Dickerson Pike: Nashville’s Most Promising Corridor

Dickerson Pike, sometimes referred to as Dickerson Road, runs north to south from downtown Nashville all the way through Kentucky.

This corridor used to be Nashville’s major thoroughfare in and out of downtown prior to the construction of I-65. After the arrival of the interstate, the once booming district fell into despair, but with Nashville’s massive economic upswing in the last 10 years, it’s caught the eyes of investors, developers, residents, and business owners.

Here are the 5 reasons why Dickerson Pike has more potential for expansion than any other corridor in Greater Nashville.

1. East Nashville is Growing

East Nashville, which is bound by the Cumberland River in the south / east, I-65 to the west, and Briley Parkway to the north, has witnessed exponential growth this cycle.

The unparalleled culture found in East Nashville, thanks in large part to its bar, restaurant, and art scenes, combined with the proximity to downtown Nashville makes this side of town irresistible for both Natives and newcomers, alike.

As the residential neighborhoods have developed, the commercial corridors have followed behind with an influx of new and expanding businesses.

The growth of East Nashville certainly hasn’t been lost on Dickerson Pike, which has seen a large amount of development in its residential neighborhoods in the last few years - largely due to the DADU overlay placed on Cleveland Park.

2. Lack of Previous Development

Dickerson Pike was booming in the early to mid-century.

Since the corridor was a traveler’s primary means north / south, many hotels, motels, and restaurants were scattered throughout.

However, the traffic largely moved to I-65, which caused a massive decline for businesses along the pike after the interstate’s construction in 1958.

Tire shops and neighborhood markets took over to serve the residential communities in the area, but developers and investors simply overlooked or passed on this side of town, since the demand wasn’t there.

One of the most promising aspects of Dickerson Pike’s lack of development is the neighborhood’s desire to see higher density and new projects along the corridor.

Over the past year, Metro Nashville has hosted multiple studies and charrettes, including the Dickerson Pike South Corridor Study, which focused on Dickerson Pike from Spring Street to East Trinity Lane. They are currently undergoing the Dickerson Pike North Corridor Study, which includes East Trinity Lane through Briley Parkway on Dickerson Pike.

These studies are intended to bring the neighborhood together to design the future of Dickerson Pike.

Unlike any other neighborhood-engaging event I’ve seen regarding overlays, rezoning, and density, the neighborhood is highly in support of increasing density along all parts of the corridor.

This lack of commercial real estate development along the corridor has left many older, smaller structures on large lots - prime opportunities for these higher-density redevelopments.

3. Interstate & Thoroughfare Connectivity

Dickerson Pike runs parallel to I-65 with multiple access points via major East / West corridors such as Spring Street, Cleveland Street, Douglas Avenue, East Trinity Lane, Hart Lane, and Broadmoor Drive.

These corridors provide quick access to other major thoroughfares along Dickerson Pike, including Ellington Parkway, I-65, and Briley Parkway.

Because of the abundance of possible routes, drive times from anywhere on Dickerson to the greater Nashville area are relatively low. From East Trinity / Dickerson Pike to Belle Meade is only 18 minutes, to the airport is 12 minutes, and downtown is around 7 minutes.

This connectivity has lead to Metro Nashville’s stating multiple times that when Nashville approves mass transit programs, Dickerson will be one of the first thoroughfares in Nashville to receive such transit.

As Nashville continues to grow and expand, living and working closer to the urban core will become a priority for most Nashvillians due to the convenience that it will provide.

4. Skyline Views

Nashville’s rolling hills can call for creativity when it comes to development, but they also provide for outstanding views of the downtown skyline.

One of the more fortunate aspects of the Dickerson Pike corridor is that the elevations slowly increase as you head further north, allowing the majority of the corridor to have skyline views from street level. Imagine with the view would look like from the third or fourth story of any building!

Proximity to the interstates and the Cumberland River also provides abundant land that cannot be developed, which will certainly help preserve this unique vista.

5. Downtown Proximity

With major thoroughfares comes quick access to downtown. It also doesn’t hurt that the Dickerson Corridor and all of East Nashville sit just outside of the Central Business District of Nashville.

Nashville’s traffic congestion will continue to rise, so long as population grows and transit falters, adding value to property with lesser commutes.

Living closer to downtown provides a lifestyle that simply can’t be matched with the suburbs - walkability, broader options when it comes to bars / restaurants / entertainment, and better access to transit.

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About The Author:

Tyler Cauble, Founder & President of The Cauble Group, is a commercial real estate broker and investor based in East Nashville. He’s the best selling author of Open for Business: The Insider’s Guide to Leasing Commercial Real Estate and has focused his career on serving commercial real estate investors as a board member for the Real Estate Investors of Nashville. Learn more at www.TylerCauble.com