APSU moves to purchase Jenkins & Wynne property





CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – Don Jenkins had several offers for the 10.5 acres of downtown that his auto dealership now occupies, but his heart was always first and foremost with Austin Peay State University.

Against that backdrop, APSU and state officials confirmed Thursday long-held speculation that the university will be expanding across College Street to fill up the dealership site Jenkins will exit next year.

The Tennessee State School Bond Authority has approved short-term financing to be used, in part, to acquire the property for APSU, according to state Rep. Curtis Johnson of Clarksville.

"This acquisition will be funded by Campus Plant Funds and the short-term bond issue," Johnson said. "The action of the School Bond Authority is a crucial step in financing this project. The short-term bond should be paid off within five years.

"It has been a pleasure working with APSU President Alisa White and her staff on this project. She immediately saw the value of expansion; and the fact that this adjacent Jenkins and Wynne dealership property is available, opens doors for potential growth."

The plans should be finalized before the end of the year.

White called the plans a golden opportunity for one of the state's fastest-growing universities.

"We are actively pursuing ways to purchase the Jenkins and Wynne property," she told The Leaf-Chronicle. "The property will provide us much-needed space for current use and future growth and will give us the ability to pursue new initiatives.

"We want to be good stewards in the community and will be seeking input from our stakeholders about development options. I am especially appreciative of Speaker Pro Tem Curtis Johnson's work in helping us secure approval by the Tennessee State Building Commission to pursue the property and appreciate Don Jenkins for giving Austin Peay the right of first refusal to purchase the property," White said.

A heart for the university

Community-minded, Jenkins said back in July 2013 when he announced the move that he saw the downtown property being a potential site for Clarksville's long-envisioned convention center or an expansion of the Austin Peay campus.

"I've been on the circle of advisers for the last three presidents of Austin Peay," Jenkins said Thursday, "and the talk throughout that time was always that we needed more property and fundraising."

Those discussions stayed front-of-mind for him, even amid bids from other businesses.

"I've had people call me from everywhere, from Indianapolis to Dallas, about our current location. But I have told everyone all along that Austin Peay would always have the first right of refusal," Jenkins told The Leaf-Chronicle.

"When I first told the leadership of Austin Peay of my intentions to move, (then-President) Tim Hall was really excited about it, and then Dr. White was also really excited about it, plus a lot of the faculty have expressed their excitement."

Ultimately, he said, Austin Peay will be able to enhance the value of downtown for everyone by expanding further across College Street.

"I grew up in Clarksville, and while in the past Austin Peay, (Western Kentucky University) and (Middle Tennessee State University) have been on an equal plane, WKU and MTSU have seen more of the fundraising and the growth in recent years.

"For Austin Peay to be all that it can be, it's just got to have more property," Jenkins said.

New dealership location

Jenkins is moving his Ford-Lincoln-Honda dealership from downtown Clarksville to the vicinity of the 101st Airborne Division Parkway and Trenton Road. The dealership has been in the heart of downtown since 1960, and expansion after expansion has left the business essentially landlocked.

The company has purchased 41 acres and is expected to relocate next year. The new site is at the crossroads of some of Clarksville's most aggressive growth, and it's near the new Daymar Institute facility.

Full-scale construction on the new Jenkins & Wynne location should begin with the arrival of better weather. January 2016 is the targeted moving date.

Acquiring the site for APSU

Rep. Johnson said a lot of time and effort had been put into the land purchase discussions.

"We started the process quite some time ago, and everyone I've talked with sees the need, and views this as a once-in-a-lifetime deal for our great university," he said.

"So, to this point, we have gotten approval to have the property appraised, and any environmental and survey work done, and hopefully everything will fall into place so that this can be a rapid transaction. If all parties can get together, Austin Peay could immediately gain 1,000 new parking spaces from this acquisition, for sure, and there are also some discussions about other uses for portions of the property and some of the buildings there.

"This is a great opportunity for not only Austin Peay, but our entire community," Johnson said.

Tavia D. Green contributed to this report.

Jimmy Settle, 245-0247

Business editor

jimmysettle@theleafchronicle.com

Twitter: @settle_leaf