Developer proposes 300,000 sq ft flex business park on Columbia Pike; commissioners press traffic, tax concerns

Jonas Asner, regional partner with Saint John Properties, presented a proposal for roughly 293,000–300,000 square feet of flexible commercial space and retail pads along the Columbia Pike corridor in Thompson's Station, saying the project is meant to provide "homes for businesses" and complement the town’s character.

Asner told the Board of Mayor and Aldermen and Planning Commission that the plan centers on two inline retail buildings facing Columbia Pike and three standalone pad sites, plus six larger flex buildings arranged as three pairs behind the retail. "We will deliver a pair at a time and it's only when those become about 50 to 60% leased at least do we start construction on the next two," Asner said, describing a phased approach intended to limit immediate build-out risk.

The developer emphasized building design and tenant mix: four-sided brick buildings with glass fronts, about 40,000–50,000 square feet each and roughly 18-foot clear heights, targeted to lighter commercial users such as professional services, medical offices, daycares, recreation uses and small-scale tech firms. Asner said tenant suites can be demised as small as 3,000 sq ft with an average tenant size near 10,000 sq ft. He also noted sustainability features: buildings are designed for LEED certification (typically bronze or silver) and the company installs rooftop solar for site needs like parking-lot lighting.

Town officials pressed the developer on two central constraints: traffic and town revenue. Mayor Stover and several commissioners said moving cars through the Columbia Pike corridor is the top priority and insisted on seeing the traffic analysis before advancing approvals. "That road's number one. That gets fixed first," one official said. Asner said a corridor-wide, third-party traffic impact study was prepared and shared with town staff and that his team is coordinating with TDOT and other developers on potential improvements.

Commissioners also weighed the town's fiscal needs. Multiple members stressed Thompson's Station relies on sales-tax-producing businesses to fund services and maintenance; one commissioner said the scale of six flex buildings could be "overkill for this town" because many flex tenants (clinics, offices, gyms) produce less sales tax than retail anchors. Asner replied his market research shows demand for flex product and emphasized the firm's long-term ownership and curated leasing strategy, but commissioners said they want greater clarity on expected point-of-sale activity before permitting.

No formal votes or motions were recorded in the workshop. Board members asked staff to review the shared traffic study, refine plans to protect the corridor's visual character (landscaping and buffers were discussed) and return with specific traffic mitigation options and economic-impact assumptions. Asner said the firm will continue coordinating with town staff, TDOT and regulatory agencies and brought the materials to staff for review.

The workshop ended with the developer thanking the board and commissioners reiterating that additional traffic and fiscal details are required before any formal entitlement or approvals proceed.