Murfreesboro's Fountains at Gateway plans up to 316 condos/apartments, hotel, restaurants

Fountains at Gateway developer Scott Graby expects to build up to 316 residential dwellings, hotel and more offices, restaurants and shops.

Graby, the local founder and owner of Hearthstone Properties, recently won rezoning approval for 31.3 acres from a unanimous Murfreesboro City Council for Fountains at Gateway for Phase 2 and 3 plans on the northside of fast-growing Medical Center Parkway about a half mile east of Ascension Saint Thomas Rutherford hospital.

The planning documents in city agendas show that the Fountains at Gateway has the option to build up to 316 multi-family residential dwellings that could be condos for sale or apartments the development would own or manage. Any condo owner needing to rent dwelling would be limited to minimum one-year periods, thus prohibiting any short-term arrangements, such as for AirBNB usage.

Council member Austin Maxwell said he had thought his rezoning vote was for condos only for the development in the city's Gateway area.

"I want property owners," Maxwell said. "I want people putting roots down."

Maxwell, however, did say he understood the developer may need flexibility by offering apartments given that home ownership is a challenge while interest rates are high.

"But I would prefer first and foremost the vast majority of it to be condos," Maxwell said. "I think the future property owners would appreciate that."

Condos with an atrium view? Fountains at Gateway phase 2 a 'trend setter'

Fountains at Gateway starts with office building, attracted restaurants

The Fountains at Gateway has had success attracting businesses along the thriving Medical Center Parkway. Other parkway developments include The Avenue Murfreesboro shopping center, Clari Park residential and commercial project and TDK's headquarters and other plans for apartments, specialty grocery store and other retail.

A born and raised Murfreesboro resident, Graby started the Fountains at Gateway with a four-story office building that offered 108,000 square feet for lease, including a bottom floor for retail. The first building sits on part of the 12 acres Graby bought from the Murfreesboro government in 2015 for a then estimated $2.6 million.

The Fountains currently offers six places for food and beverages: Goodness Gracious, PennePazze, Love Thai Sushi, Burger Republic, Just Love Coffee Café, Steakhouse Five and Five Daughters Bakery.

The development also has Murfreesboro Medical Clinic offices for plastic surgery, aesthetics, spa and boutique.

Graby's existing development provides recreational areas, including a splash pad that is converted to an ice skating rink during the Christmas holidays. Murfreesboro Parks and Recreation Department offers movies under the stars on Saturdays starting in May at the Fountains.

The Fountains also books space for wedding parties and festivals. These events include the free JazzFest with Rutherford County school bands that will be returning for a second year at 6 to 9 p.m. on a Friday April 26 and 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. April 27.

JazzFest revives in 2023: 'We could not do it without the Fountains at Gateway'

Project now showing model kitchen for first 52 condos

Phase 2 of the Fountains at Gateway will be built in two parts. Excavation crews for the Two Fountains Plaza will be digging by April for the 350-space parking garage, including 120 spaces underground for the condo owners, Graby said. He expects vertical construction to start by June or July.

By the end of 2025, the initial part of the development's Phase 2 plan should open a 170,000-square-foot building with a mass timber structure with brick, stone and black metal accents. The building will include 52 luxury condos on the top three floors with terrace porches on the outside.

The 52 condos will open front doors to an atrium with tropical plants and a 30-foot waterfall below a glass roof. The atrium area will include fire pit seating area, gazebo, meandering walkways and seating areas nestled throughout the gardens.

The same building with the 52 condos will offer retail spaces on the front part of the first floor. Offices will be on the back side of the first floor and all of the second floor.

The 52 condos will provide innovative interior and exterior designs, said Ken Halliburton, vice chairman of the Murfreesboro Planning Commission.

"It's exactly what we are looking for in the Gateway," Halliburton said. "I think they are going to be a nice addition to Murfreesboro."

Economic development: Projects will serve growing population in Rutherford County's cities in 2023

Condo prices will range from mid-$500K to over $1 million

Prices for the condos will start at the mid-$500,000 for a 771-square-foot one-bedroom dwelling that includes a 218-square-foot terrace with exterior views. A two-bedroom condo will start at about the mid-$800,000 range. Three-bedroom dwellings will be over $1 million.

