Construction is set to begin this month on the Flats of Walden Grove, a 126-unit apartment development owned by and adjacent to Trevecca Nazarene University.

Located between Nance Lane and Parris Avenue on the eastern edge of campus, the apartment project will neighbor the Walden Village residential development, which is currently under construction.

Construction of the Flats of Walden Grove will begin within the next two weeks and is expected to last 15 months. The complex will include 45 one-bedroom apartments and 81 two-bedroom apartments, ranging in size from 624 square feet to 1,150 square feet. Additionally, The Flats will include a pool in an internal courtyard, a private exercise facility, and covered parking for nearly half the planned parking spaces.

“While owned by the university, this apartment development is for renters interested in living close to downtown and next to a vibrant college community,” said Dan Boone, Trevecca president. “This is just another way to invest in the community that surrounds Trevecca.”

The university is working with Steve Sisson, owner of VITA Residential, to develop the apartment project. Sisson, who has 24 years of experience in development and management, specializes in multi-family housing projects. He is passionate about developing “workforce housing” and has previously developed more than $225 million in multi-family assets representing more than 2,000 units of multi-family housing near major employment centers.

“I am excited for this project to serve as the catalyst that transforms the Murfreesboro Road corridor,” Sisson said. “I wanted to be a part of the solution for true workforce housing in Nashville’s downtown district and place a stamp on the future of the region’s housing industry.”

The Flats at Walden Grove features nine floor plans. Monthly rent is expected to start just under $1,000. VITA Property Management Group, LLC, also owned by Sisson, will serve as the property management company once construction is completed.

The Flats at Walden Grove is one of several construction projects currently underway on or adjacent to Trevecca’s campus. In March, Trevecca’s Board of Trustees voted to begin construction of Trevecca’s new music building. Located at 502 Lester Avenue, the project will repurpose existing buildings on the former Volunteer Express location to house the university’s new School of Music and Worship Arts.

In addition, Parkside Builders began construction on Phase 1 of Walden Village in September 2015. Once completed, the residential development will include a collection of 34 homes, both cottages and townhomes. For both Walden Village and the Flats of Walden Grove, Chris Thompson of Towne Creek Realty helped foster the relationship between Trevecca and Parkside Builders and VITA Development Group, LLC, respectively.

The Flats at Walden Grove project is also part of the growing revitalization along the Murfreesboro Road corridor. Nashville Mayor Megan Barry has proposed moving the Metro Nashville Police Department administrative headquarters to 600 Murfreesboro Road, just down the street from the university, a project once estimated at $23 million. Metro is currently constructing a new Family Justice Center at the same site.

--Trevecca Nazarene University