Retrofit Atlas

Malls · Tennessee

Rivergate Mall

Imported, unreviewedRedevelopedDemolishedGoodlettsville, TN

Opened 1971. Redeveloped in 2026.

Status nowDemolishedextracted, unreviewed
documented
demolished

en.wikipedia.org

What it becamemixedextracted, unreviewed reported
Last sale$33.0M · 2024public reporting
Retrofit year2026extracted, unreviewed reported
Walkability13.3 of 20 · 15-minute 4 of 6EPA, OpenStreetMap
Rail within 800 mNo · Opportunity ZoneOpenStreetMap, HUD
Reach the owner Download dossier (PDF) · early access Download record (JSON) API Share LinkedIn Correct this record

Solid = from the authors' map · outlined = public source · dashed = model-written, not yet reviewed by a person. Tap any value's source label to see where it came from. documented = a quoted excerpt (click to read it) · reported = a source named, no excerpt yet · no source.

Rivergate Mall
Rivergate Mall. Photo: Ed!(talk)(Hall of Fame), CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons.

Site profile18 elements · what this retrofit is built with · tap a chip for the evidence

Former anchors
JCPenneyThis site: JCPenney wikipedia · all sites with this
Finance and pipeline
Attention rising (Wikipedia views +50% y/y)This site: 12,816 views, +62% wikimedia · all sites with this
Sold since 2020This site: 2020 Urban Story Ventures research-deals · all sites with this
Website dead or redirectingThis site: overture / http check · all sites with this
Place
30,000+ vehicles a day on an adjacent roadThis site: 69,036 on 386 fhwa-hpms · all sites with this
County permitting 2,000+ apartment units a yearThis site: 4,138 units, Davidson County census-bps · all sites with this
High inland flooding riskThis site: Very High fema-nri · all sites with this
High natural hazard risk (FEMA NRI)This site: Relatively High; tornado, inland flooding fema-nri · all sites with this
High social vulnerability tract (SVI ≥ 0.75)This site: 0.89 cdc-svi · all sites with this
High tornado riskThis site: Relatively High fema-nri · all sites with this
Interstate or freeway within 600 mThis site: 386 fhwa-hpms · all sites with this
Opportunity ZoneThis site: 47037010401 hud-oz · all sites with this
Renter-majority tractThis site: 71% census-acs · all sites with this
Tract house prices doubled in 10 yearsThis site: +165% fhfa · all sites with this
Walkable block group (EPA ≥ 12)This site: …index 13.3 epa-walkability · all sites with this
Scale
Building footprint 50,000+ m²This site: 77,810 m² overture · all sites with this
Strategy
RedevelopedThis site: …mixed-use real estate project extraction · all sites with this
New use
Mixed useThis site: …mixed-use real estate project extraction · all sites with this

All elements and lists · Trends

Now

StatusDemolishedextracted, unreviewed
documented
demolished

en.wikipedia.org

StrategyRedevelopedextracted, unreviewed
documented
demolished and rebuilt as mixed-use

en.wikipedia.org

New usesmixedextracted, unreviewed reported
What is there nowmixed-use real estate projectextracted, unreviewed
documented
mixed-use real estate project

en.wikipedia.org

Retrofit year2026extracted, unreviewed reported
RedeveloperMerusextracted, unreviewed reported

Planning

Zoning changemixed-useextracted, unreviewed
documented
submitted plans to redevelop...

en.wikipedia.org

Entitlement year2024extracted, unreviewed reported

Deals and debt

DateEventPricePartiesSource
2024Sold$33.0M closedMerus ← Hendon PropertiesWikipedia
2024Sold—Merus ← Hendon PropertiesWikipedia
2020Sold$4.0M closedUrban Story Ventures ← Macy'sWikipedia
2013Sold$176.0M closedHendon Properties ← CBLWikipedia
2001Sold—Hecht's ← Proffitt'sWikipedia
1998Sold$247.0M closedCBL Associates & Properties ← Retail Planning CorporationWikipedia

Securitised debt and public filers

As reported by the owner

Property tables from the owner's annual report (Form 10-K, Item 2) on EDGAR, one row per filing year. GLA, occupancy and anchors are the filer's own figures at that year end; “leased” counts signed leases, “occupied” counts open stores; ownership is the filer's share. Matched by name and place, unreviewed; the verbatim table row is in sec_facts.csv.

