MURFREESBORO, Tenn. (WGNS News) – We now have more details on a proposed big-box hardware store in South Murfreesboro, where plans are moving forward for a new Lowe’s Home Improvement store along Shelbyville Pike, also known as South Church Street. The proposed development would sit on approximately 16.78 acres on the east side of Shelbyville Pike, south of Joe B. Jackson Parkway and across from the Volunteer Road area, across from MMC. The property also connects to the southern end of Christie Knob Way that sits in front of the Tiger Hill town home community.
The proposal involves more than simply constructing a new store. The property is currently outside Murfreesboro city limits in unincorporated Rutherford County and is zoned RM, or Residential Medium Density. Property owner Joe Avery Curtis Jr. has requested that the 16.78-acre portion of the property be annexed into City Limits of Murfreesboro. At the same time, Lowe’s Home Centers, LLC is seeking to have the property rezoned to a Planned Commercial District specifically designed for the proposed Lowe’s development.
Plans submitted to the Murfreesboro Planning Commission show a sizable project. The main Lowe’s building would contain up to 107,136 square feet, accompanied by a 30,360-square-foot garden center. The development would allow for the traditional products associated with a Lowe’s store, including lumber, building materials, paint, hardware and nursery and garden merchandise. Permanent and seasonal outdoor sales, storage and display areas are also included in the proposal. Plans indicate the building would be limited to a maximum height of 40 feet.
Parking plans call for 305 customer spaces, including 294 regular parking spaces and 11 accessible spaces. Utilities on the site would be underground, while mechanical equipment would be screened from public rights-of-way. The proposed Planned Commercial District also contains specific requirements governing architecture, signage, landscaping, outdoor displays and lighting. The developer is requesting some exceptions from Murfreesboro's normal design standards, including permission to use integrally colored split-faced block as a primary building material on the east side of the store and modifications to some required foundation landscaping.
Access to the development would primarily come from Shelbyville Pike. Plans show a dedicated right-in, right-out and left-in entrance, with modifications to the existing center median to accommodate a southbound left-turn lane. The proposed intersection is anticipated to be signalized. That access point would place the new store along an increasingly commercial stretch of South Church Street, with Pep Boys and other commercial property to the north. The surrounding area also includes Tiger Hill Townhomes, residential properties, vacant land and the Murfreesboro Medical Clinic facility across Shelbyville Pike near Volunteer Road.
The annexation is notable because the property is currently identified as a Future Study Area under the Murfreesboro 2035 Comprehensive Plan and sits outside the City's existing Service Infill Line. However, a Small Area Study is underway, and planning documents indicate the City expects the infill boundary to eventually shift to include the property. The area is also expected to be designated General Commercial to better reflect the development pattern occurring along the South Church Street/Shelbyville Pike corridor.
This past July, City planning staff has expressed support for the annexation request. Staff noted that the property is within Murfreesboro's Urban Growth Boundary, is contiguous with existing city limits along portions of its northern and western boundaries, and can be served by City infrastructure. Sewer service could be extended through an existing 800-foot gravity line along Shelbyville Pike, while water would be supplied by Consolidated Utility District. Police protection, solid waste collection and electric service would also become available following annexation.
The proposal still has to make its way through the City's approval process, meaning the submitted plans should not be confused with a store already under construction. The Planning Commission is required to consider the annexation and zoning matters, with the annexation ultimately requiring consideration by the Murfreesboro City Council. If approved and ultimately developed, the project would bring a large new home improvement retailer to the growing southern end of Murfreesboro.
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