Cookeville News

[jmtunafish]

2 hours ago, memphian said:

The condo market really doesn't surprise me since Cookeville has, in the past 20 years, really embraced its university town status. It doesn't hurt that TECH is really close to downtown and the two districts along with the medical district are naturally merging. It will be fun to see how it all matures. It wonder if city leadership ever visits other university towns to gather ideas on smart growth (growth which will generate tourism dollars and further development)? I am in Cambridge, England this week and this city is amazing. You can't quite compare Cambridge to anything in the US but there are elements which can be borrowed. Closer to home Oxford, MS or Athens, GA would be good places from which to learn.

I totally agree.  With the university and the hospital right on the doorsteps of downtown, the downtown housing market has always been healthy.  If you've been to Cookeville, you know that the neighborhoods between downtown and the hospital and Tech are full of beautiful homes, many owned by those affiliated with either the university or the hospital.  For someone looking to live or retire in a nice home within walking distance of much of what they do on a daily basis, it's hard to beat Cookeville.  I'm going to post some homes in that neighborhood which have recently sold.  While these are expensive by small-town Tennessee standards, they're a bargain compared to larger towns.

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/235-N-Dixie-Ave-Cookeville-TN-38501/41991089_zpid/?fullpage=true

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/216-Mahler-Ave-Cookeville-TN-38501/70537710_zpid/?fullpage=true

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/430-N-Jefferson-Ave-Cookeville-TN-38501/41990871_zpid/?fullpage=true

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/419-N-Jefferson-Ave-Cookeville-TN-38501/41990895_zpid/?fullpage=true

https://www.zillow.com/homedetails/314-E-8th-St-Cookeville-TN-38501/41987896_zpid/?fullpage=true

As far as the city doing more to take advantage of the university, just the other day the director of the city's downtown development office ("CityScape") said the city's next streetscape project is to remake Cedar Avenue:  replace telephone poles with decorative lamps, bury utility wires, and add bike lanes.  Cedar Avenue connects the Depot to Tech and also skirts the east side of the hospital.  It's all going to coincide with the construction of the Hilton conference center on the south side of the Depot.  The WestSide/Cream City area by the Depot has become a wildly popular area for restaurants, pubs, galleries, little shops, a couple of museums, and microbreweries.  The city wants to make it easier for Tech students to walk or ride their bikes to the WestSide.  Here's how it looks on Google Streetview (2014), facing north towards Tech:

 

Edited July 24, 2018 by jmtunafish

[jmtunafish]

On 7/9/2018 at 2:03 PM, jmtunafish said:

Local artist and bicycle enthusiast Brad Sells created "Spokes" at the beginning of the Tennessee Central Trail, a paved bike trail that connects downtown Cookeville to Tennessee Tech to downtown Algood.  It's situated across the RR tracks from Cookeville's Depot Museum in the historic Cream City neighborhood downtown.

I don't know what happened to those images.  Here they are:

[memphian]

Wow, Cedar was gritty  back when I was in college but that was a different time. It’s fun to see Cookeville grow. The concerts downtown at the bandstand add to the charm and the hotel downtown will definitely change things. Will this be the smallest downtown in TN to have a hotel and conference center? I guess Clarksville has the riverside inn but the population is considerably larger. I don’t think M’boro has one downtown. Franklin is building one or two. Anyway, rambling on but it makes Cookeville unique.

[jmtunafish]

2 hours ago, memphian said:

Wow, Cedar was gritty  back when I was in college but that was a different time. It’s fun to see Cookeville grow. The concerts downtown at the bandstand add to the charm and the hotel downtown will definitely change things. Will this be the smallest downtown in TN to have a hotel and conference center? I guess Clarksville has the riverside inn but the population is considerably larger. I don’t think M’boro has one downtown. Franklin is building one or two. Anyway, rambling on but it makes Cookeville unique.

From what I've heard, about 20 years or so ago the city entertained the idea of building a conference center down by the interstate.  Downtown was pretty dead back then.  I'm so glad they didn't do it.  Having it downtown makes a lot more sense today, particularly by the Depot where so much is taking place and closer to Tech and the hospital.  I don't know when you were at Tech, but this might look familiar, the corner of Broad and Cedar in the 1980s, across Cedar from the Depot:

That same corner today:

 

And the Cream City area back in the day:

and today:

 

Edited July 25, 2018 by jmtunafish

[memphian]

I was there in the mid and late 1990’s.  It was a great, albeit sleepy, place back then. I remember the streetscape stuff. It got a big boost during the Tennessee Bicentenial. Also, the college kids at that time were infatuated with the coffee shop culture (FRIENDS)  so that helped to put younger folks on the square when Poets opened. That had to help in some way, I guess by allowing developers to see the hidden gem that was in plain sight. 