Year endFilerName in filingGLA sq ftOccupancyYearsShareSales psfAnchors listed
2009CBL & Associates Properties 10-K, 2010-02-22Rivergate Mall Nashville, TN
match: exact
1,133,513
in-line 352,293
89.0% leasedbuilt 1971 / acquired 1998 / renovated 1998100.0%$261Dillard's, JC Penney, Macy's, Sears
2006CBL & Associates Properties 10-K, 2007-03-01Rivergate Mall Nashville, TN
match: exact
1,129,191
in-line 347,362
97.0% leasedbuilt 1971 / acquired 1998 / renovated 1998100.0%$327Dillard’s, JC Penney, Macy’s, Linens N Things, Sears

Site context

Transit within 800 mno rail station; 2 bus stops within 400 mOpenStreetMap
Motorway junctions within 2 km1, 1A, 1A-B, 1BOpenStreetMap
FEMA flood zoneno NFHL polygon at point (unmapped or outside coverage)FEMA NFHL
EPA-regulated facilities within 500 m10: BESTONE TIRE; BJ'S WHOLESALE CLUB; BJ'S WHOLESALE CLUB 234; CVS PHARMACY #16031; IN-N-OUT BURGEREPA FRS
Census tract 470370104015,005 people, 1,357 per sq mi; median household income $53,181; median gross rent $1,342; 71% renters; 6.7% vacant units; 2.3% commute by transitACS 2023 5-year
Walkability (EPA, block group)index 13.3 of 20; 82 intersections per sq mi; nearest transit stop 1,160 m; land-use mix 0.77; 86,469 jobs within 45 min by car, 21,750 by transit; 4% of households without a carEPA Smart Location
Within a 10–15 minute walk (800 m)4 of 6 daily needs: 0 grocers, 0 schools, 11 parks or playgrounds, 1 health, 2 civic, 16 food and drink; 8 cycleway segments, 58 sidewalk-tagged segmentsOpenStreetMap
Opportunity Zoneyes, tract 47037010401 (rural)HUD
Housing permits, Davidson County (TN), 20244,138 units in 5+ unit buildings, 20 in 2–4, 2,722 single-family; 2023: 8,041 in 5+Census BPS
Social vulnerability (CDC SVI 2022, tract)overall percentile 0.89; socioeconomic 0.87; housing and transport 0.89; 29% below 150% of poverty; 7% of households with no vehicleCDC/ATSDR
Other atlas sites nearby0 within 10 km, 4 within 25 kmcomputed
Overture Mapsplace Rivergate Mall (shopping_mall, confidence 0.97, from Microsoft, Overture, Overture-signals); building footprint 77,810 m²Overture (CDLA-Permissive 2.0)
Website and social (down or redirecting, status None)Overture / Internet Archive
Attention: Wikipedia page views70,474 since 2015; 12,816 in the last 12 months (+62% vs the prior 12); peak 2025-12 with 1,685Wikimedia
Tract change 2013–2023population +18% (4,241 → 5,005); median income +32% ($40,327 → $53,181); renters 46% → 71%; median home value +104% ($120,900 → $246,800)Census ACS 5-year
Natural hazard risk (FEMA National Risk Index, tract)relatively high overall (score 90.7); expected annual loss $3.3M; high: tornado, inland flooding; community resilience relatively moderateFEMA NRI
Tax-credit housing within 1 km1 LIHTC properties, 88 units: Spring Branch Apts (88 units)HUD LIHTC
Retail trade in the county, 2025 (BLS QCEW)41,436 jobs in 2,944 establishments; average annual pay $49,720; employment location quotient 0.76; employment -2.2% on the yearBLS QCEW 2025, NAICS 44-45, private
Jobs located in the tract, 20226,761 jobs; 2,938 in retail trade, 896 in accommodation and food (workplace blocks summed to tract 47037010401)Census LEHD LODES8 WAC 2022
Upward mobility (Opportunity Atlas, 2010 tract)children of low-income (25th percentile) families reached the 35th income percentile as adults; 4.2% incarcerated at the 2010 count (456 children in the sample); born 1978–83, measured 2014–15Opportunity Insights
Food access (USDA FARA 2019, 2010 tract)not a low-access tract at 1 mile; 2% of residents more than 1 mile from a supermarket; poverty rate 11.0%; median family income $45,060; 233 SNAP householdsUSDA ERS
SchoolsMetropolitan Nashville Public School District (PK-12); 1 public school within 1 mile: Goodlettsville ElementaryNCES EDGE
Elevation509 ft above sea level at the site pointUSGS 3DEP
Storm events in the county, 2016-2025621 county-logged events: 419 thunderstorm wind, 69 hail, 57 flash flood, 23 lightning; $1,140,368,000 property damage reported; 10 direct deaths; forecast-zone events (most flood, winter and heat) not countedNOAA Storm Events
Homes for sale in ZIP 37115, 2026-09median list price $366,425 (-3.9% on the year); 174 active listings; median 56 days on market; 21% with a price cutRealtor.com Research
Retail trade in the county, 2012 to 20232,716 establishments (+5%); 41,024 jobs (+10%)Census CBP
Housing market in the countytypical home value $424,273 (-3% 1 yr, +16% 5 yr); typical rent $1,820/mo (+1% 1 yr), 2026-09Zillow Research
House price index, tract, 2025349 (2000 = 100); -6.1% 1 yr, +61% 5 yr, +165% 10 yrFHFA
Traffic on the busiest road within 600 m (2024)69,036 vehicles a day on 386 (freeway or expressway, 4 lanes); 7,317 trucks; 31 counted segmentsFHWA HPMS