Those interested in buying a condo can examine a model kitchen built within the first office building at the Fountains at Gateway, Graby said.

“We are delighted to unveil our plans for this exciting new phase of Fountains at Gateway and look forward to building on the success of the fully occupied first phase," Graby said in a press release.

“Following the debut of our sales center and showroom kitchen this past weekend, we are already seeing better than expected reservation momentum for what will be the most unique living experience ever presented in Murfreesboro.”

Road plan: City growth, business prosperity in Gateway leads to widening of Medical Center Parkway

How to learn more about condos

• Website: FountainsatGateway.com.

• Email: live@atriumatfountains.com

• Sales team: Zach and Taylor Griest of  Zach Taylor Real Estate from their offices adjacent to the Atrium Showroom on the second floor of One Fountains Plaza.

 Source: Press release from Fountains at Gateway

Project plans arts and crafts spaces

The rest of the Phase 2 plans for the Fountains at Gateway should be completed by the end of 2027. This includes a five-story 140-room boutique hotel that will be connected by skybridge to the atrium level of the condominiums.

The hotel project's fitness center and plunge pool on the skybridge will be shared with condominium owners. Graby said he is in discussions with two local chefs regarding another restaurant on the ground floor of the hotel.

The Just Love Coffee Café also will be moving to the hotel building from an existing space at the development.

The same hotel building also will include two 12-story towers that Graby expects will offer more office spaces and 50 to 75 for sale condos or apartments for rent by the development.

Phase 2 also will include an area called, "The District," for arts and crafts vendors to set up at 300-to-400-square foot commercial shops in an open-air covered patio area between the hotel and another planned residential-commercial building. Graby said he got the arts and crafts space idea from an existing development called the "Alley," which is part of the Fifth Street Public Market in Eugene, Oregon.

Hotel, condos, apartments plan: Keystone Project a 'new face' for downtown

Fountains adding pocket park for children

Graby said the hotel project also will add to the Fountains parks and recreation amenities that currently include a splash pad for the public by adding a pocket park with a "Luckey Climbers" for children.

Murfreesboro Vice Mayor Bill Shacklett is among the residents who've enjoyed the existing parks and recreation offerings at the Fountains development when he took his grandchildren to the splashpad.

"They had a blast," Shacklett said. "It was a lot of fun."

Shacklett is pleased that the Fountains at Gateway has served as a gathering place for community events, such as JazzFest for local school bands.

"The Fountains has been an asset for our community," Shacklett said. "I'd like to see it continue and grow."

Gateway growth: P.F. Chang's, Raising Cane's, Cava & Drake's plan restaurants at Clari Park development

Developer representative says project will bring economic vitality

Phase 3 will come after 2027. Graby foresees building two more towers with about 150 residential dwellings on the back side of the property near the city's Gateway Island recreation area that includes a trail around a lake and fountains.

The final phase of the Fountains at Gateway project would include more offices and a "higher-end restaurant," project architect Tyler Thayer with Paradym Studios told the council.

The council also heard about the project from Kevin Guenther, a landscape architect with RaganSmith.

The Fountains plans adhere to the city's Gateway objective to bring economic vitality to the city through a true mixed use development with office, retail and residential uses, Guenther said.

Guenther and Thayer are teaming with the following professionals and businesses on the Fountains at Gateway project:

• Dan Broadbeck, general contractor with Compass Partners;

• Wilson Girgenti, MPE engineers;

• Greenrise Technologies, atrium consultant;

• Michael Glaser, Nashville Modern Cabinetry.

Murfreesboro company proposes HQ: TDK Construction proposes headquarters, hundreds of apartments off Medical Center Parkway

Reach reporter Scott Broden with news tips or questions by emailing him at sbroden@dnj.com. To support his work with The Daily News Journal, sign up for a digital subscription.

This article originally appeared on Murfreesboro Daily News Journal: Murfreesboro's Fountains at Gateway plans up to 316 condos/apartments