Wilson County Development - Lebanon, Mt. Juliet, etc.

[timmay143]

I didn't know if I should start a thread like this (all inclusive of an area) or just make an individual thread just on the topic. As you can see I chose the first choice. Since the Nashville forum has threads for Murfreesboro, Clarksville, Williamson County fro Franklin, Bretwood, etc. I thought one for Wilson County would be worth a shot. It is a hotbed of activity from the two medium sized cities Mt. Juliet and Lebanon as Nashville burbs (like Murfreesboro, Franklin, etc.) where a residential explosion has occurred along with commercial and retail with the Providence development. The area also has an outlet mall in Lebanon and the ONLY commuter rail line from the Music City Star in the region.

Anyways, the Lebanon mayor is pursuing building an area, convention space, and a retail center for the city. The plan is to have a minor league hockey team play there with additional 1.5 million sqft for retail and office space which will be called the Cumberland Center. The group Global Entertainment Gorp. which runs or helps runs areas are planning in getting in on the deal if the retail portion makes set milestones, but the company has a shaky past.

My first instinct is, no, this will never work, but maybe if the right things are done and done well it could....???

Ok, I think this article today (as opposed to the one I saw yesterday or maybe I just skipped over it?) explains the plan better.

First the retail center would need to have commitments for 225.000 sqft, then 20 acres will be set aside for the arena.

When 400,000 sqft is met, construction on the arena will start.

So far one commitment is in place from RCC Western Stores to open a store in the retail portion.

Another interesting note is that the article cites people moving to the area because of the MCS commuter train. The mayor plans to ask for a stop at the Cumberland Center site if everything goes well.

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111006/NEWS01/310060045/Lebanon-mayor-hopes-arena-will-raise-city-s-profile?odyssey=tab{sodEmoji.|}topnews{sodEmoji.|}text{sodEmoji.|}News

[Shuzilla]

It's good to see a city looking past the current recession to better times. I'm not sure if it needs to do the development itself instead of making the land available to developers so they take the risks while following strict development guidelines. I am very doubtful that a hocky arena will fly, but at least it is a future phase whose plan can change. I'd rather see an amusement park as a regional attraction. 840 is almost complete, increasing access to that site from all of Middle Tennessee.

[timmay143]

Oh yeah, I meant to add that Lebanon/Mt. Juliet /Wilson Co. is at an important intersection of 840 and I-40 where many warehouse/distribution centers have popped up similar to Murfreesboro (also on 840 and I-24) and La Vergne/Symrna (all in Rutherford Co).

Good news for both Lebanon and Mufreesboro as Amazon.com has announced to build distribution centers in these locations!!

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20111007/NEWS01/111007024/Amazon-targets-Murfreesboro-Lebanon-new-sites?odyssey=tab{sodEmoji.|}topnews{sodEmoji.|}img{sodEmoji.|}FRONTPAGE

[dmillsphoto]

This just in: www.bizjournals.com/nashville/morning_call/2012/01/lebanon-votes-against-proposed-events.html

Basically, unless Vastland can get something else going this is all but dead.

[timmay143]

Lebanon square to get makeover

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120229/WILSON/302290022/Lebanon-square-get-makeover?odyssey=mod{sodEmoji.|}newswell{sodEmoji.|}text{sodEmoji.|}County{sodEmoji.|}p

[bwithers1]

Hooray! Getting rid of the parking in the center of the square will make it look better. Now if they would get rid of the Burger King, too, and move it on down 231 with the rest of the fast-food places by I-40. Lebanon needs better marketing or something. I love the antiques stores downtown. But don't venture more than a block or so north or east of the square!

[timmay143]

Yeah, towns around the Nashville area can really benefit from focusing on their squares and bring a European feel to their "small town" with coffee shops, cafes, bookstores, etc. Utilizes a more "urban" setting, you're buying and supporting local businesses, people can advocate for better transport options to a central location, and it can reduce the amount of driving (instead of going into Nashville or other suburban areas).

[Nathan_in_DC]

Yeah, towns around the Nashville area can really benefit from focusing on their squares and bring a European feel to their "small town" with coffee shops, cafes, bookstores, etc. Utilizes a more "urban" setting, you're buying and supporting local businesses, people can advocate for better transport options to a central location, and it can reduce the amount of driving (instead of going into Nashville or other suburban areas).

The fact that this centralization will likely not only lead to a strong advocacy for better regional transport, but will make such transport actually feasible, is by far the most important impact of this new trend. I hope it sticks up and people realize that yes, Nashville can have a good BRT or regional rail system if people are willing to cut back on the sprawl that makes such systems unrealistic. Improved transit and improved town centers feed off one another, and will help to revert years of terrible expansion trends.

