Downtown Construction Update

Phase II Rolling Mill Infrastructure is under way. This project includes streetscape improvements along both sides of Hermitage Avenue from Peabody Street to Anthes Drive. Work will include construction of a right-hand turn lane at Korean Veterans Boulevard, reconstruction of sidewalks, relocation of utility lines and installation of stormwater drainage. Additionally, the downtown Rolling Mill Hill greenway will be constructed along the Cumberland River bluff. Total construction time frame is expected to last through 2010 with one lane closed along Hermitage Avenue for the duration of the project.

For more information, contact Joe Cain, Director of Development, at jcain@nashville-mdha.org

The redevelopment of Rolling Mill Hill as a mixed-use community is taking shape in a way that complements the continued resurgence of downtown Nashville. The 34-acre Rolling Mill Hill site, home to the Nashville General Hospital building (built in 1890), is being redeveloped through a public-private partnership between MDHA and select urban developers.  Work is currently underway on new streets, underground wiring, sewer and storm water systems, site grading, greenways, and streetscaping. The infrastructure is being installed by MDHA in preparation for the development of the neighborhood.

Background

MDHA has taken several steps to ensure the viability of the Rolling Mill Hill neighborhood in advance of soliciting development proposals.  These have included a market feasibility study and a neighborhood master planning process.

The market feasibility study was initiated in the spring of 2003 by Economics Research Associates of Washington, DC, and the Walker Collaborative of Nashville to determine development opportunities for Rolling Mill Hill. The study revealed compelling prospects for redevelopment of the site as a residential neighborhood with supporting commercial uses. The full feasibility study is available below.

Once the Feasibility Study revealed the potential of the site, MDHA selected a design team to explore the best options for the physical development of Rolling Mill Hill. The design team included RTKL of Washington and Everton Oglesby Architects and Hawkins Partners of Nashville. The design team held public meetings to solicit input from the community and ultimately produced Development Guidelines for Rolling Mill Hill, a document whose purpose is to identify the location of new infrastructure and sites for development. The Development Guidelines also propose a variety of housing types appropriate for the site, the location of new public space and greenways, historic buildings to be incorporated into future development plans, and high-quality streetscape designs. They also suggest a phasing strategy for development and stress the importance of using the redevelopment of Rolling Mill Hill as a catalyst for further development in Rutledge Hill and downtown Nashville.

The Development Guidelines were developed in conjunction with a financial analysis conducted by Robert Charles Lesser & Company, one of the nation’s largest real estate advisory firms. The financial analysis confirms that development of Rolling Mill Hill according to the Development Guidelines will be attractive to a variety of builders. It stresses the importance of partnering with private developers who share the long-term vision for a premier urban neighborhood in downtown Nashville.
Continue to visit our website as plans for Rolling Mill Hill continue to develop and begin to be realized.

For more information on Rolling Mill Hill, contact Joe Cain at 252-8404.