CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – A major big-box retailer has its eye on a spot on more than 200 acres behind Governor’s Square Mall as part of a “transformative” project. The anchor tenant alone would bring in 800 jobs and $6.5 million in annual sales tax revenue for the city and county to split.
The proposal went before the Clarksville-Montgomery County Regional Planning Commission Tuesday for rezoning. The applicant is looking to transition from two zoning classifications, R-1 and M-3, to three commercial zoning classifications. Here’s how the proposal is broken down:
- Around 98 acres would transition to C-3.
- Around 95 acres would transition to C-4.
- Around 7 acres would transition to C-5.
Costco listed among potential retailers
Clarksville lawyer Larry Rocconi spoke on behalf of the applicant, Virginia James and the Jason Feltner family. He told the RPC this project is transformative for the area.
“The developers are Oldacre McDonald,” Rocconi said. “They were selected by the Feltner trustees, and they put their faith into this developer based off their track record, and their extensive knowledge of developments of this size and of this quality.”
According to their website, Oldacre McDonald has 570 developments in 28 states, and they showcase working with brands such as Costco, ALDI, Target, and Publix. Costco is one of the only brands on that list that Clarksville doesn’t currently have.
“The EDC has worked tirelessly on this,” Rocconi said. “When we presented this, we came to work with the RPC; you call tell that this is a well-thought-out plan. The different zones show commitment to a project in a way where we’re telling you what we will do and how we will do it.” Rocconi said that they have two different connections, and the developer has planned to take on an extension of Spring Creek Parkway through their development and connect it with Ted A. Crozier Sr. Boulevard
That could save the city a considerable amount of construction money, as about half of the planned Phase 3 of Spring Creek Parkway is on this property.
‘We’re showing massive job creation’
“So, what are we bringing here? I can’t tell you what we’re bringing here right now, because we have to get the zoning changed (first),” Rocconi said. “But, right now, the proposed anchor tenant is a large retail, big-box store. It is a store that if here, we can confidently say we project $65 million annually in (total) sales tax revenue; we can tell you we have projected 600 direct jobs and 200 ancillary jobs for this one retailer.”
Rocconi then posed the question, what does this look like fully developed and how can it be transformative? “Fully built-out, fully developed, we will have retail that we don’t have here; we’re bringing restaurants that we don’t have here; we’re bringing ancillary products and services that we don’t have here; we’re showing massive job creation.”
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He told the RPC that they are the first step, before moving to the City Council. “Then our plan is (that) after the city, we can announce that we have an anchor tenant,” Rocconi said.
Rocconi said Ted A. Crozier Sr. Boulevard was designed for this project, and with the Spring Creek Parkway addition, they can fully address traffic in the area.
Approval by RPC, and what’s next
RPC staff recommended approval, saying the request is consistent with the overall goals and objectives of the adopted Clarksville-Montgomery County Comprehensive Plan. During Tuesday’s meeting, the commission unanimously recommended approval of the rezoning.
The City Council will discuss the rezoning case at their next meeting, set for Thursday, Aug. 28.
Correction: The anchor tenant alone is expected to generate $6.5 million in annual sales tax revenue for the city and county to split.
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