians who live around the river. That includes consideration of lighting, fences and "safe access points" around hazardous areas to "prevent future tragic incidents from occurring."

District 19 Council member Jacob Kupin said he aimed to shape this request with a collaborative approach. And while Kupin filed the legislation in late March, it is not entirely spurred by Strain's death.

"From a bigger picture, I've been working on challenges like this since the beginning of my term, and I know it's been worked on since before I was here as well as far as it pertains to litter and housing, other challenges along the riverfront," he said.

Strain, 22, went missing after being kicked out of Luke's 32 Bridge Food and Drink on Broadway. A work crew found his body two weeks later, about eight miles downriver from where he was last seen on Gay Street downtown. Authorities do not suspect foul play, and a preliminary autopsy found Strain's death appears to be accidental.

The resolution asks that a final report be submitted to Metro Council by March 8, 2025, the one-year anniversary of the last time Strain was seen alive.

The report will include:

• Evaluation of current safety infrastructure and recommendations to improve safety without restricting riverfront access or views

• Analysis and reduction strategy for litter on the riverfront

• Consideration of the needs of unhoused residents along the riverbank, including services and housing

• Review of security blindspots along the riverbank and suggested changes, in addition to an account of current camera locations, which departments have access to them and what their recording and retention policies are

• Review of any legal changes needed to move toward these goals

In the meantime, the resolution calls for Metro departments to take steps toward immediate remedies, including securing dangerous areas (particularly along the Gay Street riverfront) with temporary or permanent barriers, commencing regular litter cleanups and engaging with unhoused residents in the area.

The land surrounding the river is owned by Metro, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and private entities. The report will also include a list detailing what entity is responsible for each parcel and estimated costs of complying with the report's recommendations.

River businesses voice support for study; one resident says it's too 'broad'

Annie Klaver is the manager captain and owner-operator of River Queen Voyages, founded in 2015. The business provides kayaks, river scavenger hunts and a pedal pontoon. Without regular downtown riverboat patrols, the company also serves as "eyes and ears for people in distress on the water and on the banks," Klaver told council members Tuesday.

Klaver spoke of the Imagine East Bank Vision Plan's emphasis on recentering the river with park spaces and activities.

"The new stadium is ushering in a new era for the East Bank, and we encourage the council to include and incorporate the use of the Cumberland River into budgeting and planning," she said. "For those of us who are on the East Bank nearly every day of the season, this means supporting the small local businesses that invested in providing the city with safe, fun, family-friendly outdoor recreational alternatives to Broadway."

Andrew Ostrowski of Boat Rental Nashville also spoke in favor of the study. His company, in partnership with other businesses like Klaver's, hosts around 40,000 people each year on the river, he said. He's hopeful that the city will ultimately support initiatives like water taxis.

"This is a great start to just bringing visibility to the river, getting people on the water," he said.

Nashville resident Steve Ryder spoke against the legislation, calling it "overly broad."

"I will object to any type of barrier to access the Cumberland River," he said. "It's not Metro's unilateral exercise of their judgment to decide where and when I can access that river. If I want to go out there and take my kayak out there, I have every right to do that."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nashville studies Cumberland River safety after Missouri student death