[jmtunafish]

Another full-service hotel has been announced for Cookeville.  The former Racetrac gas station on South Willow Ave has been demolished and its gas tanks removed to make way for a full-service Holiday Inn which will also include a rooftop bar and restaurant.

 

Turfway Entertainment has finalized its purchase of 6.5 acres at the corner of South Walnut Ave and Veterans Drive (behind the new Publix and across the street from the fairgrounds) and has released a rendering of its entertainment complex which it hopes to open by this spring.  It'll contain a 20-lane bowling alley with full-service dining, bumper cars, a 2-story state-of-the-art laser tag, 3-story climbing structure, arcade with prize redemptions, sports bar, party rooms, and a restaurant. 

 

A new shopping center is in the works for the corner of 10th Street and Old Kentucky Road on the northeast part of town.  It'll be anchored by a grocery store with gas pumps although the name of the store hasn't been released  yet.  About half the people in town swear they've heard it's going to be another Kroger, and the other half swear it's going to be a Food City which would be Food City's first location in Middle Tennessee.  I'm hoping for a Kroger.  The developer hopes to get construction started soon after the new year.  This is a largely residential area with some pricey neighborhoods in the area, so I think a more upscale Kroger would do well here.  There's a Walmart Supercenter and a bunch of fast food joints a few hundred yards away on the other side of Hwy 111 in Algood.

[memphian]

I read that Food City would be the store but can’t remember if it was the Herald-Citizen or the UC Business Journal saying it. Now that I’m back in Middle Tennessee it sounds like a Cookeville trip should be made!

[tragenvol]

3 hours ago, memphian said:

I read that Food City would be the store but can’t remember if it was the Herald-Citizen or the UC Business Journal saying it. Now that I’m back in Middle Tennessee it sounds like a Cookeville trip should be made!

I think the H-C published that Food City was looking to get to market in Cookeville; I am in half of those that believe this to be another Kroger coming to town.

[jmtunafish]

On 7/24/2018 at 8:09 AM, memphian said:

The condo market really doesn't surprise me since Cookeville has, in the past 20 years, really embraced its university town status. It doesn't hurt that TECH is really close to downtown and the two districts along with the medical district are naturally merging. It will be fun to see how it all matures. It wonder if city leadership ever visits other university towns to gather ideas on smart growth (growth which will generate tourism dollars and further development)? I am in Cambridge, England this week and this city is amazing. You can't quite compare Cambridge to anything in the US but there are elements which can be borrowed. Closer to home Oxford, MS or Athens, GA would be good places from which to learn.

There are more condos under construction.  What used to be a decrepit old trailer park on a large hill just west of Jefferson near I-40, on Scenic Drive, has been demolished to make way for luxury condos.  I don't know how many are planned, but the paper said they'll be in the $300k+ range.  I know that price doesn't sound like luxury by Nashville standards, but that's a small fortune for a condo in Cookeville.  Apparently, they can't build them fast enough.  Another block of old houses/apartments west of Tech is being razed to make way for higher-end townhouses, too.

Edited October 26, 2018 by jmtunafish

[jmtunafish]

7 hours ago, memphian said:

I read that Food City would be the store but can’t remember if it was the Herald-Citizen or the UC Business Journal saying it. Now that I’m back in Middle Tennessee it sounds like a Cookeville trip should be made!

 

3 hours ago, tragenvol said:

I think the H-C published that Food City was looking to get to market in Cookeville; I am in half of those that believe this to be another Kroger coming to town.

Yes, the H-C published a quote from the city's economic development office which said Food City was among a long list of retailers and restaurants interested in coming to Cookeville.  I'm with tragenvol, I hope it's a Kroger.  But I think it's a crapshoot since Kroger has pulled back on its expansions and Food City has been interested in coming to Cookeville for some time, apparently.  I'm sure Food City would then march westward into the booming eastern Nashville suburbs, too (Lebanon, Mt Juliet, Murfreesboro, etc.).  But I still hope it's a Kroger since Kroger knows how to do more upscale stores, and the northeast part of Cookeville is home to some of the Upper Cumberland's toniest neighborhoods.

