Cookeville News

[jmtunafish]

CBL is literally moving mountains to build its Shoppes at Eagle Point (I still hate that name) shopping center in Cookeville.  They've been working 7 days a week on this thing, even Sunday afternoons.  The walls for Publix are going up first.  In the distance  can be seen what used to be a very big hill which is now almost gone.  This shopping center will have Publix, Academy Sports, Ulta, Five Below, Petsmart, Ross, Shoe Carnival, Chipotle, Five Guys, Panera, Panda Express, and some other things that haven't been announced yet.  It should've been finished by now, but a rogue Sierra Club lawyer kept it tied up in court for far too long.

 

Looking at it from the Olive Garden parking lot.  The Mormon church is in the background across Walnut Ave from what will be Publix.

Edited December 18, 2017 by jmtunafish

[jmtunafish]

Norwegian videographer/blogger Paul Tellefsen was in Cookeville earlier this year and again a couple of weeks ago and had a great time visiting the town and some of the waterfalls and parks in the region.  Many in Nashville barely know anything about Cookeville other than it's home to a mid-major state university and is a good pit stop on the way to Knoxville, so it's nice for Cookeville to get some love.    Here's what Paul had to say about his visit:

When you think about Tennessee, your first thought is probably music. But what most don’t realize is the easy access to incredible waterfalls, hikes and scenic views within an hour drive from Nashville. Welcome to Cookeville, TN, a place I consider to be the hidden gold mine of waterfalls. Within a 40 mile radius within the Upper Cumberland there are over 100 documented waterfalls and too many scenic overlooks to count.

Over the past few years I’ve been able to visit some of my top bucket list destinations and honestly Cookeville is one of my favorite small towns in America! It’s a hard place to pass up with the amazing charm and an incredible outdoor experience.

I visited Tennessee for the first time in March of 2017, checked it off my bucket list and fell in love with Cookeville. After only spending a day there and getting just a taste of not only the landscape but also the food too, I knew I had to come back to experience more.

To close out 2017, me and my friend Jared Whitey packed our bags and heading on a hiking and waterfall adventure to Cookeville! Falls in the Fall! Over the next 4 days we visited 7 waterfalls, 4 overlooks and many state natural areas and state parks. It was the kind of trip you look forward to all year long. 

http://www.technopaul.com/commissions/2017/12/12/cookeville-tn-tennessee-tourism

 

[Griz83]

Yeah, Chuck made it in the video!  Be sure and check out his photos.  There's some great stuff in there.  Chuck's a top-notch guy, too.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/chucksutherland/albums

[tragenvol]

Cookeville, the new Asheville?  Natural beauty, state parks, foodie scene and THREE breweries!  (Four if you count the original to market Calfkiller just a handful of minutes down the road.  Only need a giant house now...wait...would the Martin estate count?

Edited December 19, 2017 by tragenvol

[memphian]

I’m glad to see Cookeville come into its own. It’s high on the list of places I want to move to (at some point). And, if you think no one in Nashville knows about it, you should see the faces of Memphians when it is mentioned. LOL 

Now if we could just get TECH out of the OVC and into something a bit more interesting, like the Southern Conference (the OVC has sucked since the TECH/Middle rivalry died). 

[jmtunafish]

It was a beautiful day to hop in the car and take a spin around town (had the day off from work).  The Shoppes at Eagle Point development is progressing nicely.  Publix is trying to open this summer, and it's looking increasingly like they'll be able to pull it off.  The rest of the shopping center is scheduled to open in the fall.

[jmtunafish]

There were guys working at the Publix site on Easter Sunday.  I cannot imagine how much that cost.  Publix seems determined to open this summer.

Edited April 3, 2018 by jmtunafish

[jmtunafish]

I know this is a forum that loves development, but here's a news item that is anti-development, and I love it.  Bridgestone is proving to be a wonderful corporate citizen of Tennessee.  After donating 10,000 acres to the state in 2000, it has donated just under 6,000 additional acres to the Nature Conservancy.  Located just south of Cookeville in White County, this brings to 60,000 contiguous acres that are now protected from development in White and Van Buren counties when various state parks and forests are included.  This tract that Bridgestone has donated was originally purchased by Firestone in the 1970s as a potential corporate retreat.  Bridgestone inherited it when it purchased Firestone.  Part of the agreement between Bridgestone and the state is that no new roads or buildings can be built in this area.  The state is in the process of planning some low-impact hiking trails and such so that visitors can enjoy the spectacular beauty of this part of the beautiful Upper Cumberland region.

