Vanderbilt envisions Innovation District

University looks to attract entrepreneurs, residential and retail space on up to 50 acres

The western segment of the Vanderbilt University campus is not exactly pleasing to the eye.

A map showing the area Vanderbilt hopes to develop for its future Innovation District
Courtesy: Vanderbilt University

A sea of surface parking dominates the land mass, which is essentially bordered by Vanderbilt Place, Natchez Trace and 31st Avenue South. Notwithstanding an athletics field and a solid number of trees, the area differs greatly from the gothic-inspired architecture integral to the character of the renowned university.

This page requires Javascript.

Javascript is required for you to be able to read premium content. Please enable it in your browser settings.

kAmqFE E92E 5J?2>:4 4@F=5 492?86]k^Am

kAm'2?56C3:=E r92?46==@C s2?:6= s:6C>6:6C[ :? A2CE?6CD9:A H:E9 E96 }2D9G:==6 x??@G2E:@? p==:2?46[ :D 6J6:?8 E96 2C62 7@C 2 D:8?:7:42?E >:I65\FD6 56G6=@A>6?E E@ 4C62E6 2? :??@G2E:@? 5:DEC:4E[ 9@DE:?8 3FD:?6DD :?4F32E@C DA246D 2?5 2 9F3 7@C 6?EC6AC6?6FCD9:A] %96 7FEFC6 5:DEC:4E :D 2=D@ 6IA64E65 E@ :?4=F56 2CED 2?5 C6E2:= 3FD:?6DD6D[ C6D:56?E:2= 3F:=5:?8D 2?5 C6DE2FC2?ED]k^Am

kAm“(6 H2?E E@ A=2J 2 =625:?8 C@=6 :? 96=A:?8 7FCE96C 56G6=@A E96 :??@G2E:@? 64@?@>J :? }2D9G:==6[” s:6C>6:6C E6==D E96 !@DE] “(6 E9:?< E92E H6VC6 2E 2 A@:?E C:89E ?@H H96C6 E96 4:EJ 2?5 E96 F?:G6CD:EJ[ :?5665 E96 6?E:C6 C68:@?[ 4@F=5 36?67:E 7C@> 92G:?8 2 A=246 H96C6 6?EC6AC6?6FCD :?E6C24E H:E9 @FC 724F=EJ[ H96C6 E96C6 2C6 DEF56?ED[ H96C6 E96C6VD DA246 E@ 56G6=@A ?6H 3FD:?6DD6D[ 2?5 H96C6 E96C6VD 2 G:3C2?E 6?G:C@?>6?E H96C6 3FD:?6DD 4C62E:@? 42? 36 7@DE6C65]”k^Am

kAms:6C>6:6C ?@E6D E96 AC@A@D65 5:DEC:4E’D AC@I:>:EJ E@ <6J 724:=:E:6D =:<6 '2?56C3:=E &?:G6CD:EJ |65:42= r6?E6C 4@F=5 3@@DE :??@G2E:@? :? 962=E9 2?5 3:@>65:42= D4:6?46D — 3FE[ E96 C62=> @7 A@DD:3:=:EJ :D H:56 @A6? 7@C H92E 6G6?EF2==J 4@F=5 F?7@=5 H:E9:? E96 2C62]k^Am

kAms:6C>6:6C D2JD 96 H2?ED E96 5:DEC:4E E@ 5:776C 7C@> 2? :??@G2E:@? A2C<[ 2? 2C62 H96C6 A6@A=6 EJA:42==J 5C:G6 E@ H@C< 2?5 =62G6] x?DE625[ 96 H2?ED :E E@ 36 2 A=246 :? H9:49 A6@A=6 42? DE2J[ H@C<[ =:G6[ 62E 2?5 6?;@J =6:DFC6 24E:G:E:6D]k^Am

kAm“%96J H@F=5 8@ E@ C6DE2FC2?ED] %96C6 H@F=5 36 D@>6 6?E6CE2:?>6?E E96C6[” D2D s:6C>6:6C] “$@ E96 :562 :D C62==J E@ 4C62E6 2 ?6:893@C9@@5 E92E :D A2CE:4F=2C=J E2C86E65 E@H2C5D E96D6 EJA6D @7 24E:G:E:6D]”k^Am

kAm(96? 4@?46AEF2=:K:?8 E96 5:DEC:4E[ E96 F?:G6CD:EJ DEF5:65 6I2>A=6D :? E96 &]$][ DF49 2D pE=2?E2’D %649 $BF2C6[ 2?5 6I2>:?65 :?E6C?2E:@?2= 2C62D[ :?4=F5:?8 E96 56G6=@A>6?E @7 z:?8’D rC@DD :? {@?5@?[ 2D H6== 2D 5:DEC:4ED :? %6= pG:G 2?5 q2C46=@?2] qFE F=E:>2E6=J[ s:6C>6:6C D2JD :E’D :>A@CE2?E E92E E96 5:DEC:4E >6D96D H:E9 E96 ?665D 2?5 492C24E6C @7 E96 2C62 :? H9:49 :E H:== D:E]k^Am

kAm“xEVD G6CJ :>A@CE2?E E92E E96D6 E9:?8D 2C6 2 8@@5 7:E 7@C E96 4@>>F?:EJ[ E92E E96JVC6 ?@E <:?5 @7 4@@<:6\4FEE6C[ 3FE E96J ?665 E@ H@C< H:E9:? E96 4@>>F?:EJ[” 96 D2JD] “p?5 H6 76=E E92E E9@D6 E92E H6C6 >@DE DF446DD7F= H6C6 E9@D6 E92E F?56CDE@@5 E96 723C:4 @7 E96 4@>>F?:EJ 2?5 E96 A=246]” k^Am