The lone Kroger in Cookeville used to be the nicest store in town, but Publix has put it to shame.  And Publix is doing a very brisk business in Cookeville.  If Kroger wants to stay relevant, they need to either completely overhaul their current store, or build a brand new one from scratch which this new shopping center would allow them to do.

Edited October 26, 2018 by jmtunafish

[memphian]

I used to work at Holiday Inn (now a Clarion) and Kroger when I was a student at TECH. Kroger was okay but I’m sure Publix does put it to shame, Bi-Lo did back when it came to town. Food City might be a good catalyst for Kroger to up their game. I guess they still have Food Lion as well. Definitely NOT a food dessert. 

Why all these condos? Is it still a hot retirement market or are younger people moving there in higher numbers? It’s a great location, just needs a few more amenities. I’m shocked by the prices.

Edited October 27, 2018 by memphian

[jmtunafish]

On 10/26/2018 at 4:52 PM, memphian said:

I used to work at Holiday Inn (now a Clarion) and Kroger when I was a student at TECH. Kroger was okay but I’m sure Publix does put it to shame, Bi-Lo did back when it came to town. Food City might be a good catalyst for Kroger to up their game. I guess they still have Food Lion as well. Definitely NOT a good dessert. 

Why all these condos? Is it still a hot retirement market or are younger people moving there in higher numbers? It’s a great location, just needs a few more amenities. I’m shocked by the prices.

The Food Lion on Jackson (what used to be Bi-Lo) is actually a really nice store.  It used to be where I did the bulk of my shopping until Publix opened.  A lot of people still go to Kroger because of the fuel points, but Food City also has gas pumps so if this store ends up being a Food City instead of another Kroger, Kroger is really going to have to do some soul searching or else it'll be playing 3rd string in Cookeville.

You'd be surprised how many wealthy people are moving to Cookeville.  A couple of years ago Cookeville was singled out as a favorite destination for rich millennials:  "A 2016 study by Phoenix Marketing International found that the fastest-growing millionaire populations in the country are not in big luxury cities but smaller towns like Mount Airy, N.C.; Cookeville, Tenn.; and Kalispell and Bozeman, Mont."

http://www.newgeography.com/content/005227-where-millionaires-are-moving

I have no idea why this is the case, nor do I know who these people are.  I suspect some might be former Tech students retiring in the shadows of their alma mater.  Others may want to be big fish in a little pond.  I go to church with a fellow who installs satellite dishes, and he told me I'd be surprised to find out how many country music stars and executives have homes in Cookeville, not to mention all those who have homes around Center Hill Lake.  Or maybe some of these rich millennials just want to live in a tax-friendly state in a great town where their dollars will go further, like buying a luxury house with acreage or on a golf course for $500k that would cost double in places like Franklin.  

Edited October 27, 2018 by jmtunafish

[memphian]

It’s odd but yet it’s not. Cookeville is a great town in which to raise a family; good schools, medical care, and close to 3 of the bigger TN cities. It has a lot going for it. On the other side, who services these people?  And why doesn’t Target see this information?  LOL (I know the region is poor)

I go skiing in Kalispell, MT each year and it’s amazing! Not too different from Cookeville except it has a real airport and doesn’t have a real university like TECH.

I’ve thought about moving back but only after I finish my PhD. (I’d want to teach)

 

 

[tragenvol]

14 hours ago, memphian said:

I used to work at Holiday Inn (now a Clarion) and Kroger when I was a student at TECH. Kroger was okay but I’m sure Publix does put it to shame, Bi-Lo did back when it came to town. Food City might be a good catalyst for Kroger to up their game. I guess they still have Food Lion as well. Definitely NOT a good dessert. 

Short-lived as a Clarion...now Quality.  Kroger has spent money and refurbished the store in town, but even bleeding business to Publix doesn't help that catastrophe of a parking lot.

 

[memphian]

It didn’t have very good reviews as a Clarion... it, along with the others at that exit, are wrecking ball quality. I’d save the Executive Inn (whatever it’s called now) and remodel it to a kitschy type place but the rest need to go.

[MLBrumby]

I believe I remember a mid-century motel somewhere through there called (IIRC) Thunderbird. Is that still there? 

[tragenvol]

1 hour ago, MLBrumby said:

I believe I remember a mid-century motel somewhere through there called (IIRC) Thunderbird. Is that still there? 

The Bestwestern Thunderbird Motel...complete with El Tapatio Mexican restaurant.