The rugged area includes virgin forests as well as the headwaters of the Caney Fork River and is home to golden eagles, red and silver foxes, and rare plants such as the Cumberland rosemary.

https://www.nature.org/ourinitiatives/regions/northamerica/unitedstates/tennessee/explore/chestnut-mountain-a-gift-for-all-of-tennessee.xml

Edited April 26, 2018 by jmtunafish

[jmtunafish]

Updates on what's happening an hour east of Nashville:

The Cookeville Micropolitan Area was the 8th fastest growing in the country in 2017. 

https://census.gov/newsroom/press-releases/2018/popest-metro-county.html

The last few weeks have some some nice economic news:

Cookeville's home-grown ATC Automation just finished adding 66,000 square feet to its facility which will allow it to add 120 production and industrial engineering jobs with starting salaries of over $80,000.  One official said many of those jobs will have salaries of over $100,000.  Either way, those are gigantic salaries for Cookeville.

https://newstalk941.com/atc-automation-celebrates-expansion/

Italian ceramic supplier Colorobbia is setting up its first U.S. facility in Cookeville.  While only employing 30, these are 30 high-paying chemical engineering jobs.  Colorobbia supplies the ceramics industry with glazes, pigments, and ceramic inks for the tile and glass industries.  It also produces artistic ceramics and precious metals.  Company president Arturo Salazar said Cookeville was selected not just for its quality of life but because of its ready supply of highly skilled engineers and because of its location among several ceramic plants that have opened in the last few years in Tennessee.

SAIC, which last summer opened its Cookeville facility with plans to employ 300 within 5 years, has now said it will employ 300 within just a couple of years and will likely have much more than 300 when fully staffed.  SAIC is located in downtown Cookeville's Region's Bank building which has led to several additional,excellent restaurants opening downtown within walking distance of SAIC.

https://newstalk941.com/local-matters-matt-swallows-cookevilles-economic-development-projects/

Oculus Software, a Cookeville-based company that provides software to banks in 15 states, is expanding from 9 current software developers to 40 with a new facility it's building in the Highlands Business Park off the new I-40 exit that recently opened.  This is the second expansion of a software company in Cookeville in the last few months:  Digital Dream Forge out of Mesa AZ has opened a software testing facility in Cookeville, employing 80.

German, family-owned Hörmann LLC is opening its first manufacturing facility in the US next to the Upper Cumberland Regional airport just south of Cookeville.  Hörmann makes garage doors and plans on hiring 200 for its Cookeville-area facility.  

The Shoppes at Eagle Point is well under way with Publix set to open in August and the rest in November.  Stores committed are:  Academy Sports, Dress Barn, Five Below, Petsmart, Publix, Ross, Shoe Carnival, and ULTA, and restaurants committed are Chipotle, Five Guys, Panda Express, and Panera.

The city has contracted with a retail recruiter called Retail Strategies to match retailers wanting to come to Cookeville with developers.  Among retailers and restaurants planning on opening locations in Cookeville, according to the city's economic development office, are Rural King, Food City, Dick's Sporting Goods, Burke's Outlet, HomeGoods, JoAnn, Farmers Furniture, Denny's, Jim N Nicks,  Popeye's, and Hwy 55 Burgers & Fries.  The economic development office is hoping to also attract Home Depot and Target (I think Target might be a stretch, given Target's propensity to locate in more expensive areas).

Tennessee Tech is in the midst of a construction spree with over $180 million in construction projects either under way or about to get started.  

https://www.tntech.edu/construction

Edited May 19, 2018 by jmtunafish

[LA_TN]

Yes, I have been noticing a lot of this! It's amazing seeing all the developments around I-40. There is a lot going on around campus that is now causing spill over development around the downtown area. Cookeville is really becoming a nice town! 

[memphian]

Has the Hilton Garden Inn and conference center broke ground yet?

