Cooper, Vanderbilt unveil plans for Hickory Hollow Mall site

Nashville Mayor John Cooper has struck a deal to purchase the Hickory Hollow Mall property in Antioch so that Vanderbilt University Medical Center can transform the building into a health care facility.

• Pending Metro Council's approval, the city will purchase the mall and office building next door for a combined $44 million, then enter into a long-term lease with VUMC.

Details: Vanderbilt will convert the facility, now known as the Global Mall at the Crossings, into a 600,000-square-foot health care complex similar to the One Hundred Oaks renovation in 2009.

• Lease terms are still being negotiated by the Cooper administration and VUMC.
• The mall property has languished for a decade and been near-vacant since 2012.

Why it matters: VUMC touted the investment as much-needed in the Antioch community.

• During the pandemic, VUMC identified Antioch as having one of the highest COVID-19 rates in the county. The Antioch ZIP code also has one of Davidson County's lowest rates of adults who've had a routine health checkup, according to the VUMC Office of Health Equity.
• The new space will be used to provide an array of health services.
• "We are excited about the potential to redevelop this property as a destination option for health care services for the residents of Antioch and the surrounding area," VUMC CEO Jeff Balser said in a statement.

What they're saying: "This is incredible news for our area," Metro Councilmember Joy Styles said in a statement. "After so many years of the mall sitting vacant, we are finally able to move forward with its new future for the community."

The intrigue: The proposed VUMC complex is located on a broader site that already includes Nashville State Community College, the Ford Ice Center, the Southeast Community Center and the southeast public library branch.

• "We are investing in one of our fastest-growing neighborhoods, and it will pay major dividends for our city and southeast Nashville in particular," Cooper said in a press release.

Editor's note: This breaking news story was updated with comments from VUMC and Mayor Cooper, as well as more details on the proposed site.