- A Nashville developer plans to turn part of the former Councill Courts public housing site near Huntsville Hospital into at least 200 high-end apartments, multiple stores and restaurants, and a supermarket(believed to be a Publix)
Bristol Development Group has agreed to pay the Huntsville Housing Authority $3.67 million for 5.58 acres along St. Clair Avenue and Gallatin Street in the medical district.
Bristol Development is one of the biggest apartment builders in the Nashville area. Its portfolio includes hundreds of high-end urban lofts in downtown Nashville, as well as Birmingham, Memphis and Norfolk, Va.
The company's co-founder, Sam Yeager, is a Huntsville native.
As many as 225 apartments renting for between $800 and $1,300 per month will be built around a central courtyard with a pool, clubhouse and other amenities, he said.
"This will have a very sleek, modern look," Yeager said. "Some people are going to want their house in the suburbs, but for a lot of young professionals, this is exactly what they're looking for."
A map of the proposed project shows a Publix supermarket at the corner of Gallatin Street and Lowe Avenue, with smaller stores and restaurants lining Gallatin.
Yeager said plans calls for a minimum of 15,000-20,000 square feet of new retail space, in addition to the grocery store. He cautioned that the developers do not yet have a signed agreement with Publix.
"They're certainly aware of the site," he said, "and are in the process of evaluating it right now."