Cookeville Planning Rezoning Could Bring Downtown Residential Options

A local developer wants to bring more urban housing options to Cookeville’s downtown.

Cookeville Planning Commission approved the rezoning of lots at the Builder Supply site in downtown Cookeville to the Central Business District designation.

Planning Director Jon Ward said that this change can allow for more residential living in an urbanized zone. The planning commission is also studying lots on West First Street for rezoning to the same designation.

“I think that redeveloping to the CBD guidelines can provide a different aesthetic,” Ward said. “And it could be an asset to the downtown to bring a residential component.”

Developer Aaron Bernhardt said that he hopes to address needs and wants in the community by creating more housing options and doing so in different areas. He said that once completed, downtown residences can provide options for walking to work or increasing commerce for businesses.

“It would kind of look older but new, kind of what you see in Nashville,” Bernhardt said. “It probably will be all brick, but a little modern. It will look more commercialized, but it will fit in with the west Cookeville area (…) I would say it’s going to be more urban living, less green space. You know you have lots of planning and things like that, but we’ve had several requests of some of the businesses around the area that’s wanting to walk to work. And there ar some pretty big companies around the area that want the urban feel, they want the cool place to live, and they want to be able to walk to work.”