While Nashville’s “it city” status may be relatively new, Music City has long been home to diverse neighborhoods abundant with lush green spaces, bountiful restaurants, music venues, and charming boutiques.
Nothing in life, particularly in a city as dynamic as Nashville, remains static. Four of Nashville’s most established, beloved neighborhoods are going through a transformation. Here’s a look at plans—both in the future and already in the works—for new developments that will fuse time-honored traditions with new amenities. If you haven’t been to these areas in a minute, it’s time to plan an afternoon or weekend staycation to explore.
BELLE MEADE PLAZA
One of the proposed developments that has been garnering attention city-wide is Belle Meade Plaza, a mixed-use, commercial, residential, and retail property near White Bridge Road and Harding Plaza.
Adventurous Journeys (AJ) Capital Partners hopes to replace the existing ’60s era strip mall with a space that reflects the modern needs of a growing city. The current commercial space was one of Nashville’s first mixed-use buildings when it was built. The new plan calls for condos, apartments, and public green space. In fact, about 60 percent of the site’s 10.5 acres will be devoted to green and open space and estimates from AJ Capital suggest traffic near the intersection will be reduced by as much as 40 percent. The proposal also includes a hotel and residential space, ADA-compliant access, and a raised boardwalk along the Greenway, all of which will provide walkable and bikeable access to the nearby hospital, schools, and several neighborhoods, including Belle Meade. Although the currrent development doesn’t provide access to the creek, there’s a restoration plan in the works for Richland Creek.
The new plans, as with any proposed development project, have been the subject of some debate. Recently AJ Capital adjusted the plan to accommodate neighborhood concerns, including reducing the overall height of the buildings, reducing the number of hotel rooms, and increasing the number of parking spots. The developer intends to pursue LEED certification for the development, which is several years out from completion, if approved. The Metro Planning Commission voted in March allowing for a specific plan to make a request for rezoning of the site. Now that rezoning needs to be approved. The project has some high-profile supporters, including native daughter, actress, and entrepreneur Reese Witherspoon who has been public about her endorsement, reportedly sending an email to District 24 councilwoman Kathleen Murphy to voice her support.
THE FACTORY AT FRANKLIN
The Factory at Franklin got its name by being just that—a former factory, first for stoves and then for furniture. Over the years the space has morphed and changed and even been threatened with a bulldozer, but Franklin residents spoke up and said the place was important to them. The Factory’s latest overhaul, which will be revealed later this year, takes all that history into account, says Allen Arender, partner and senior vice- president of development of Holladay Properties. The new Factory leans into the property’s historic architecture with soaring spaces that take advantage of the high ceilings and exposed brick walls, plus a grand hall with a showstopping skylight. (For which the Factory’s new anchor business, The Skylight Bar, is named.) The developers are welcoming back long-time Factory tenants Mojo’s Tacos and Honest Coffee Roasters, plus newcomers to Franklin (but not to greater Nashville) such as etch, Edley’s Bar-B- Que, and Two Hands. There will be some new restaurants including the first outpost of White Alligator, maker of Louisiana-style po’ boys. Seating will accommodate anyone who wants to gather. A hotel is in the works for the future, too.
Most restaurants will have patios and outdoor space and will be connected to a number of mini park-like green spaces. Those green spaces are centered around some of the Factory’s iconic landmarks, such as the water tower and the smokestack. Imagine sitting under the picturesque water tower, eating at Five Daughters Bakery, and taking in some Middle Tennessee sunshine. Sidewalks will run not only through the Factory property but all the way to downtown Franklin, creating a walkable and bikeable shopping district.
Ken Means, a wood-carving artist who has had a studio at the Factory in the past, will now have his works on display for all to enjoy. His hand- carved animals will spin around on a carousel that is slated to open later in the year and have ADA accessibility so that anyone who wants to can ride. The Factory will be home to three performance spaces of varying sizes so that the destination can host shows, concerts, weddings, and Studio TENN Theatre Company productions, which will be open to the public.
Franklin residents remember their kids growing up at the Factory through a variety of these kinds of events, Arender says, and the renovation is designed to continue to allow families to gather and enjoy the space for years to come. The Factory also has a reputation for good shopping, and that’s not going to change. Some of the Factory’s favorite retailers are moving into bigger spaces, taking advantage of the reconfigured design, while new stores will move in, too. Judith Bright Jewelry, Made in TN, Lemon Gift Shop, and Third Coast Clay are among the options.
“Right now, people come to Nashville and maybe they’ll make a half-a-day trip to Franklin,” Arender says. “But this is going to put Franklin on the map. People are going to add another night to spend more time in Franklin.”
