Cookeville News

[jmtunafish]

Cookeville has something really neat which I haven't seen anywhere else.  All through downtown, they've posted large photographs of old Cookeville as part of a "History Walk" around downtown.  I took pictures of maybe 1/5 of the ones they have posted.  In most cases the old buildings were destroyed by fire.

 

[MLBrumby]

LOL... love the photo of the tow truck and the owner of the Dodge/Plymouth dealership. Leaning back against the car. I'll bet he had a plug in his mouth too.

[opendrawerwhore]

Nice pics.   Is the *Mall still there?  lol

[tragenvol]

I do not believe the suffix "Vegas" was originated with reference to Cookeville.  It's a copy cat moniker borrowed from another iteration; however, I do believe the majority of the folks (from the spokes on Cookeville's wheel) using the suffix are not poking fun at Cookeville, but rather are using the term to express where the action is....

[jmtunafish]

Nice pics.   Is the *Mall still there?  lol

 

Oh gosh, don't get me started on that fiasco.  When the mall was built back in the 70s, it was a pretty nice place.  It was anchored by Harvey's, JCPenney, and one of the first Cracker Barrels.  Later came Service Merchandise.  Harvey's became Peebles, Cracker Barrel moved to a much larger, newer store, and we all know what happened to Service Merchandise.  So the mall floundered.  Then it was bought by some locals with deep pockets who teamed up with whoever developed Providence in Mt Juliet to do something similar, albeit on a smaller scale.  They wanted to tear down the mall and start over with a "lifestyle center."  They even announced in the paper that the stores they were bringing would all be "new to Cookeville."

 

Well, apparently they didn't do their due diligence when they bought the mall and didn't realize that JCPenney got a really plum contract when the mall was built.  Not only is JCPenney's rent almost nothing, but JCPenney has to approve any physical changes to the mall.  And JCPenney kept vetoing the plans to redo the mall.  In the mean time, all the other tenants that were left in the mall were moved to the newer shopping centers on West Jackson, and what was left of the mall became deserted.  Except for JCPenney.  After a few years of having JCPenney reject plan after plan, the mall owners finally gave up and turned the rest of the mall into a giant indoor flea market.  The flea market is no longer there, for the most part, but the old Harvey's/Peebles space is now a very large Planet Fitness, and most of the rest of the mall is filled with local stores including a couple of decent food outlets.  Meanwhile, JCPenney has locked its doors into the mall and stands resolute in its determination to make sure the rest of the mall continues to decay.

 

I hate enclosed malls anyway so I'd just as soon see the thing razed.  With that Shoppes at Eagle Pointe shopping center hopefully breaking ground this summer, I can't imagine that there's any hope for the *mall to ever be redeveloped.

[opendrawerwhore]

That seems like a dumb move by JCP.  Who shops there anymore anyway?  That would be a great spot for Target and Home Depot.

[UTgrad09]

Meanwhile, JCPenney has locked its doors into the mall and stands resolute in its determination to make sure the rest of the mall continues to decay.

 

Does JCP have a never-ending lease as well? Is their no buyout clause? If JCP does not actually *own* their property, it seems that the owner should have SOME remedy. They shouldn't be held hostage by one of their tenants. 

[jmtunafish]

Does JCP have a never-ending lease as well? Is their no buyout clause? If JCP does not actually *own* their property, it seems that the owner should have SOME remedy. They shouldn't be held hostage by one of their tenants. 

 

I've heard that their lease is for 99 years.  I can't imagine what their reasoning is for not wanting the rest of the mall redeveloped.  I'm of course not privy to the negotiations that went on between JCP and the new owners, but for the life of me I just don't get it.  I'm sure that somewhere in their conversations the new owners promised JCP a brand spanking new store, and JCP still said no.  That location is absolutely perfect for some kind of major retail development.  Well, "major" retail development for rural Tennessee.  Now that the mall is pretty much fully leased again I doubt there's much incentive to pursue it for a while.

[tragenvol]

That seems like a dumb move by JCP.  Who shops there anymore anyway?  That would be a great spot for Target and Home Depot

Upper Cumberland grandmothers.

[tragenvol]

I've heard that their lease is for 99 years.  I can't imagine what their reasoning is for not wanting the rest of the mall redeveloped.  I'm of course not privy to the negotiations that went on between JCP and the new owners, but for the life of me I just don't get it.  I'm sure that somewhere in their conversations the new owners promised JCP a brand spanking new store, and JCP still said no.  That location is absolutely perfect for some kind of major retail development.  Well, "major" retail development for rural Tennessee.  Now that the mall is pretty much fully leased again I doubt there's much incentive to pursue it for a while.

Even Great Britain relinquished control over Hong Kong; perhaps my daughter may see a day when JCP is no longer holding the would be shoppers of the Upper Cumberland hostage.

Edited June 19, 2015 by tragenvol

[opendrawerwhore]

Upper Cumberland grandmothers.

Sometimes known as Ma'maw's.  Lol  .  I was told that at one time that JCP at the *Mall was very profitable, but I cannot imagine that it gets nearly the same amount of volume or patronage it once did when it was the only "show" in town.  

[jmtunafish]

Sometimes known as Ma'maw's.  Lol  .  I was told that at one time that JCP at the *Mall was very profitable, but I cannot imagine that it gets nearly the same amount of volume or patronage it once did when it was the only "show" in town.  