I think Target would work but I’d be happy to see Meijer set up shop. 

[jmtunafish]

6 minutes ago, memphian said:

Has the Hilton Garden Inn and conference center broke ground yet?

I think Target would work but I’d be happy to see Meijer set up shop. 

Not yet.  There's a big unveiling tomorrow of the newest architectural plans during the Taste of the Town event that's taking place on the construction site.  The site was fenced off last week with earth-moving machinery lined up ready to go.  I don't know when it's supposed to break ground, but it can't be too far off.

And I totally agree about Target.  From what the city economic development people tell us, Target has two criteria:  a minimum income level and a minimum population.  Cookeville meets the income level but not the population.  So in order to meet the population requirement, they have to extend the radius out from Cookeville, but when they do that, the income level drops.  But since Cookeville is the center of a 14-county trade area of over 350,000, it's ridiculous of Target to think they wouldn't be successful in Cookeville.  Just as there are people in Cookeville right now who drive all the way to Mt Juliet to shop at Target, a Target in Cookeville would easily attract shoppers from all over the region and not just those who happen to live within Cookeville's city limits.

[jmtunafish]

Here are some of the new eateries that have opened in downtown Cookeville's historic WestSide in the last few months:

https://bluepigcookeville.com/

https://www.yelp.com/biz/37-cedar-restaurant-and-bar-cookeville

https://www.yelp.com/biz/hix-farm-brewery-cookeville

https://www.yelp.com/biz/rosco-and-co-food-truck-cookeville (usually located next to Hix Farm Brewery)

https://www.yelp.com/biz/red-silo-brewing-company-cookeville

https://www.facebook.com/popsgumdrops/

http://www.thebizfoundry.org/blog/so-far-so-good-for-pop-gumdrops (if the above Facebook link doesn't work)

which are welcomed additions to some already great eateries within a block of the historic train depot:

https://www.yelp.com/biz/crawdaddys-west-side-grill-cookeville

http://www.mauricioscookeville.com/

https://www.zagat.com/r/seven-senses-food-cheer-cookeville

http://fathertomspub.com/

https://www.yelp.com/biz/world-foods-cookeville

https://www.yelp.com/biz/the-back-room-bistro-cookeville

https://www.yelp.com/biz/taiko-noodle-and-sushi-bar-cookeville

https://www.yelp.com/biz/cream-city-ice-cream-and-coffee-house-cookeville

https://www.yelp.com/biz/p-dillys-cupcakes-cookeville

https://www.yelp.com/biz/ralphs-donut-shop-cookeville

http://www.indiapalacecookeville.com/Welcome.html

https://www.yelp.com/biz/el-milagro-cookeville

Edited May 19, 2018 by jmtunafish

[jmtunafish]

Tennessee Legend Distillery today opened a whiskey distillery in downtown Cookeville.  Located on the corner of Washington and Spring across the street from the courthouse, this is Tennessee Legend Distillery's only location outside Sevierville.

[memphian]

Is that where Maddox Hardware used to be?

[jmtunafish]

38 minutes ago, memphian said:

Is that where Maddox Hardware used to be?

Yes.  That was a fun hardware store to explore.  It was a sad day when it closed.  I hope this distillery still has the creeky wood floors that the hardware store had.

[MidTenn1]

Congratulations to Tennessee Tech for beating Ole Miss twice today to advance to the NCAA baseball super regionals.

They will play at Texas in a best of three for a place in the College World Series. 

[memphian]

Way to go, TECH! Success like this can’t be underestimated. It can eventually lead to enrollment growth and the development of better athletic facilities,.

[jmtunafish]

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.

Edited July 9, 2018 by jmtunafish

[jmtunafish]

Turfway Entertainment is teaming up with a group of investors from Chattanooga, Cookeville, and Nashville to build a 45,000 square foot, $11 million entertainment complex in Cookeville.  Scheduled to break ground soon for a March 2019 opening, Infinite Entertainment will have 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 restaurant.  It'll be located at the corner of Walnut Avenue and Veterans Drive behind the new Shoppes at Eagle Point shopping center (Publix et al) and across the street from the fairgrounds.

