Walkable, amenity-packed apartment community adds to Gallatin's rental housing market
An apartment complex and nearby retail center have opened on Long Hollow Pike in Gallatin amid a continued boom in housing developments across the city.
A new multi-family community, The Trails at Hunter Pointe, brings apartments and single-family homes to the Gallatin housing market, according to a press release.
“When we chose to go into Gallatin it was an area that we could easily see people were gravitating towards… but there wasn’t enough housing,” RREAF Residential CEO Melanie French said.
About 1,400 apartment units have either recently been approved by the city of Gallatin Planning Commission, City Council and Board of Zoning Appeals or have already begun construction.
More than 3,500 multi-family homes, townhomes and other units are under construction.
And single-family homes, attached or detached residential lots aren’t too far behind that figure with over 3,300 under construction. Another roughly 700 are pending construction.
“(It was important for us to) bring in what I would call affordable housing… meaning that those families and those single individuals, just anybody that really wants to have a quality place to live but doesn’t want to live in that urban environment downtown. This is a great location,” French said.
Three decades of experience
Texas-based private real estate investment and development firm, RREAF Holdings LLC announced the apartment community’s grand opening, noting its commitment to bring multi-family properties chock-full of amenities to Nashville area residents, the press release said.
The grand opening was rescheduled due to scheduling conflicts, though a new date has not been set.
Property management company and branch of RREAF Holdings, RREAF Residential manages the new apartment community — and French takes the job to heart.
“I take providing housing very, very seriously,” she said.
“I’ve long said after being in this business more than 30 years people do not lease an apartment home or even a single-family home because of that box with four walls. They lease it because the individuals that are working there make them feel like they are at home; it becomes more of a neighborhood, it becomes more of a community.”
Amenities include community pool, fitness center
Located at 1006 Beaty Blvd. in Gallatin, the 216-apartment community includes one and two-bedroom units, featuring nine-foot ceilings, walk-in closets and hardwood floors.
Residents can also access community-style amenities like a pool, bark park, clubhouse and fitness center.
“When you come into an apartment community or a townhome community, what people are really looking for is somewhere to nest, somewhere that feels like home,” French said.
“We realized that there was this need for not only homes but also to make sure that the homes that we provide have some of those basic necessities that every resident wants,” she said.
Other amenities provide residents with easy freeway access, on-site maintenance and nearby shopping.
The Shoppes
Nearby retail center and RREAF’s second development, Shoppes at Hunter Pointe, provides residents access to shopping and dining within walking distance of the apartment community.
A few shops are already open or are set to open soon, including Glowing Smiles Pediatric Dentistry, Gallatin Premiere DayCare and Noire Nail Bar.
A leasing agreement with a local Veterinary Practice is in the works as well, French said.
Two retail spaces remain available in the new shopping center located at 1113 Long Hollow Pike, scheduled to be completed in late 2023.
And a discount for the retail shops may be in the works for residents, French said.
“We are working with local vendors and those in The Shoppes at Hunters Pointe so that our residents can actually just show that card and get a discount on services.”
Is it walkable?
More and more renters and homeowners are enticed by a community’s walkability, French said.
“One of the things that I think we realized quickly when we built the communities and the retail shops was that the consumer of today wants to have all of their amenities and all of their needs met within a five-to-seven-minute drive time,” she said.
“When you look at walkability, which is what I think the customers of today want, it is more about bringing that convenience (to them).”
The Tennessee Department of Health promotes walking and walkable communities to increase residents’ physical activity and decrease health risks, according to tn.gov.
Characterized by resident’s accessibility of amenities on foot, a neighborhood’s walkability can be determined by these characteristics: room to walk, ease of crossing the street, lawful and courteous drivers, ease of following safety rules and whether or not the walk was pleasant, according to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration.
“You are able to live there… and then simply walk out your door, whether it’s to walk around the area or go to the fitness center or go to the clubhouse… all of that is right there within your reach,” she said.
Editor’s note: Development figures are up to date as of Feb. 1, 2023, but do not represent a comprehensive list of all recently approved or pending and under construction projects within the city of Gallatin.
Katie Nixon can be reached at knixon@gannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: New apartment community, retail center opens in Gallatin