GREEN HILLS
For decades Green Hills, the affluent community along Hillsboro Pike, has been known for good shopping and good restaurants and as the home of the legendary songwriter’s mecca, the Bluebird Café. Like other established neighborhoods in Nashville, Green Hills’ skyline is changing, with high rises of gleaming glass reflecting the surrounding landscape. Developer Transwestern is at work on a 22-story mixed-use development called Hillsboro Town Centre, with condos, restaurants, and retail. When completed, it will be the tallest structure in Green Hills.
With its reverent musical space and its iconic blue awning, the neighboring Bluebird will remain a centerpiece of the Green Hills neighborhood. “What we have in that tiny space is incredibly meaningful,” says Erika Nichols, president and general manager of the Bluebird. As Hillsboro Town Centre rises tall around the heart and soul of Nashville songwriters, Nichols says Transwestern has been considerate and accommodating of Bluebird operations. Construction primarily takes place during the day so nighttime shows are not impacted, but afternoon shows and back-of-house loading and unloading are. “There is a lot of development, and we are not going into it with our eyes closed,” she says.
Transwestern isn’t the only developer transforming the Green Hills skyline. Until Hillsboro Town Centre is completed, the Vertis Green Hills, an 18-story luxury apartment community, is the tallest building in the area. Opened five years ago, the idea behind Vertis was to provide a luxury experience with views of the rolling green hills that give the neighborhood its name. The company also wanted to provide walkable access to restaurants and retail says Tim Downey, founder and CEO of Southern Land Company, the Vertis developer.
“Green Hills has so much within walking distance, which helps add a layer of ease into life. We see people taking advantage of this every day, which is refreshing. They’re out and about, traversing the area on foot. Major grocery stores, including Whole Foods, Trader Joe’s, and Kroger are just steps away, and so are excellent shopping centers like Hill Center Green Hills and The Mall at Green Hills, plus a variety of boutiques,” Downey says.
Southern Land Company recently acquired the nearby 2025 Richard Jones Rd. plot of land (formerly called Eden House) adjacent to Vertis Green Hills.“We are taking our time to thoughtfully consider a variety of possibilities for the site to ensure it complements Vertis and adds to the Green Hills community,” Downey says. Nichols and her Bluebird team are working not to be reactive to the changes around them, but to be thoughtful in protecting a place important to locals and visitors alike. Nichols hopes that the Bluebird, which pays performers with proceeds from the door, will continue to be a destination for food and drink, as that’s how the club keeps its lights on. “We have to be strategic in a new world,” Nichols says.
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WEDGEWOOD-HOUSTON
AJ Capital Partners, the developer of more than 20 acres of mixed- use real estate in Nashville’s Wedgewood-Houston neighborhood, is committed to keeping the local charm by building new properties that complement the design aesthetic of existing spaces while introducing new offerings that serve residents from their first cup of coffee to their last nightcap, says Taylor Camp, vice president of the company.
In 2022, AJ Capital opened the May Hosiery Factory—home to the Soho House membership club and hotel, among other businesses—as the first phase of neighborhood development. The next phase, Wedgewood Village, will break ground in April and continue the area’s revitalization. The existing Falcon & Flamingo will keep its doors open, and new buildings will be constructed in a horseshoe shape around the coffee shop and cocktail bar as well as the neighboring condos. New tenants coming to the area include Hero Doughnuts, Red Bull [corporate], Matter Health, and The Malin, a co-working space that will be housed in the city’s first mass timber building. The design aesthetic of that next phase will be similar to the May Hosiery complex. “We think it’s our responsibility to preserve the city’s history, so it’s informing architecture of the new construction,” Camp says.
“We’re really building upon the [area’s] legacy as a cultural destination,” says Lindsay DeCarlo, vice president of brand and programming for AJ Capital.
That’s because the Wedgewood-Houston transformation is not just about buildings. In addition to the architecture, the design focuses on the spaces between the buildings, plazas, and paseos with areas where the community can interact. In 2022, a monthly Wedgewood-Houston Farmers’ Market launched and in 2023 it expanded to weekly. The market takes place in front of the old Greer Stadium guitar-shaped scoreboard, a city landmark that locals are thrilled to have preserved. Nearby, a mural of 62 concert ticket stubs pays homage to what makes Music City sing. The developers have also helped to launch ARTVILLE, a festival helmed by Nashvillians Samantha Saturn, director of The American Artisan Festival, and Jack Davis, founder of Good Neighbor Festivals, set to debut this fall.
“We’re telling the stories of those spaces and then using those spaces to create new experiences that bring people in,” DeCarlo says. “That’s one of the things we’re most excited to build.”