[timmay143]

Even though it is utilizing more land, I am really pumped about the Gallatin transit center! Hopefully, others will follow, albeit utilizing existing structures (Lebanon, Mt. Juliet, Murfreesboro, Brentwood, Franklin, etc).

[smeagolsfree]

If you want to put this under the outside of Davidson county thread I started as a pinned thread, which is fine. I do not want to exclude anyone from the conversations and make it even more difficult to find the proper thread. This thread was originally for off topic items. I know it’s confusing, but I think that will work best

This way all of the Metro area is still on the same board but again anything out side Davidson would be under http://www.urbanplanet.org/forums/index.php/topic/53231-project-thread-for-projects-outside-davidson-county/.

Sorry for all of the craziness. Me and John both are very tied up with work right now.

[Justiceham]

A new shopping center addition is under way at Providence Market Place. The article also mentioned planning for two very large projects also in Mt. Juliet, Providence Central and Bel Air at Providence. Judging from the city leaders, the project will change Mt. Juliet into a retail and corporate office destination given the pent up demand for those offerings and the fact that it is near the airport. 

 

http://shopmtjuliet.org/shoppes-providence-way/

[bigeasy]

So I guess they really are trying to turn into a Cool Springs...traffic is going to be a nightmare

[volsfanwill]

this will be a traffic nightmare, they haven't built the roads to support this type of development. say what you will about cool springs but they planned the roads way in advance. when I was in high school we used to make fun of all the 4 lane roads that weaved through empty fields. Now, most of them are built up, and newer roads are the empty ones.

[bigeasy]

this will be a traffic nightmare, they haven't built the roads to support this type of development. say what you will about cool springs but they planned the roads way in advance. when I was in high school we used to make fun of all the 4 lane roads that weaved through empty fields. Now, most of them are built up, and newer roads are the empty ones.

Cool springs also has multiple exits that make sense. Mt. Juliet only has that one and it poorly feeds into Mt. Juliet road. It is a nightmare head east on I40 and getting off the south mt. juliet exit since it merges instantly. Well I guess they have Beckwidth, but that just exits to houses and is pretty far past providence. One of my friends lived in some of the apartments past the Theater and he said some mornings it would take 20 min just to get to the interstate.

[volsfanwill]

yes, I lived in those apartments just past the providence theater from 2007-2009 and whenever I had to travel during rush hour it was a nightmare.  luckily most o f the time i lived there i had a weird work schedule and didn't go in till 11. so it was less of an issue.  as for cool springs, it used to only have 2 exits, but they added a third, after i graduated from high school and moved. (i went to centennial, which is directly beside the newest one.)  but the still planed it well.  

providence needs at minimum one more exit to work with as much as they are trying to build, maybe a third as well. 

[Justiceham]

Gander Mountain is coming to Mt. Juliet.

 

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20131009/WILSON02/310090073/Gander-Mountain-submits-plans-build-store-Mt-Juliet

[satalac]

Gander Mountain is coming to Mt. Juliet.

 

http://www.tennessean.com/article/20131009/WILSON02/310090073/Gander-Mountain-submits-plans-build-store-Mt-Juliet

Well crap, I was hoping for one a bit closer to Murfreesboro (not that Mt. Juliet isn't a traffic free drive up 840 from the Boro). Probably didn't since there is a Dick's and Academy in close proximity. Gander Mtn is a hunter's dream. I've bought guns and ammo from them in the past at the one in Jackson. I'm still waiting for Cabelas to make it's way here. I know there were talks in the past of Cabelas coming to Middle TN to battle it out with Bass Pro. 

[bigeasy]

Will we see Mt. Juliet try and build a large office building (as in 10+ stories) like in Cool Springs in the coming years?

[satalac]

Will we see Mt. Juliet try and build a large office building (as in 10+ stories) like in Cool Springs in the coming years?

I sure hope not. We don't need anymore sprawl.

[MLBrumby]

Oops!!! I just saw that this is a repeat of one that Justiceham put up... sorry.  

 

Mods, please feel free to delete this... with my apologies. 

 

Gander Mountain is building a large regional store across the street from Providence Center.  I have shopped their store in Knoxville, and found many things there to my liking.  Maybe it's a good think we don't have one near Chattanooga. We do have a large Sportsman's Warehouse, but that's geared more toward hunters, and I and my family are campers. 

 

http://www.tennessean.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=2013310090073

[Justiceham]

Hamilton Springs Apartments are open.

 

http://www.tennessean.com/videonetwork/2766996217001?odyssey=mod{sodEmoji.|}tvideo{sodEmoji.|}article

 

http://www.hamiltonstation.com/