 

2 hours ago, memphian said:

It didn’t have very good reviews as a Clarion... it, along with the others at that exit, are wrecking ball quality. I’d save the Executive Inn (whatever it’s called now) and remodel it to a kitschy type place but the rest need to go.

Off the top of my head, there are ten or so new/refurbished hotels at the 287 exit.  Newer are clustered near Sam's Club/Highland 12 Cinema.  Newest open is a Towneplace Suites facing Sam's; with another moderate going up facing Jefferson in front of the cinemas. 

[PruneTracy]

18 hours ago, jmtunafish said:

 

I have no idea why this is the case, nor do I know who these people are.  I suspect some might be former Tech students retiring in the shadows of their alma mater.  Others may want to be big fish in a little pond.  I go to church with a fellow who installs satellite dishes, and he told me I'd be surprised to find out how many country music stars and executives have homes in Cookeville, not to mention all those who have homes around Center Hill Lake.  Or maybe some of these rich millennials just want to live in a tax-friendly state in a great town where their dollars will go further, like buying a luxury house with acreage or on a golf course for $500k that would cost double in places like Franklin.

If you are a twenty- or thirty-something in a field where you can work remotely or where business travel by car is the default mode of work then mid-sized towns in tax-friendly states make the most sense. The cost of living is much better and there are enough people/places/events around to get the social life in, especially once you have a family and you aren't running out to do the pub crawl color run escape game at 9:00 PM on a Tuesday. There's certainly no shortage of dining options in Cookeville. And the rural county schools beat Metro.

Another item of note, Cookeville is still less than 90 minutes from Nashville via I-40. That's within commuting range for some folks, particularly if you only go in two or three days a week. We wouldn't be surprised to hear about someone who works in Nashville but lives in Columbia or Clarksville, well Cookeville is only about 15-20 miles of rural Interstate driving further than either of those.

[jmtunafish]

20 hours ago, memphian said:

It’s odd but yet it’s not. Cookeville is a great town in which to raise a family; good schools, medical care, and close to 3 of the bigger TN cities. It has a lot going for it. On the other side, who services these people?  And why doesn’t Target see this information?  LOL (I know the region is poor)

I go skiing in Kalispell, MT each year and it’s amazing! Not too different from Cookeville except it has a real airport and doesn’t have a real university like TECH.

I’ve thought about moving back but only after I finish my PhD. (I’d want to teach)

I have friends in Cookeville who recently moved from Bozeman MT.  They said Cookeville and Bozeman are very similar, too.  Similar size, both home to mid-major state universities, both growing briskly.  But Bozeman has a Target.  Believe me, I and several thousand other people don't understand what Target has against Cookeville.  It's really offensive that they think that out of the 300,000+ in Cookeville's trade area there aren't enough people to support a Target.  Cookeville was one of the 10 fastest growing micropolitan areas in the entire country last year (along with Bozeman and Kalispell) and is apparently attracting a whole bunch of wealthy residents.   Putnam County is the 17th most populous county in the state but the 14th wealthiest in terms of bank deposits.   With 16 banks and over $2 billion in bank deposits, Cookeville has more banks and more money than many other, larger counties which have Targets:  Maryville (14 - $1.99 billion), Columbia/Spring Hill (9 - $1.6 billion), Cleveland (13 - $1.7 billion), Jackson (12 - $1.8 billion).  Cookeville is barely behind Johnson City in terms of banks (18 - $2.1 billion) even though JC is twice the size.  It's maddening why we don't have a Target.  On the other hand, I've heard rumors that we're finally getting a Home Depot which is another bone of contention for why HD still hasn't come to town.

 

5 hours ago, PruneTracy said:

If you are a twenty- or thirty-something in a field where you can work remotely or where business travel by car is the default mode of work then mid-sized towns in tax-friendly states make the most sense. The cost of living is much better and there are enough people/places/events around to get the social life in, especially once you have a family and you aren't running out to do the pub crawl color run escape game at 9:00 PM on a Tuesday. There's certainly no shortage of dining options in Cookeville. And the rural county schools beat Metro.

Another item of note, Cookeville is still less than 90 minutes from Nashville via I-40. That's within commuting range for some folks, particularly if you only go in two or three days a week. We wouldn't be surprised to hear about someone who works in Nashville but lives in Columbia or Clarksville, well Cookeville is only about 15-20 miles of rural Interstate driving further than either of those.

