Massive Marcelina project dreams big for Montgomery County

Zoom out: One of the big reasons Clarksville is booming is that it's both affordable and close enough to Nashville.

• But for business people who live there, the commute down Interstate 24 can be a bear. Marcelina offers the antidote, providing all the amenities a professional or young family would look for in one town center-style development.

What he's saying: "Marcelina is designed to create a vibrant, interconnected community where families can live, work, and play without the burden of long commutes," Ronnie Moore, managing director of Rossview Farms, the project's developer, tells Axios.

Zoom in: Marcelina plans to include retail, hospitality and office space, while also leaving space for civic uses such as performing arts, museums, a library, parks and schools.

• The residential side of the development plan calls for single-family homes, townhomes and multifamily units.
• The first phase of the project was the 116-acre Kirkwood school development, which was completed in 2024.

By the numbers: The project was boosted by a record $225 million in tax increment financing, approved by the county to help pay for infrastructure.

• An independent economic analysis estimated the project will create over 4,800 jobs and $508 million in tax revenues over 30 years.

The bottom line: "It is the type of master-planned, mixed-use development that helps communities grow the right way by bringing together housing, schools, retail, recreation, and civic amenities in a connected environment," Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden tells Axios.