Skip to main content
Start of main content

Reinventing a struggling, vacant mall into a new, walkable arts and innovation district

At a Glance

  • 80

    Acre Mall Area

Location
Antioch, Tennessee (suburban Nashville)
Offices
Client
  • Metropolitan Government of
  • Nashville and Davidson County

Global Mall Area Plan

Global Mall, a former shopping mall situated in one of Nashville’s most diverse and rapidly expanding neighborhoods, shuttered its doors after years of decline. From rebranding to converting its anchor stores into civic, educational, and office spaces, the hub’s iterations presented a complex challenge. How could this aging property be revitalized for the future? The Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County (Metro) took on the ambitious task of transforming the 650,000-square-foot (60,387-square-metre) mall and surrounding auto-oriented area.

In partnership with Metro and elected officials, our Urban Places team delivered a flexible, phased redevelopment plan that reconfigures the 80-acre (32-hectare) site into a vibrant mixed-use district, focused on arts and connectivity. Grounded in a robust, community-based planning and design process—and paired with rigorous market analysis—the plan introduces a thoughtfully designed multicultural arts village featuring a performing arts center, civic service centers, parks, and artist housing.

Consisting of urban design guidelines, strategies for a public/private partnership, and a series of mobility, connectivity, and public realm improvements, this plan will reignite the mall as a cornerstone of the community’s economic and social vitality.

At a Glance

  • 80

    Acre Mall Area

Location
Antioch, Tennessee (suburban Nashville)
Offices
Client
  • Metropolitan Government of
  • Nashville and Davidson County

Meet Our Team

Jason Beske, Principal, Senior Urban Designer

My goal is to help communities create places of lasting value that are centered on people.

David Dixon, Vice President, Urban Places Fellow

We help communities manage change to become more livable, equitable, and resilient.

Wei Jin, Urban Designer

My design focus: people and the sense of place and environment. Integrate physical design solutions with social aspects and natural systems.

Joe Polacek, Urban Planner

No job is too big when you are focused on the right details.

Jason Beske

Principal, Senior Urban Designer

David Dixon

Vice President, Urban Places Fellow

Wei Jin

Urban Designer

Joe Polacek

Urban Planner

We’re better together

  • Become a client

    Partner with us today to change how tomorrow looks. You’re exactly what’s needed to help us make it happen in your community.

  • Design your career

    Work with passionate people who are experts in their field. Our teams love what they do and are driven by how their work makes an impact on the communities they serve.

End of main content
To top