With Costco locked in as the anchor at Freedom Farms, Clarksville's economic development board is turning to the land next door. The Clarksville-Montgomery County Industrial Development Board is now focused on its 69-acre Office Park site, between Freedom Farms and Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital, Clarksville Now reported.
The goal is a convention and conference center for Clarksville, Tennessee, something the city has talked about for years.
What the IDB wants at the Office Park
The board bought the property in 2020 to develop a convention center. The current plan would bring a convention and conference center to Clarksville with two to three adjacent hotels, Class-A office space, and restaurants and shops. Sixteen acres of walkable, boutique-style retail is also expected, according to Clarksville Now.
Get today’s Clarksville report for your trade, free →
The convention center alone has a working number. "We've identified it's going to be around $80 million, give or take," an IDB official told Clarksville Now. A county tax-increment financing district is already in place for the site.
Who builds it
No development partner has been chosen yet. Seven or eight groups have expressed interest, and the talks are under nondisclosure agreements. The board is also preparing a request for qualifications to hire municipal advisers, which Clarksville Now said should go out within weeks.
There's road work tied to it, too. The IDB reached a verbal, non-binding agreement with Vanderbilt to run the planned access road to Professional Park Drive instead of Chesapeake Lane, and it would add parking for the hospital in exchange. The road is planned as a five-lane boulevard.
More new construction on Wilma Rudolph Boulevard
Across town, In-N-Out Burger has bought the former Quality Inn Exit 4 at 3095 Wilma Rudolph Boulevard, Williamson Source reported. The 6.26-acre site near Interstate 24 at Exit 4 used to be a 143-room hotel. The chain plans a restaurant there, plus space for two more restaurant or retail buildings. No construction timeline has been announced.
Common questions about the Clarksville convention center
Where is the Clarksville Office Park?
The 69-acre Office Park sits between Freedom Farms and Vanderbilt Clarksville Hospital. The Industrial Development Board bought it in 2020.
How much will the Clarksville convention center cost?
An IDB official told Clarksville Now the convention center is estimated at around $80 million, give or take. No developer has been picked yet.
Is In-N-Out coming to Clarksville?
Yes. In-N-Out bought the former Quality Inn at Exit 4 on Wilma Rudolph Boulevard and plans a restaurant there. No opening date has been announced.
Sources
- What to know as IDB turns attention from Freedom Farms to 69-acre Office Park site, Clarksville Now
- In-N-Out's Tennessee expansion rolls on with new Clarksville site, Williamson Source
Related: Clarksville's new data center zoning rules. More in Cities we track and the Morningline Research blog. Want new Clarksville projects in your trade every weekday? Get a free sample report.
More from Morningline Research
- Montgomery County Tightens Data Center Zoning Rules, Pushes Clarksville-Area Setback to 500 Feet
- Google's Lincoln Data Center Files for a Third Building's Power and Cooling Plant
- Gasworx's First Office Building in Ybor City Files a $12.5 million Interior Build-Out
- Buda Weighs Using 3.89 Acres of Parkland to Realign Old Black Colony Road; Vote Moved to Dec. 1