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Murfreesboro Photos: The Gateway Overlay District


Relient J

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I think this is my first photos thread on UrbanPlanet.org, so please feel free to post any errors or bugs that might come up. This afternoon I took a stroll through Murfreesboro's Gateway Overlay District. The Gateway has gotten a little bit of discussion here at UP, and I thought it would be helpful to have a thread of recent photos of it.

This is a view from the top of the hill looking down into the Gateway. From close to far you see the Stone Gate Corporate Center, Gateway Medical Plaza, and The Oaks Shopping Center:

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This image is of a typical sidewalk view along Medical Center Parkway:

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This is typical of the signage used along much of Medical Center Parkway:

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Typical median landscaping thoughout the Gateway along Medical Center Parkway:

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The Consumers Insurance building on Wilkinson Pike:

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The back entrance of the first of three proposed buildings that will make up the Stone Gate Corporate Center:

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The front entrance and sign of the Stone Gate Corporate Center:

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Gateway Medical Plaza (the first of two proposed buildings):

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The new Carrabba's restaurant (soon to open) in The Oaks Shopping Center:

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Other shops in The Oaks Shopping Center:

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That's all for now. Let me know what you think of the design and aesthetics of this developing area of Murfreesboro. Thanks for looking!

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Thanks for posting the pics. Unfortunately, this kind of development is totally antithetical to everything that is good and holy in the world. M'boro is a total sprawl-a-thon and this suburban office park type stuff certainly won't help to rectify that in any way.

On a side note, I went to my bank in Maryland farms this afternoon and afterward I stopped to get a gyro in the strip center that's rear abutts the new towne-center road and I saw a new two-story building that actually addresses the street, no parking in front, that had magically appeared. Hope for Brentwood and suburban developments everywhere?

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Thanks for the comments everyone! One thing that's hard to tell from the pictures of The Oaks Shopping Center is that it has buildings on both sides of the parking lot. Having looked at the plan for the shopping center online, it would appear that when it is completed the parking lot will be mostly surrounded on three sides. I'm not sure if that makes it any better or not. I'm not quite as opposed to parking lots as some of you are, though I agree they can be distasteful. I'm not sure how many alternatives are available in the Gateway though. The only one that readily comes to mind at the moment would be parking garages, which look better but can be more difficult to navigate.

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Thanks for the comments everyone! One thing that's hard to tell from the pictures of The Oaks Shopping Center is that it has buildings on both sides of the parking lot. Having looked at the plan for the shopping center online, it would appear that when it is completed the parking lot will be mostly surrounded on three sides. I'm not sure if that makes it any better or not. I'm not quite as opposed to parking lots as some of you are, though I agree they can be distasteful. I'm not sure how many alternatives are available in the Gateway though. The only one that readily comes to mind at the moment would be parking garages, which look better but can be more difficult to navigate.

I'm not opposed to parking lots, ok, that's a lie. I am opposed to parking lots. But for the time being seeing as how they're needed to park our cars on, and since I depend on a car myself, I'll go with it. I think you'll find the objections to this type of development as follows: completely car oriented, not conducive to walking (except to and from your car to whatever store your parked nearest), not creating an aesthetically pleasing environment (and that is a HUGE understatement), and basically excacerbating the problems confronting our society and certainly eroding the liveablity and likeability of our local towns and cities.

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^ I agree that it's unlikely that many people will be walking around the Gateway any time soon, but I wouldn't say it's completely non-conducive to walking. There are sidewalks along Medical Center Parkway throughout the Gateway bordered by trees acting as a buffer between pedestrians and the road. It's a relatively large area (at least from a pedestrian's standpoint) and right now there are restaurants only down at the far end. That could change, but for now it's certainly not totally inconceivable that someone who works in the Gateway Medical Plaza could walk down to Moe's, or Carrabba's, or Wingstop, or the new Jim and Nick's BBQ going up currently. However, your point is well taken. The Gateway definitely primarily serves people arriving by car.

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i probably passed you driving around town today. great shots. basically this is going to turn into what cool springs is. while i like the fact that murfreesboro is getting a lot of businesses and eateries, i'm still not too wild about how they are going about it. if they could turn it into a city square type of setting, maybe put some true boulevards in there i'd be really happy. pedestrian friendly is key here. if they could somehow incorporate it with the greenway trail system, it would be a knockout.

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^ That's a great idea about tying it into the Stones River Greenway system. I believe there's been some talk about including trails in the Gateway. Given that the Manson Pike trailhead (which is actually where I parked to begin my walk today) is but a short walk from the Gateway, it certainly seems conceivable that such a tie-in could happen. I'd really love to see home built in the Gateway myself. One of the city plans calls for that. Perhaps a developer will step forward with a plan.

Edited by Relient J
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do you go on the greenway often? i rode the entire trail the other day. i didn't realize how awesome it really was till i did the whole thing. i was also suprised at how many people actually use it. just think if they made it all connect throughout the city. i wouldn't drive anymore except on rainy days. one trailhead that they could really use is by campus.

Edited by satalac
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^ I haven't been on the trail regularly in a long time. My wife and I used to live at Rivermont Apartments on Thompson Ln., the property of which the Greenway trail borders. We used to walk our dogs on it a lot. I've never done the whole trail all at once, though I've probably walked most if not all of it at different times. It is indeed a beautiful trail.

There are plans to extend the trail from roughly 4.5 miles to 9 miles, though I believe the funding source is Federal, which I do not approve of.

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^ I haven't been on the trail regularly in a long time. My wife and I used to live at Rivermont Apartments on Thompson Ln., the property of which the Greenway trail borders. We used to walk our dogs on it a lot. I've never done the whole trail all at once, though I've probably walked most if not all of it at different times. It is indeed a beautiful trail.

There are plans to extend the trail from roughly 4.5 miles to 9 miles, though I believe the funding source is Federal, which I do not approve of.

That's an excellent idea about connecting the Greenway to the MTSU campus. I believe the students that come here really don't experience downtown or even know one exists because there is limited pedestrian access. I say use what you've got, I really don't see Murfreesboro creating a (mostly) pedestrian friendly district anytime soon. Having the Greenway throughout the city gives easy access to shopping, utilities, restaurants, and maybe even home for some students. The Greenway is maturing quite nicely and its shear beauty is remarkable. The Nashville area recognizes this as well, that's why it has been proposed to extend the Murfreesboro Greenway from the Barfield area (South Church Street) to Percy Priest Lake (Antioch).

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