New Publix, Dutch Bros Coffee planned for Spring Hill mixed-use community

Chris Gadd, Nashville Tennessean
·3 min read
The 50-acre Spring Hill Towne Crossing development would feature more than 50,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and/or office space, along with a 30,500 square-foot grocery store, a 120-room hotel, more than 300 multi-family units and a convenience store/gas station.
The 50-acre Spring Hill Towne Crossing development would feature more than 50,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and/or office space, along with a 30,500 square-foot grocery store, a 120-room hotel, more than 300 multi-family units and a convenience store/gas station.

A new Publix is planned for Spring Hill as part of a development that will include residential, retail and a hotel.

The development, currently called Spring Hill Crossing Publix, also will have a Dutch Bros. Coffee, according to the site plan. Dutch Bros is a Northwest-based national chain that began opening Middle Tennessee locations a year ago.

The Spring Hill planning commission Monday night viewed the final planned development for the Publix and the surrounding 7 acres of retail space, located between Port Royal Road and Old Port Royal Road, just south of Saturn Pkwy. The planning commissioners asked the design team, Catalyst Design Group of Nashville, to make changes, which will be discussed at upcoming meetings as the development's approval process continues.

The project was first submitted to Spring Hill planners in summer of 2020.

“I am well familiar with Publix," said city Planning Commissioner Jonathan Duda. "I think this is a nice Publix, and it might go well in other communities. But we need to look at this as Spring Hill, Tennessee.”

Duda commented on the design elements of the plan and how the look would fit in to the area's rural character, offset from bustling Hwy. 31.

“I would say that there needs to be additional work to meet our design review purpose, and the intent of our design review, which is to build prototypical buildings amended into the community vision we have set," Duda added.

He cited Publix grocery stores in Williamson County as examples in which the store has blended into the surrounding architecture.

For example, the Publix at Berry Farms mixed-use development in Franklin, where the Berry family's farm once operated, depicts architecture that blends with the history of the property and city, such as the use of materials like brick, a farmhouse metal roof and factory-like design features inspired by The Factory at Franklin. An aging silo on the Berry Farms property was also saved and restored, standing as a landmark of the generational farm.

Duda said an ideal design would include farm-type fencing, stacked stone and other agricultural-leaning elements for the proposed Publix.

More on Publix

The new Spring Hill Publix, which will be fronted by Jim Warren Road, will be nearly 50,000 square feet of grocery store space. Other notable elements in the development include the following:

  • Neighboring gas station and convenience store plan that includes 20 gas pumps.

  • 5,000 square feet of standalone restaurant space.

  • 4,500 square feet of drive-thru restaurant space.

  • 334 multi-family apartments.

  • 120-room hotel.

  • 12,500 square feet of retail space.

  • 11,000 square feet of office and retail space.

Iced drinks are among the many offerings provided by Dutch Bros Coffee.
Iced drinks are among the many offerings provided by Dutch Bros Coffee.

More on Dutch Bros

The development site plan shows states that Dutch Bros will be one of two restaurants in the development. The city has yet to receive an application for the business. Another unnamed standalone restaurant is also planned for the development.

Oregon-based Dutch Bros serves handcrafted espresso-based coffee drinks, smoothies, freezes, teas, an exclusive Dutch Bros Blue Rebel energy drink and nitrogen-infused cold brew coffee.

The company, which was founded in 1992 and now has more than 500 locations in 13 states, touts outgoing owners and staff. Staff members are known as "broristas."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: New Publix, Dutch Bros Coffee planned for Spring Hill mixed-use community