How one Nashville suburb is bracing for urbanization

More than 100 residents of historically suburban Donelson gathered in a church hall recently to hash out a vision for the community's future, as downtown Nashville's core expands their way.

Hip eateries like Nectar Urban Cantina, dense apartment and townhome developments, and industrial facilities like a Great Dane Trailers location, have begun moving into the community east of downtown.

The once-sleepy neighborhood is on the cusp of a major overhaul.

City leaders are expected to approve next month a highly structured development guide for its official transition from a suburban enclave to bustling urban area, as new residents and businesses prepare to descend on Donelson.

In anticipation of the coming changes, Councilman Jeff Syracuse and city planning officials organized a week-long series of meetings and tours to outline a birds-eye picture for the future of Lebanon Pike, a major thoroughfare.

"This area between downtown and Donelson has the potential for growth and change," Syracuse said. "This particular area was never looked at from a microscopic perspective. The time to do that is now – before things happen.

"I pushed for this community-plan study and engagement process because it's important for everyone to be at the table."

Residents have mixed feelings about the changes.

“I can’t believe we have traffic on Donelson Pike now,” said Linda Nguyen, who moved to the community in 1995.

Poor construction planning and practices are a sore spot for Nguyen and some of her neighbors, who said they've been dealing with runoff created by new construction for years and that it has reduced the size of their yards and left behind pools of standing water.

What's more, construction seems to be happening around-the-clock and without regard for the residents, they said.

"We know change is coming but let's get realistic with the hours," said resident Jack Payne, during a vision-planning gathering at Donelson View Baptist Church last week. "It's gotta be done, but (construction) should be limited to work hours. If you're going to do construction, put a buffer zone (from residential areas) and limit the noise."

'Transit-oriented' development

The crux of the city's strategy for Donelson is to implement the state's first transit-oriented development around the Music City Star train stop.

The Metro Council is expected to issue its third and final approval by June, opening the door for state-redevelopment subsidies for a new Metro Public Library branch that will be a town-square-like anchor along a walkable plaza next to the train station.

A 5.1-acre development attached to the new library is also in the works, including apartments, shops and offices near the intersection of Donelson and Lebanon pikes.

The board of the Regional Transportation Authority of Middle Tennessee chose Philadelphia-based Pennrose Properties to build the project, which will receive tax-increment financing for affordable housing and infrastructure such as walkable pedestrian areas.

The transit-oriented plan would encompass 145 acres surrounding the train station along Lebanon Pike, from Park Drive to Stewarts Ferry Pike.

Already, the planned 5.1-acre mixed-use development has spurred other projects.

Spurring other development

Investors Brandon Plunkett and Nick Adler paid $1.9 million last year for a 6.5-acre site across the street. They obtained zoning approval to build about 200 multifamily units and commercial space, and have since put the site on the market for $5.2 million. Construction there could begin as soon as this summer.

Meanwhile, Plunkett is working on two more nearby developments that include apartments, condominiums and shops.

"Donelson already has it's own identity. It just hasn't really been touched for years, more or less," Plunkett said. "This is really the only place close to downtown that has gone untouched. We can still produce units in the $200s here and maybe the $100s for condos. To get that pricing anywhere else, you'll have to go 30 to 40 minutes from downtown."

A nearby shopping center with Goodwill, AutoZone and Family Dollar stores owned by H.G. Hill Realty is also slated for an overhaul.

In an early sign of what's to come, The Bowtie Barista, which bills itself as "a pioneer in the craft coffee world," has opened up nearby serving its "signature macadamia milk" among other items.

Details of the proposed transit-oriented development district, which stretches along Lebanon Pike from Stewarts Ferry Pike to Shady Grove Road, include a bevy of rules that businesses must abide by.

Prohibited businesses in the district include adult entertainment, industrial, check-cashing and cash-advance, pawn shops and self-storage businesses.

Automobile repair and sales, bars and nightclubs, artisan distilleries, breweries, liquor shops, restaurants, parking structures, hotels, short-term rentals and parking structures would only be allowed if approved by city leaders with certain operating conditions.

According to the plan, the main goals of the redevelopment efforts are to create better transit connections, more retails options — including for small-scale, local retail — and housing that attracts residents with a mix of incomes.

Residents who attended vision-planning workshops expressed excitement about new shops and restaurants, and said they look forward to seeing development of vacant parcels. But they're wary of added traffic, apartments and industrialization.

"Since the economy has now come back, there is renewed interest and a lot of energy behind making this (district) reality," Syracuse said. "It makes sense that we start with a civic core as synergy for the entire area."