From their Facebook page:

 

Edited July 14, 2018 by jmtunafish

[Tennessine]

Awesome news! Definitely suitable for Cookeville's explosive growth. 

[jmtunafish]

Some updates of some of the larger construction projects going on around town.  There's record construction going on right now in Cookeville and Putnam County on all fronts:  residential, commercial, and government.

On TTU's campus:

Roaden University Center expansion

 

Volpe Library addition and re-bricking (the addition is all underground)

 

The new Laboratory Science Building

 

The new student fitness and recreation center

 

Commercial projects:

Shoppes at Eagle Point (pic from the mayor's Facebook page) which will include Publix, Academy Sports, Ross, Shoe Carnival, ULTA, Five Below, and Dress Barn in the main section, and PetSmart, Chipotle, Five Guys, Panda Express, and Panera in the outparcels.  The mayor said there are two more restaurants about to be announced.

 

Candlewood Suites on South Jefferson next to the AMC movie theaters

 

Colorrobia's new laboratory on Highlands Park Boulevard

 

Overdrive USA, an expansion of Cumberland Toyota on Interstate Drive

 

700 Broad, 43 condos being built adjacent to Belle Acres Golf Course downtown

 

Windsor Hill Island, 33 condos being built on East Spring Street @ Hwy 111

 

Stonecom Radio's new office building and studios on South Maple Avenue.  Stonecom owns 5 of Cookeville's 14 radio stations.

 

Site prep for a full-service Holiday Inn on South Willow by I-40

 

Renovation of the old Applebee's into a Mexican restaurant out of Crossville.  Romo's paid $1.75 million for the building and is spending over $500k to renovate it.

 

Government construction projects:

Site prep for Cookeville's new police HQ on Neal Street across the street from Vol State Community College:

 

Upper Cumberland Development District's new HQ on England Drive next to the regional health center.

 

Cookeville rumors:

The old KMart building is going to become a Rural King.

The old Sears building is being divided in two for HomeGoods and Marshall's.

The old Krispy Kreme building is going to become a Popeye's.

Cookeville's economic development coordinator said there are several other retailers and restaurants scouting the area for locations:  Food City, Dick's Sporting Goods, Farmers Furniture, Burke's Outlet, JoAnn, Denny's, Jim n Nicks, and Hwy 55 Burgers and Fries.

Edited July 23, 2018 by jmtunafish

[memphian]

It’s funny, there’s a condo market in Cookeville but it basically doesn’t exist in Memphis.  Lots of nice development, I need to get back up there at some point and take a look around. I’d guess that location and TECH are the main catalysts for development in Cookeville. 

[jmtunafish]

20 hours ago, memphian said:

It’s funny, there’s a condo market in Cookeville but it basically doesn’t exist in Memphis.  Lots of nice development, I need to get back up there at some point and take a look around. I’d guess that location and TECH are the main catalysts for development in Cookeville. 

It is interesting that condos have become so popular in Cookeville.  There have been several condo developments lately, all of the zero-lot-line type, and they sell out pretty quickly.  I think a lot of it is Cookeville's popularity as a retirement destination.  I know when my mother moved to Cookeville last year from Knoxville she bought a condo downtown within walking distance of most of her errands.  I think that's actually part of Cookeville's charm; you can live right in the middle of town, a very livable and walkable downtown that's surprisingly affordable, at least compared to Tennessee's other livable and walkable downtowns.  Within 3 blocks of my mom's condo are two farmers markets, a supermarket, the main library, the hospital, her doctors, her bank, her financial planner, several museums, the cable company, the performing arts center (indoors and outdoors), and 30+ eating establishments.   She's also a block from the bike/walking trail that goes from downtown Cookeville past TTU and out to downtown Algood 4 miles away.  Really, the only time she uses her car is to go to church, and that's just 1.5 miles from her condo, and with a heck of a lot less traffic than she had to deal with in Knoxville.  There aren't many towns in Tennessee that offer that kind of "urban" living at prices that most middle class people can afford.

 

 

Edited July 24, 2018 by jmtunafish

[memphian]

9 hours ago, jmtunafish said:

 There aren't many town in Tennessee that offer that kind of "urban" living at prices that most middle class people can afford. 

 

 

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.