The Northern
Developers to add 300 apartment units near site of transformative Madison project
By Drew Hutchinson – Reporter, Nashville Business Journal
Jan 19, 2022
See Correction/Clarification at end of article
Three firms are ready to break ground on the hundreds of apartment units that will tie into a transformative mixed-use project in Madison.
Chicago-based Origin Investments, along with Nashville-based ZMX Inc. and Forbes Plunkett, are partnering to develop The Northern, a 297-unit, 9-acre apartment community, at 620 Due West Ave., according to a news release.
Construction on the $64.5 million complex will begin immediately, with first units expected to come to market in summer 2023. Fifth Third Bank will provide construction financing, the release said.
The Northern will tie into a larger mixed-use project across the street, anchored on the former site of Nashville Memorial Hospital at 612 Due West Ave., said Brandon Plunkett, co-founder of Forbes Plunkett. That development, in which Nashville-based Core Development is also involved, will span 18 acres. Features are set to include office, retail, residential, walking trails, green space and a new public transit line that will connect to Dickerson and Gallatin pikes.
The site plan for 612 Due West, a new master development pitched in Madison. Amenities include retail, green space, walking trails and more.
COURTESY OF NANCY VANREECE
The apartment project breaking ground now will consist of four four-story buildings. Amenities will comprise a pool, gym, clubhouse, green space, small parks, bike storage and dog park. Nashville-based Centric Architecture is handling design.
"I am happy to have this market-rate new apartment home community in Madison to support our desire for mixed-income community and product type," said District 8 councilmember Nancy VanReece. She added that community members have asked developers to rename the development "The Kemper," as it is located in the Kemper Heights neighborhood.
Both developments on Due West Avenue are located in southern Madison, and fall just over 10 minutes from downtown and East Nashville. Interstate 65 sits just over 1,000 feet away from the projects; Gallatin Pike and Ellington Parkway are also nearby.
Developers are touting The Northern’s affordability, saying units are expected to cost around 40% less than comparable options in parts of Nashville’s urban core.
“We clearly recognize Madison as being in the path of progress as Nashville grows and gets more expansive,” said ZMX President Bruce Most. “With job growth in Nashville continuing, The Northern will offer a more affordable and attractive alternative to the tremendous, but more expensive, development taking place downtown.”
In addition to The Northern, ZMX Inc. has completed $250 million of projects throughout the Nashville area, and its current pipeline totals $300 million worth of multifamily and mixed-use projects throughout Tennessee and Florida, according to the release.
The firm is also responsible for The Preserve, a 200-unit apartment complex in Donelson, a quickly growing Nashville submarket.
Correction/Clarification
A previous version of this story referenced an incorrect location for The Northern. The apartment complex is located across from the former site of Nashville Memorial Hospital, where an 18-acre mixed-use development is planned.