kAm%96 5:DEC:4E 4@F=5 4@G6C FA E@ d_ 24C6D @7 =2?5 — >@DE @7 H9:49 :D @H?65 3J '2?56C3:=E — 2?5 :D 4FCC6?E=J E96 D:E6 @7 >F=E:A=6 DFC7246 A2C<:?8 =@ED]k^Am

kAm“xEVD ?@E DFA6C G2=F65 DA246 C:89E ?@H[” s:6C>6:6C D2JD] “p?5 E92EVD E96 @AA@CEF?:EJ … 3642FD6 E96C6 2C6 ?@E 2 =@E @7 3F:=5:?8D E92E H6 H@F=5 92G6 E@ C6AFCA@D6]” k^Am

kAm%96 492?46==@C D2JD E96 A2C<:?8 H@F=5 36 C6A=2465 :? D@>6 7@C>[ :? 2=:8?>6?E H:E9 E96 F?:G6CD:EJ’D A2C<:?8 DEC2E68J] p55:E:@?2==J[ E96 :>28:?65 5:DEC:4E :D =@42E65 ?62C >2?J @7 '2?56C3:=E’D 2E9=6E:4 724:=:E:6D]k^Am

kAm“(6 9@A6 E92E H@F=5 567:?:E6=J 6?92?46 E96 82>652J 6IA6C:6?46 2D H6==[” s:6C>6:6C D2JD] “%92EVD ?@E E96 >2:? AFCA@D6[ 3FE :E :D D@>6E9:?8 E92E x E9:?<[ :7 5@?6 H6==[ 2E9=6E:4 724:=:E:6D 42? 3@E9 6?=:G6? 2 ?6:893@C9@@5 2?5 2 5:DEC:4E]”k^Am

kAms:6C>6:6C :D ?@E 4@?46C?65 23@FE E96 5:DEC:4E A@E6?E:2==J =:>:E:?8 @AE:@?D 7@C E96 4@?DECF4E:@? @7 7FEFC6 2E9=6E:4 724:=:E:6D[ 3FE E92E 5@6D?’E >62? E96 F?:G6CD:EJ :D ?@E H@C<:?8 @? 8C@H:?8 :ED AC@8C2>D]k^Am

kAm“~FC ,4@?DECF4E:@?. 7@@EAC:?E :? 2E9=6E:4D :D ?@E 8@:?8 E@ 6IA2?5] %92EVD ?@E @FC A=2?[” D2JD s:6C>6:6C]k^Am

kAm'2?56C3:=E 92D H@C<65 H:E9 r@A6?9286?\32D65 q;2C<6 x?86=D vC@FA[ u:6=5 ~A6C2E:@?D @7 }6H *@C< 2?5 =@42==J 32D65 w2DE:?8D pC49:E64EFC6 @? 62C=J 56D:8?D] s6G6=@A>6?E A=2?D 7@C E96 5:DEC:4E 2C6 DF3;64E E@ 2AAC@G2= 3J |6EC@[ 2?5 s:6C>6:6C D2:5 E96 F?:G6CD:EJ 92D 4@>>:EE65 E@ 92G:?8 2 5:2=@8F6 H:E9 E96 4:EJ 2?5 ?6:893@CD H9@ =:G6 ?62C E96 D:E6]k^Am

kAm“%96J 92G6 2 D6?D6 7@C H92E H6VC6 E9:?<:?8 23@FE[” 96 D2JD] “p?5 E96? H6 ;FDE 925 2 =@E @7 4@>>F?:EJ >66E:?8D H96C6 H6 D92C65 E96 :562D 2?5 E@ >2<6 DFC6 E92E A6@A=6 766= E92E E9:D :D D@>6E9:?8 E92E :D A2CE @7 E96 H9@=6 4@>>F?:EJ[ E92E :E’D 2? 2DD6E 7@C E96> 2D H6==]”k^Am

kAm%96 AC@;64E H@F=5 36 4@>A=6E65 :? A92D6D[ H:E9 E96 7:CDE A92D6 6IA64E65 E@ :?4=F56 `_ 24C6D] p 8C@F?53C62<:?8 4@F=5 36 96=5 :? E96 ?6IE 76H J62CD[ E9@F89 A=2?D 2C6 2 3:E F?4=62C 2D @7 ?@H]k^Am

kAm“xE 56A6?5D @? H92E E96 56>2?5 :D] xE 56A6?5D @? 9@H E96 ?2EFC2= 64@?@>J 56G6=@AD[” s:6C>6:6C D2JD] “$@ E96C6VD 2 =@E @7 F?46CE2:?EJ 96C6 2E H92E A246 J@FVC6 23=6 E@ >@G6 7@CH2C5[ 3FE H6VC6 6I4:E65] p?5 H6V== 5@ E9:D 2D 6IA65:E:@FD=J 2?5 2D 72DE 2D H2CC2?E65 3J E96 4:C4F>DE2?46D]”k^Am

Innovation And Ideas 2025

Vanderbilt envisions Innovation District

University looks to attract entrepreneurs, residential and retail space on up to 50 acres

Julianne Akers

Trending

Oracle commits $10M to sustain Nashville Symphony

Copeland files ethics complaint against congressional opponent Van Epps

Vanderbilt Owen Graduate School of Management lands $5M gift

Giarratana eyes 2027 start on 901 MLK high-rise

Federal judge dismisses DC BLOX lawsuit against Metro

Sections

Do business with us

Contact us

Rate:
Begins:
Transaction ID:

Get email notifications on {{subject}} daily!

Followed notifications

Please log in to use this feature

Recommended for you

Trending

Sections

Do business with us

Contact us

Offer

Sign Up

You're all set!

Log In

Reset Password

Forgot Password

Email me a log in link

Promotional Offers

Purchase Gift Purchase Access

You're all set!

An error occurred