OneC1TY, a healthcare- and technology-focused community under construction on 18.7 acres near Nashville, Tenn., will include a mini retail district made from 21 shipping containers, the first time in this market containers have been repurposed for such use.
The 8x40-foot containers, which are being supplied by New York-based SG Blocks, will coalesce into 8,000 sf of retail selling space, with another 4,000 sf of metal roofing between the containers. The containers will sit on concrete piers, and there will be space underneath their foundations for the installation of plumbing, electrical, and HVAC equipment. A wood deck connecting the containers “will help make everything flush,” says Ryan Doyle, oneC1TY’s general manager. He estimates the containers’ buildout will cost about $2 million.
The Nashville Post reported that Avo, a natural food restaurant, is the first announced tenant for the repurposed container space, which is being called C1TYblox.
C1TYblox should be completed by year’s end. (A local contractor, The Carter Group, is handling the construction.) Cambridge Holdings, this project’s developer, expects C1TYblox to be operational up to the final phase of oneC1TY’s buildout, which is expected to take a couple of years.
The oneC1TY project, with an estimated cost of $400 million, will have eight permanent buildings with 1 million sf of commercial, residential, research, and retail space for heathcare, life sciences and technology sectors. The first building—a four-story, 125,000-sf office space—is under construction, and two other buildings have been permitted. All of the permanent buildings will have retail on the first floor.
Doyle says the main advantages of using containers for the retail district are their flexibility and sustainability. For example, their modular interior design can be adjusted as different retail tenants move in and out. “That increases the investment life of the property,” he explains.
C1TYblox is a bit of a departure for Dallas-based Cambridge Holdings, which specializes in healthcare facilities. But Doyle says that oneC1TY represents an expansion of Cambridge’s portfolio into developing communities that promote healthy lifestyles. (It hopes to attract fitness-related retailers as tenants.) Cambridge is looking for opportunities to place similar, smaller, concepts in large cities like Dallas.
The interior design for this project includes commercial kitchens, bathrooms with showers, and a community conference center “that will be tricked out with the latest technology,” says Doyle. The campus will also include ample green space and recreational areas such as volleyball courts.
Related Stories
| Apr 4, 2012
Educational facilities see long-term benefits of fiber cement cladding
Illumination panels made for a trouble-free, quick installation at a cost-effective price.
| Apr 4, 2012
HDS designs Mount Auburn Hospital’s new healthcare center in Waltham, Mass.
HDS Architecture provided design services for all the Mount Auburn Healthcare suites including coordination of HVAC and FP engineering.
| Apr 4, 2012
Bald joins the Harmon glazing team
Bald has 13 years of experience in the glazing industry, coming to Harmon from Trainor where he was the regional manager of the Mid-Atlantic region.
| Apr 4, 2012
JCJ Architecture designs New York City's first casino
Aqueduct Racetrack complex transformed into modern entertainment destination.
| Apr 4, 2012
San Antonio animal hospital earns LEED Platinum certification
Middleman Construction Company builds the city?s first commercial building to earn certification.
| Apr 4, 2012
Hason joins RNL’s as MENA regional director
Hason specializes in planning and urban design, hospitality, office, corporate headquarters and transportation structures, as well as, higher education and museum facilities.
| Apr 3, 2012
Product Solutions
Two new PV systems; a lighter shelf; and fire alarm/emergency communication system.
| Apr 3, 2012
Blaine Brownell on innovative materials applications in architecture
Brownell, who was named a BD+C 40 Under 40 in 2006, provides insight regarding emerging material trends and the creative implementation of materials.
| Apr 3, 2012
AGC Glass to reopen shuttered plant
Shuttered since 2008, the plant produces clear and tinted float glass serving architectural glass markets.
