TDK Construction proposes headquarters, hundreds of apartments off Medical Center Parkway

Murfreesboro's busy Medical Center Parkway area off Interstate 24 might gain a headquarters for TDK Construction and 274 apartments.

The TDK mixed-use project would include restaurant and retail spaces on 13.7 acres along the southwest intersection of the parkway with Robert Rose Drive, said Ross Bradley, vice president of development for TDK.

"We desperately need good jobs, and we desperately need more housing," Bradley said.

The Murfreesboro Planning Commission will hold a public hearing about the TDK mixed-use rezoning proposal during a 6 p.m. Wednesday meeting at City Hall.

In addition to a five-story headquarters and apartments, TDK also plans to build a new road connecting Robert Rose to The Avenue Murfreesboro shopping center, Bradley said.

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The project includes a traffic study from Murfreesboro-based SEC (Site Engineering Consultants) to help city officials determine other needed road improvements, he added.

The proposed development would be east of Maplegrove Drive and adjacent to the east and south of the property for McAllister's restaurant (formerly Peter D’s).

Resident backs plan with new road

The plan for a new road pleased Murfreesboro area resident April Smith, whose family is rebuilding their fire-destroyed home on Asbury Lane off Medical Center Parkway.

"I use Robert Rose all the time," said Smith, adding that Medical Center Parkway is "bumper to bumper" at times.

Smith wishes the city could come up with a similar connection road plan to help Asbury Lane residents, facing a dangerous left-hand turn at Medical Center Parkway.

"It's a nightmare," said Smith, who created a Facebook page called "Disastrous Intersection" about the unsafe conditions at Asbury Lane and Medical Center Parkway.

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Demand for apartments up

The 274 proposed apartments will add to a Gateway area 3,114 apartments available or under construction, according to city planning staff. Of those rental units, 1,886 are located on the east side of I-24, with 1,683 apartments located within a walkable distance of 1,500 feet or less to the proposed TDK project.

TDK has built two existing apartment complexes off Medical Center Parkway: Vintage at The Avenue with 203 units; and Vintage Gateway with 263 units.

Bradley said there's greater demand for apartments.

"We don’t have enough supply," Bradley said. "It’s making housing totally unaffordable."

The average price for high-quality apartments in Murfreesboro went from $1,300 a year ago to $1,624 today, Bradley said.

"Our Vintage Gateway property next door is 99% occupied," said Bradley, adding the median household income for people in the area's high-quality apartments is $93,000. "People are interested in having convenient, walkable housing, and I think that occupancy shows it."

The apartments will be marketed to single adults rather than families with children, Bradley said.

Headquarters would be built first

TDK's headquarter plans involve relocating from the company's office at 1610 S. Church St. in Murfreesboro. The company will use 18,000 square feet of the future building and lease out about 33,000 square feet for offices, Bradley said.

The existing TDK office is 15,000 square feet. The company plans to retain this building and offer office leases, Bradley added.

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The mix-use project will initially involve building the headquarters followed by the apartments. Bradley expects the project to be built out in two to three years.

The ground floor of buildings will be for retail spaces with customer parking out front. Parking for residents and workers will be to the back of the buildings.

The apartment buildings will have one- and two-bedroom rental dwellings available on the second, third and fourth floors.

TDK also will craft strict deed restrictions on property uses for the mixed-use development. The company, for example, wants a full-service restaurant instead of a gas station at the corner of Robert Rose Drive and Medical Center Parkway, Bradley said.

"We want a nice commercial user out front," Bradley said.

Reach reporter Scott Broden with news tips and questions by emailing him at sbroden@dnj.com. Follow him on Twitter @ScottBroden.

Public hearing set

The Murfreesboro Planning Commission will hold a public hearing about the proposed TDK Construction mixed-use project that includes a headquarters and 274 apartments during a 6 p.m. Wednesday meeting at City Hall.

Gateway apartment counts

The following shows a list of current or under construction apartment complexes and number of dwellings in Murfreesboro Gateway Design Overlay District:

• Clari Park: 300

• Everwood at the Avenue: 336

• Henley Station Phase 1: 403

• Henley Station Phase 2: 177

• Lofts at Gateway Commons: 204

• Vintage at the Avenue: 203

• Vintage Gateway: 263

• Stonecrest: 321

• Panther Creek Parc (formerly called Integra Creek): 348

• Springfield Apartments: 271

• Vantage Murfreesboro: 288

• Total Apartment Units: 3,114

Source: Murfreesboro Planning Department staff

This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: TDK proposes new Murfreesboro Gateway headquarters, apartments