Global real estate investment, development and property management firm Hines continues to advance with its 78-acre mixed-use destination located at 2600 Roby Corlew Ln., just off of Medical Center Parkway.
City of Murfreesboro Assistant Planning Director Matthew Blomeley said that Hines is working on lots that they will later be selling to individual developers who will then handle lot development. Blomeley said that he believes the Clari Park development will be a good thing for Murfreesboro, as it will presumably not only bring more total living spaces for citizens but will also provide more lifestyle options.
Hines has already begun construction on a 300-unit, 11.4-acre land parcel named The Residences at Clari Park as a part of their first land development phase of that project.
The property aims to offer future residents an easily walkable suburban living experience at the core of Murfreesboro’s Gateway District adjacent to The Avenue Murfreesboro. The lifestyle center sports an advanced fitness center, market-leading finishings and a two-story club space.
“There is robust demand for housing in the suburbs of Nashville that delivers a differentiated amenity program and walkable lifestyle,” said Hines Director Kevin Jund. “Renters, home buyers and commercial users alike are all looking for the same thing—a great suburban location with a unique sense of place, and convenient walkable access to dining, shops and entertainment. Clari Park is delivering on that, and we can think of no better place to meet that demand than in Murfreesboro.”
Hines has been working on recruiting business to the lots. Firebirds Wood Fired Grill has already opened, the Main Event entertainment complex will open in February, and other establishments with plans for the area include P.F. Chang’s, Drake’s, Whataburger, Black Rifle Coffee and Raising Cane’s.
Clari Park has also been celebrated for having nearby access to the Murfreesboro Greenway System and the Stones River National Battlefield.
Blomeley said Hines secured city zoning approval for the development several years ago. He said the city’s involvement in the development has only been to the extent of ensuring that the construction set out by Hines is following city guidelines. But Blomeley, who has been the Murfreesboro assistant planning director for seven years and working for the city for a total of about 22 years, says that this development is a good step for Murfreesboro, as it gives existing and incoming residents options regarding individual living preferences.
He said that Clari Park will not be a traditional urban development zoning employing what he describes as “vertical use,” which limits how a building can be used: commercially or residentially. He said that instead, Clari Park will provide what he dubbed “horizontal mixed-use,” which connects commercial and residential uses that fit well within the same building.
“I think we’re gonna see more of that,” Blomeley said. “For the longest time in planning and zoning, one of the predominant ways of thinking was to keep different uses separate, and I think that what we’re finding is that certain uses can be compatible with one another if it’s designed correctly.”
Blomeley said it is important for the city to provide traditional suburban housing options, but that it’s also important to recognize that many residents no longer care for the maintenance that comes with the typical suburban household.
“Providing additional types of housing options, I think, is something that will draw people to our community and will help people who are already here to stay,” Blomeley said. “If their housing needs are not being met by the current housing situation . . . developers are trying to meet those needs with new types of housing that will interest people.”
Though, many Murfreesboro residents have expressed concern about whether Medical Center Parkway’s infrastructure is ready for a large project such as this.
“Traffic on Medical Center Parkway towards 24 is already ridiculously poorly planned. To add more multi-unit housing, on the same side of town, which will be dependent on already overwhelmed infrastructure, is asking for trouble,” Murfreesboro resident Libby Anne commented on a post regarding Clari Park, a huge project in what she calls an “already over-burdened part of town.”
Many others share her skepticism that the congested roads in the area—which will soon expectedly contain not only Clari Park, but also the Notes Live concert venue not far down Medical Center Parkway, among other new development—can adequately handle any additional traffic.
“This is not ‘fresh,’” Brandon Whitt said about Clari Park. “It’s more cram-packed living and retail space. More traffic and very poorly planned in an area already busting at the seams.”
The expansion has been announced following Murfreesboro being named the third-fastest-growing city in the United States by SmartAssest in 2022, and Nashville’s fastest-growing submarket thanks to factors such as its explosive population and job growth. The exploding job market reportedly has largely been attributed to Murfreesboro’s position along a surging job corridor that includes Nashville heavy hitters like Nissan, Amazon and Asurion, as well as one of the largest universities in Tennessee, MTSU.
Blomeley said that it is exciting to see growth such as this, as it’s the latest step in regaining much of the momentum for “unbelievable growth” before the 2008 recession, and he believes that the city will begin seeing other similar developments in the not-so-distant future.
