Downtown Cookeville Living Taking Next Step In Process

Cookeville Planning Commission approved the next step toward downtown Cookeville living.

Commission Chair Jim Woodford said the West Side Connection plan will bring some 21 lots of varying residential structures to the old Builders Supply Company property on North Cedar Avenue.

“As far as having a substantial number of people living in our downtown footprint, that has never happened,” Woodford said. “So it’s going to give Cookeville and certain people who would like to live in a downtown environment an opportunity to have housing.”

With the approval of the plan, Woodford said the property also gets a residential area overlay (RAO). He said this designation allows the developer to have more density in an area it wouldn’t otherwise be allowed.

Woodford said there will be townhouses, apartments, and possibly duplexes. He said he believes the development is a great way to help revitalize a part of downtown that was previously industrial and had been left vacant for some time.

“We’re talking about a new neighborhood, an urban neighborhood which would be new and unique,” Woodford said. “I think there is a demand (…) And these people who are developing it, I think it’s very nice that they’re wanting to do this. It’s basically a revitalization.”