News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
A proposed shopping center on the southeast intersection of South Willow Avenue and I-40 will move forward with infrastructure assistance from Cookeville and Putnam County.
City Manager James Mills said the Willows Shopping Center would feature two large anchor stores and four outparcels. Mills said the city and county have each been requested to pay half of a $2.75 million project to fund infrastructure work around the site.
“Improvements necessary to accommodate this development includes widening Green Gate Lane and extending the turn lane there, putting a traffic signal up at Green Gate Lane and Willow,” Mills said. “Southbound traffic will use Green Gate Lane at the signal as the primary entrance into the shopping center.”
Putnam County Commissioners approved their half of the funding during Monday night’s meeting. Cookeville City Council will consider approval of its contribution Thursday.
“Willow will have a dedicated right turn lane, northbound, installed,” Mills said. “And access from Willow to the shopping center will be right-in, right-out only.”
Mills said the grant money would go through Cookeville’s Industrial Development Board to the site’s developer, CHM LLC. Mills said this is the same group that worked on the Shoppes at Eagle Pointe off Interstate Drive.
“They have an excellent track record here in the city of Cookeville,” Mills said. “And is one of the better developers that we’ve had.”
Mills said the payments would not be made until all infrastructure improvements have been completed and one of the anchors has been open and fully stocked for one day. Mills said that phase is expected to be completed by October 15, 2026.
“It could happen sooner depending on whether, you know how things go,” Mills said. “But, again, if the development is not completed then we are under no obligation to make the grant.”
Mills said the money would be budgeted in next year’s budget but the expenditures would likely not come until the following year. Mills said this is cleanest, safest way to move forward with the development.
“The other thing that’s most significant about this is that we immediately start receiving property tax and once they’re open, sales tax,” Mills said. “There’s no delays in any of that.”
Home Depot and Target have been the rumored tenants for the center. A project profile shared with the Cookeville Planning Commission earlier this year showed specs that fit a Home Depot.
