MURFREESBORO, TN (WGNS) - “Good things come to those who wait.” That old 16th‑century truism feels tailor‑made for Murfreesboro right now, as residents watch one downtown project taking shape, while there is only verbiage on others. The old Methodist church redevelopment, the Keystone Project, the revival of the former Goldstein’s building, the county’s move into the old Bank of America building on East Main, and—of course—the daylighting of Town Creek—all pieces of what might become part of a new look for Murfreesboro’s historic business district.
Town Creek, once a small stream winding through what locals called “The Bottoms,” was buried in the 1950s to curb chronic flooding. After seventy years underground, the creek is being brought back into the light. The plan along NW Broad Street will transform the corridor into a pedestrian‑friendly greenway with water views, live‑music spaces, food vendors, and historic storytelling woven into the walking path. A new ADA‑accessible pedestrian bridge will eventually carry foot traffic safely across six lanes of Broad at South Church, reconnecting areas long divided by traffic.
These ideas didn’t appear overnight. They grew out of public meetings and planning sessions nearly a decade ago. In January 2022, the Murfreesboro City Council unanimously approved the first steps toward acquiring property for the daylighting project. Since then, the vision has expanded to include new trail connections from the Discovery Center to Cannonsburgh Village and the removal of aging culverts that have carried the creek for generations.
WGNS has had a front‑row seat to this transformation—literally. The station’s 328‑foot tower was built in the mid‑1940s on a farm field on which cattle grazed, long before Murfree Spring became a wetland with a boardwalk. Two decades later, WGNS built its studio on South Church Street, a site now folded into the Keystone Project. Nearly 80 years after signing on the air as the Good Neighbor Station, WGNS remains in the middle of the action.
City Manager Darren Gore calls the Town Creek effort “a game changer for economic development downtown.” The City Council’s 2025 approval of a Tax Increment Financing agreement and a development partnership with Hillsboro Residential set the stage for a mixed‑use district of housing, retail, office space, and a future hotel. The project will roll out in phases through 2031, beginning with 239 multifamily units and most of the retail space by 2028.
Meanwhile, the daylighting itself is on a firm timeline. Mayor Shane McFarland says the project must be completed by October 2026 to meet federal funding requirements. A recent episode of the city’s Insider podcast notes that contractors expect to finish the stormwater‑funded portion by September, with the city’s internal close‑out deadline set for December 31.
City officials say the restored creek channel and natural stream corridor should be functional by early fall 2026, allowing phased public access as sections are completed. The full experience is expected by late 2026, even as pedestrian bridges and long‑range infrastructure improvements continue into the following years.
While several downtown redevelopment projects remain in flux, only one is showing steady, visible progress.
The future of One East College—the old Methodist church property—has been especially uncertain. After the Sunday School buildings and an adjoining office were demolished, the site fell quiet again, leaving the historic sanctuary and bell tower untouched and unused. In January 2024, the City issued a default notice to One East College, LLC after nearly five years of stalled movement. By September of that year, the City Council had taken the first steps toward reacquiring the property, even discussing the possibility of eminent domain.
Then the developer asked to move forward with changes.
On December 17, 2025 Murfreesboro Mayor Shane McFarland stated on WGNS…
A quarter into 2026, and there are no visible signs of change to the old Methodist Church site.
The former Bank of America building on East Main has also seen its share of twists, though that project appears to be stabilizing now that Rutherford County government has stepped in with plans to convert the structure into county offices.
The Keystone Project, meanwhile, continues to work through hurdles of its own. Paperwork is moving, but on the ground, nothing has changed yet.
Right now, the only project offering something residents can actually see taking shape is the daylighting of Town Creek. As construction continues along Broad Street, the creek’s return to open air has become the most tangible sign that downtown Murfreesboro’s long‑promised transformation is finally beginning to break through.
If construction stays on track, Murfreesboro residents will be able to step into the new Town Creek community space later this year. And as the creek rises back into daylight, downtown Murfreesboro is poised to rise with it—slowly, steadily, and well worth the wait.
