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
| Feb 16, 2012
Summit Design + Build begins build-out for Emmi Solutions in Chicago
The new headquarters will total 20,455 sq. ft. and feature a loft-style space with exposed masonry and mechanical systems, 15 foot clear ceilings, two large rooftop skylights and private offices with full glass partition walls.
| Feb 16, 2012
Highland named president of McCarthy Building Companies’ California region
Highland moved into this new role in January 2012 following a six-month transition period with Carter Chappell, the company’s former president, California region.
| Feb 16, 2012
Big-box retailers not just for DIYers
Nearly half of all contractor purchases made from stores like Home Depot and Lowe's.
| Feb 16, 2012
4.8-megawatt solar power system completed at Jersey Gardens Mall
Solar array among the largest rooftop systems in North America.
| Feb 15, 2012
Fourth-generation Ryan to lead Ryan Companies AE team
Ryan leads a team of eight architects, four civil engineers, two landscape architects and two virtual building specialists in their efforts to realize their customer’s vision and needs through Ryan’s integrated project delivery system.
| Feb 15, 2012
NAHB sees gradual improvement in multifamily sales for boomers
However, since the conditions of the current overall housing market are limiting their ability to sell their existing homes, this market is not recovering as quickly as might have been expected.
| Feb 15, 2012
Skanska secures $87M contract for subway project
The construction value of the project is $261.9 M. Skanska will include its full share, $87 M, in the bookings for Skanska USA Civil for the first quarter 2012.
| Feb 15, 2012
Code allowance offers retailers and commercial building owners increased energy savings and reduced construction costs
Specifying air curtains as energy-saving, cost-cutting alternatives to vestibules in 3,000-square-foot buildings and larger has been a recent trend among consulting engineers and architects.
| Feb 15, 2012
Englewood Construction announces new projects with Destination Maternity, American Girl
Englewood’s newest project for Wisconsin-based doll retailer American Girl, the company will combine four vacant storefronts into one large 15,000 square-foot retail space for American Girl.
| Feb 14, 2012
Angelo State University opens doors to new recreation center expansion
Designed by SmithGroup, the JJR_Center for Human Performance offers enhanced fitness options, dynamic gathering space.
