Getahn Ward

gward@tennessean.com

Sale of the property would mark an end to Charlie Bob's, which the Douglas family has ran for 44 years.

Bristol Development would need a rezoning of a portion of the 1330 Dickerson Pike site to build 186 residential units there.

Superior Development plans up to 300 residential units and up to 12,000 square feet of commercial space for the 23 ares it has under contract nearby.

Both Bristol Development's and Superior Development's projects reflect rising developer interest in a Dickerson Pike corridor.

The longtime home of Dickerson Pike mainstay meat-and-three Charlie Bob's Restaurant is under contract to Franklin-based Bristol Development Group, which plans a 186-unit apartment project.

Separately, Superior Development LLC has 23 acres behind the restaurant under contract with plans for up to 300 residential units and up to 12,000 square feet of commercial space that will front Dickerson.

Both projects reflect rising developer interest in a Dickerson Pike corridor that's now starting to ride the wave of growth in Nashville. "We're really trying to bring in the residential rooftops in order to revitalize the commercial corridor of Dickerson Road," said Jason Lenard, the owner of Superior Development.

Bristol is expected to complete buying Charlie Bob's property at 1330 Dickerson Pike this spring. The developer would need a rezoning of a portion of the site to be able to build 186 residential units there.

"Without the extra cost of structured parking, it would allow us to offer rents below what you're seeing in areas like Germantown and the Gulch," said Scott Black, a senior vice president of community development with Bristol. "You're still within a mile of Nissan Stadium, Germantown and East Nashville and with the rise of Uber and Lyft living in an area like this has the same accessibility as others."

Sale of the Charlie Bob's property would mark an end to the restaurant, which the Douglas family has owned and operated for 44 years. In 1972, retired U.S. Air Force veteran-turned-businessman Bob Douglas bought what was known as Charlie's Restaurant since the 1950s and renamed it Charlie Bob's.

The restaurant at a corner of Dickerson Pike and Lucile Street with Elmhurst Avenue in the back is a neighborhood gathering spot. It is opened seven days a week, serving breakfast, lunch and dinner.

Elsewhere in Middle Tennessee, Bristol developed Vandalia Cottages near downtown Franklin and the Tapestry Brentwood Town Center residential and retail complex in Brentwood. The company also developed Nashville condo buildings such as Icon in the Gulch, Bristol on Broadway and Bristol West End, and co-developed Vista Germantown apartments.

In addition to having 23 acres under contract at that same corner of Lucile and Dickerson, Superior Development has a 17-unit condo project under construction off Ben Allen Road. Lenard said that if he's able to get mixed-use general zoning, grading could start within six to eight months on the 23 acres. If he has to pursue specific plan zoning, that work won't start for a year and a half, he said.

Plans call for single-family homes, condo flats and studio flats above the planned commercial space off Dickerson. "You'll have a great view of downtown," Lenard said, adding the condo flats are planned for an elevated portion of the site. "We'll have designated workforce housing inside the development."

Reach Getahn Ward at 615-726-5968 and on Twitter @getahn.