 

I'm sure their overhead is pretty low since they've been in that same spot since the 70s.  And they do have that beauty salon that places like Sears, Belk, and Kohl's don't have.  Otherwise, yeah I just don't get it.  If the new owners of the *mall had offered JCP a brand new facility in exchange for their blessing to completely redo the *mall, particularly when faced with competition from Belk and Kohl's which do have brand new facilities, why didn't JCP jump on it?  Idiots.

[jmtunafish]

CHM Development, the same group that has developed the Publix stores in the Knoxville area is developing The Shoppes at Eagle Pointe in Cookeville which will be anchored by Publix, Academy Sports, Ross, Michael's, Five Below, Shoe Carnival, and ULTA.  There will be some outparcels and four new restaurants.  The web site says "Summer 2016" so they should start moving some dirt pretty soon.  This is in a prime location:  Interstate Drive at Walnut Ave right behind Buffalo Wild Wings, Cheddars and Logan's Road House, facing I-40.  There are some massive TVA power lines that cross the area as well as some wetlands, so it'll be interesting to see how they work around all that.

http://chmllc.com/eaglepoint.html

Edited July 24, 2015 by jmtunafish

[UTgrad09]

Looks like a solid mix for Cookeville. Do they currently have any of those stores?

[tragenvol]

Looks like a solid mix for Cookeville. Do they currently have any of those stores?

Totally new retail and grocer to the Cookeville market.

[jmtunafish]

Totally new retail and grocer to the Cookeville market.

The mayor's Facebook page says there will also be four new restaurants to Cookeville.  I'm only speculating, but I could see at least two of them being Panera and Red Robin.  And probably a Qdoba or Chipotle.  Personally, I'd rather see someplace like Taziki's than yet another Mexican casual place but that's just me.  Maybe we can have both.

[Justiceham]

The mayor's Facebook page says there will also be four new restaurants to Cookeville.  I'm only speculating, but I could see at least two of them being Panera and Red Robin.  And probably a Qdoba or Chipotle.  Personally, I'd rather see someplace like Taziki's than yet another Mexican casual place but that's just me.  Maybe we can have both.

Hopefully it will be Chipotle, so I can have somewhere to eat on the way to visit friends in Knoxville. Marshalls and American Eagle would do well in this market, too.

[jmtunafish]

A new TownePlace Suites by Marriott is being built in Cookeville across the street from Sam's Club.  It'll be the first extended-stay hotel in the entire Upper Cumberland area.  I like the design.  It's being built next to the Fairfield Inn by Marriott so that the two can share a common courtyard as well as the Fairfield Inn's indoor pool.

Edited November 6, 2015 by jmtunafish

[tragenvol]

On ‎7‎/‎29‎/‎2015 at 1:04 AM, Justiceham said:

Hopefully it will be Chipotle, so I can have somewhere to eat on the way to visit friends in Knoxville. Marshalls and American Eagle would do well in this market, too.

Chipotle is a go...if this thing ever breaks ground.

[jmtunafish]

San Antonio Taco Company is set to open its first location outside of Nashville in Cookeville.  Cookeville's Mayor Shelton posted on the city's Facebook page that Satco is going to go into the old Bobby Q's building on North Washington just around the corner from Tech and will include an outdoor patio.  (Bobby Q's has relocated to the courthouse square.)  The new Satco should be open by August 1.

 

[timmay143]

Wow!

[jmtunafish]

A Tru by Hilton hotel is being built next to the Holiday Inn across the street from Sam's Club.  This will be around the corner from the TownePlace Suites by Marriott which was started a few weeks ago and is almost dried in.

 

[memphian]

My little college town is growing up! 

[tragenvol]

On 4/15/2016 at 7:11 PM, jmtunafish said:

San Antonio Taco Company is set to open its first location outside of Nashville in Cookeville.  Cookeville's Mayor Shelton posted on the city's Facebook page that Satco is going to go into the old Bobby Q's building on North Washington just around the corner from Tech and will include an outdoor patio.  (Bobby Q's has relocated to the courthouse square.)  The new Satco should be open by August 1.

 

I think this is a great location for SATCO; just around the corner from Tech in a shopping center that has been reclaimed from the depths of hell.  I shop at the IGA from time...it's handy.  The liquor store is upscale.  Lots of Tech students foot traffic from the area and the adjacent apartment complexes which should help establish it as a Tech hangout.

Driving by the area yesterday on 12th, I noticed when I stopped at the railway crossing that there was more work being done between 12th and those new apartment complexes....Elk Mountain had heavy equipment on site. 

[jmtunafish]

11 hours ago, tragenvol said:

I think this is a great location for SATCO; just around the corner from Tech in a shopping center that has been reclaimed from the depths of hell.  I shop at the IGA from time...it's handy.  The liquor store is upscale.  Lots of Tech students foot traffic from the area and the adjacent apartment complexes which should help establish it as a Tech hangout.

Driving by the area yesterday on 12th, I noticed when I stopped at the railway crossing that there was more work being done between 12th and those new apartment complexes....Elk Mountain had heavy equipment on site. 

I think the heavy equipment at 12th & the RR crossing is for the bike & walking trail they're building to Algood (and, eventually, all the way up the mountain to Monterey).  It looks like the trail is starting to take shape.

As for the new Satco, I drove by there today, and sure enough the sign is out front saying that Satco is coming.  I can't figure out where the patio is supposed to go.  There doesn't seem to be much room between the building and the street.  Maybe they're going to take part of the parking lot?