Southern Land Company is in the process of adding a 22-story building that will make Green Hills look quite different in the years to come.
The Green Hills Action Partners hosted a public forum at the United Methodist Church for over a hundred people to learn and discuss the project and the future for Green Hills on Monday, Sept. 9. The designated location is the intersection of Richard Jones Rd. and Hillsboro Pike. This may be a familiar location to Lipscomb students, as the new upcoming coffeehouse, The Well, is one of the many businesses that are being forced to relocate.
At 240 feet tall, this new attraction would be the tallest building in Green Hills. Currently the 14-story Green Hills Apartments for Retired Teachers is the tallest. Southern Land Company’s future intentions for the building would have multiple uses such as: residential apartments, office space for business, restaurants, and shopping.
Southern Land Co. is excited to see this project almost ready to launch. Southern Land Co. CEO Tim Downey sees this project as an opportunity for college students to enjoy the area a little more.
“It will have a lot of things Greens Hills doesn’t have right now,” Downey said. “And for Lipscomb students, it will have restaurants, out door seating, and of course we will have the apartments as well.”
The building’s implications sound great for students who are new to the area, but for those who have lived in Green Hills for years it just means that traffic will become too much to bare.
11-year Green Hills resident Charlotte Cooper, has watched the city grow, and she is familiar with what buildings are up coming in the area. She’s an active voice among residents in Green Hills and is extremely concerned with how much traffic this project will bring.
“I have trouble believing the numbers that the traffic studies show,” said Cooper. “I have lived in Green Hills for 11 years, and I have seen traffic go from slightly congested to almost out of hand.”
Lipscomb students like junior and Lumination’s Entertainment Editor Logan Butts have similar feelings concerning with how much traffic might clog Green Hills.
“I’m glad it will bring new business and commerce to the area,” Butts said.“But it’s already a complete congested area and making it even more congested it going to be a pain. I don’t know if that’s a good thing for Lipscomb or not.”
Construction should begin in early 2014 and is expected to finish sometime in 2016.
Video by Kelly Dean and Michael Fox