News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The on-again-off-again development of a shopping center at the corner of East 10th Street and Old Kentucky Road in Cookeville appears to be on again.
Cookeville’s Industrial Development Board Vice Chair Jim Martin said he was hopeful that a well-funded developer has come forward. The board voted Wednesday to approve a tentative agreement of a 10-year real estate abatement and 5-year personal property abatement to the yet-to-be-disclosed group.
“There’s been different groups with different ideas, some from out-of-town, some from in-town,” Martin said. “This is the only group that seems to be able to get any traction. It appears there’s enough people behind it now to have enough resources to make it go.”
Martin said there have been a number of groups that have attempted to get the development underway. The new plan, which has been scaled down from the original plan for the property, will happen in phases.
“Phase I will be a large grocery store,” Martin said. “Phase I was to come in and develop that first along with appropriate parking. Then Phase II is to add on or develop around the grocery chain, some office space and other assorted retail stores.”
The new group is prepared to make a $16 million dollar investment that will bring in 80 full-time and 90 part-time jobs. Martin said the Board’s action was the first step for the new group, but more work has to be done.
Cookeville Planning Director Jon Ward said he was unaware of any new developers on the project, but that fact would not change any of the zoning issues the land on East 10th Street faces.
The Cookeville Planning Commission approved a planned commercial development zoning for the property in November, 2018. After two extensions, that zoning is set to expire at the end of July unless the city passes proposed amendments to extend planning deadlines in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.