Very well put.  Cookeville is actually just an hour from the Nashville airport.  It's exactly 70 miles from the BNA exit to Cookeville on I-40 with 70mph speed limits the entire way.  Plus, not only is gigabit internet available in Cookeville, it's widely available in the rural areas outside of town, even in some of the most remote counties like Jackson, Smith, and Clay.  I do know quite a few people, including a couple from the UK at my church, who have settled in the rural areas outside of Cookeville to take advantage of the gigabit internet for their home businesses while also taking advantage of the very low taxes, beautiful scenery, and low cost of real estate.  Another couple from Utah just moved and brought their business with them to the Silver Point area of Putnam County because it met their requirements, too:  within an hour of an airport, fiber internet, low taxes, beautiful countryside, mild climate.  As Nashville continues to get more and more expensive, I imagine this trend will continue.

[tragenvol]

I stand corrected...I spoke with someone in Kroger management; the proposed grocery store for for the northeast side of town is Food City and not Kroger.

[memphian]

I looked online and there is a Food City in Crossville so it makes sense. I wonder if this new store will be more utilitarian or upscale? I know it is in a higher income area so just curious if Food City will accommodate. (pretty sure it cannot be answered at this time).

Edited October 31, 2018 by memphian

[jmtunafish]

48 minutes ago, memphian said:

I looked online and there is a Food City in Crossville so it makes sense. I wonder if this new store will be more utilitarian or upscale? I know it is in a higher income area so just curious if Food City will accommodate. (pretty sure it cannot be answered at this time).

That's my concern.  Since that's a pretty upscale part of town, I hope Food City will put in a more upscale store.  Food City stores typically don't strike me as being very posh, but some of them do have a Starbucks like the newer one on State of Franklin in Johnson City.  I'd like to think that FC will put a more upscale store in Cookeville, at least one with a Starbucks in it.  One consolation is that the city is not rezoning this property to general commercial or regional commercial but rather to planned commercial which means the city will have to approve every little detail, down to the color of the bricks, the kind of exterior material, the number and types of trees, the amount of landscaping, etc.  My hope is that the city will make the developer build something that at least looks more upscale even if on the inside it's just another typical Food City.

One thing's for sure:  if this is a more upscale Food City, this will make Kroger even less relevant in Cookeville.  Publix is extremely popular, but some people still shop at Kroger just because of the fuel points.  If Food City comes sweeping into town and builds a nice store with a Starbucks and gas pumps--and in the same part of town as some of Cookeville's most expensive neighborhoods--I can see a lot of shoppers switch their allegiance to Food City just so they won't have to deal with Kroger's narrow aisles and aggravating parking lot.

[MLBrumby]

I have never seen an "upscale" Food City. I'm not saying that as a snob (I shop there often), but just that they're not targeting upscale shoppers in Chattanooga. One tell-tale sign of an upscale grocery is their bakery and deli. FC just does not come close to Fresh Market... even Publix. When they bought the BiLo stores here about 4 years ago, I hoped they would at least change out their bakeries for better equipment and better recipes. But all just the same. 

Having said that, there may be actual upscale FCs elsewhere. Only other city I've been inside one is Knoxville. 

[jmtunafish]

6 hours ago, MLBrumby said:

I have never seen an "upscale" Food City. I'm not saying that as a snob (I shop there often), but just that they're not targeting upscale shoppers in Chattanooga. One tell-tale sign of an upscale grocery is their bakery and deli. FC just does not come close to Fresh Market... even Publix. When they bought the BiLo stores here about 4 years ago, I hoped they would at least change out their bakeries for better equipment and better recipes. But all just the same. 

Having said that, there may be actual upscale FCs elsewhere. Only other city I've been inside one is Knoxville. 

Totally agreed.  That's one reason I wanted this to be another Kroger instead of a Food City; I've seen some upscale Krogers, but never an upscale Food City.  There are some somewhat nicer Food City stores that have Starbucks; I believe the one in Hixson has a Starbucks.  Anyway, I'm keeping my fingers crossed that the city will require the developer to make this shopping center much more aesthetically pleasing than the average supermarket with its accompanying sea of asphalt.

[memphian]

So today I watched the TECH Homecoming Parade and TTU President, Phil Oldham, referred to Cookeville as “Tennessee’s College Town” during the broadcast. I hadn’t thought too much about it but it does seem to be a fitting title as none of the other college towns rely as heavily on their local University as does Cookeville. It’s not in the same league, University wise, as Oxford, MS, Athens, GA, or Pullman, WA but it does hold its own in many of the college town categories.