Commercial Real Estate Spotlight: Cool Springs

 In Industry Insights and Trends

What started as a 1,150-acre development along Interstate 65 in Middle Tennessee has exploded into 7.5 million square feet (and growing!) of commercial, office, and mixed-use space that now rivals Downtown Nashville a mere 16 miles away. The name of that development? Cool Springs.

Cool Springs has become the obvious place to put down roots for some of the nation’s biggest companies, and for good reason: It’s surpassed the nation’s average job growth percentage, and even has been ranked #1 for absolute population growth. Plus, it’s conveniently located just minutes from Nashville, BNA airport, and nestled among the beautiful green hills of Middle Tennessee.

The majority of the Cool Springs commercial area populates Cool Springs Boulevard, Carothers Parkway, Liberty Pike, McEwen Drive, Mallory Lane, and Moores Lane. With some portions located in Brentwood, Tenn., and others in Williamson County, Cool Springs boasts the Cool Springs Galleria and other shopping centers, numerous restaurants, and several luxury hotels.

But it is the business parks and office buildings of Cool Springs that have really catalyzed and nurtured its growth. Cool Springs is now headquarters to the likes of Community Health Systems, HCA Healthcare Inc., Nissan North America, Mitsubishi, and Ramsey Solutions, to name a few. And businesses that are moving to Nashville – such as Amazon and Oracle – have sparked discussions about the need for more mixed-use communities and housing in surrounding areas, including Cool Springs.

Looking for innovative and integrated commercial real estate solutions? From development and design to property management and brokerage, choose Southeast Venture

The History of Cool Springs

Named after the nearby landmark, Cool Springs Farm, the Cool Springs development was an innovation that had its beginnings in the minds of Southeast Venture founders George Volkert and Dick Sorenson. Dick was a veteran real estate developer from Atlanta, and George was a real estate broker from Nashville. Together, along with partners Gerry Ezell and Gary Baker, they envisioned a commercial hub from undeveloped farmland.

In 1985, Southeast Venture hired Wood Caldwell to direct all land developments for the company. Paul Plummer was hired later in 1986 to direct the Cool Springs development, and Cam Sorenson became the Cool Springs project manager in 1987.

Following Cool Springs’ construction in 1988, CBL & Associates (now CBL Properties) of Chattanooga set out to build the Cool Springs Galleria, a regional shopping mall of more than 165 stores. The Galleria’s opening in 1991 only enticed more businesses to buy-in to the development.

Southeast Venture’s Mark on Cool Springs

In addition to Southeast Venture’s obvious hand in the beginnings of Cool Springs, the commercial real estate and design company continues to influence and meet the needs of the booming area.

Mallory Park Phases I & II

Southeast Venture served as development manager of Mallory Park (Phases I & II), a combined 155,000-square-feet of office space located on 125 acres. Both Phase I and Phase II were specifically designed for corporate tenants looking for higher density office space, a high-parking ratio, and ideal location in Cool Springs.

Phase I: Quorum Healthcare Corporation

Quorum Healthcare occupies Phase I of the Mallory Park development. Southeast Venture designed and developed this 88,000-square-foot, Class-A office building.

Phase II: Verus Healthcare

Verus Healthcare occupies Phase II of Mallory Park. Southeast Venture provided interior design services to give Verus Healthcare a professional, branded office for their corporate headquarters and call center. Southeast Venture also incorporated an outdoor courtyard, employee café, and shuffleboard for employees’ work breaks.

Rustici Watershed

The Rustici Watershed office near Cool Springs Boulevard is a warehouse converted into a multi-textured, versatile, and culture-centric space. Southeast Venture provided interior design services that included a large mezzanine, tall glass roll-up doors, a statement staircase, and an outdoor work-and-play space.

Learn more about Southeast Venture’s integrated services across real estate, design, and development. Or, contact us about your next project!