Summary, model-written

Rivergate Mall opened in October 1971 with three anchor stores and grew to about 80 tenants. Beginning in the 2000s, tenancy declined as stores moved to nearby centers such as Opry Mills and the Streets of Indian Lake. The mall closed in early 2026, was sold to Merus in 2024, entitled for mixed‑use redevelopment, and demolition started in 2026.

Why. The record notes a decline in tenancy beginning in the 2000s with anchor losses and competition from newer shopping centers, leading to closure and demolition. No explicit debt or financial distress is mentioned.

Where it stands. As of the record, the site is demolished and under control of Merus, which acquired the property from Hendon Properties in 2024 and is overseeing the mixed‑use redevelopment.

For a planner

  • Record shows a zoning change to mixed‑use and an entitlement year of 2024, indicating use of rezoning as a policy tool.
  • Precedents for similar mall‑to‑mixed‑use conversions are not detailed in the record.
  • Open questions include the exact timeline for completion, financing mechanisms, and community impact assessments.

For a developer

  • Site size: approximately 1,129,035 sq ft of gross leasable area (from narrative excerpt).
  • Control: Merus holds ownership from 2024 to 2026 per parties list.
  • Entitlement stage: entitlement year 2024, zoning changed to mixed‑use.
  • Constraints: flood, transit, and environmental context layers are not provided in the record (unknown).
  • Market signals: county grew 3.8% 2018‑23, median rent $1,485, and housing is noted in the opp_reasons.

What we do not know yet

  • Exact timing and phases of demolition and construction are not fully detailed beyond the 2026 start.
  • Information on any existing debt, liens, or financial encumbrances on the property is absent.
  • Environmental review status, floodplain designation, and transit access specifics are not in the record.
  • Parcel‑level ownership breakdown and any easements or restrictions are not specified.
  • The year_retrofit (2026) and status (demolished) are marked as extraction and may need verification.

Generated by nvidia/nemotron-3-super-120b-a12b on NVIDIA API via Hermes CT from the fields, parcels, deals and context layers on this page, with no outside knowledge. It is regenerated when the record changes and has not been checked by a person. How it is made.

Similar sites

  • Harding Mall, Nashville, TN · Malls · opened 1967; same strategy: redevelop; also in TN
  • Hickory Hollow Mall, Nashville, TN · Malls · opened 1978; same strategy: redevelop; also in TN
  • Raleigh Springs Mall, Memphis, TN · Malls · opened 1971; same strategy: redevelop; also in TN
  • Bellevue Mall, Nashville, TN · Malls · same strategy: redevelop; also in TN; 33 km away

Elsewhere on the web

Pages with photos

Search images: Google · Bing · Commons · references: ULI case studies · Google Scholar

Multifamily screen

  • closed or demolished site (sourced)
  • already in play: under construction, approved, or sold to a developer with housing plans
  • county grew 3.8% 2018–23
  • median rent $1,485
  • housing in the record

Inputs: record fields (size, status) and county Census ACS 2018–2023 figures (growth, rent). How the points work. Not a recommendation.

History and original facts

Opened1971Wikidata
Stores at peak80extracted, unreviewed reported
Original developerRetail Planning Corporationextracted, unreviewed
documented
built by Retail Planning Corporation...

en.wikipedia.org

AnchorsJCPenney, Castner Knott, Cain-Sloan
CountyDavidson County
Census division6 · East South Central
NotesWikipedia categories: Demolished shopping malls in the United States

Not yet recorded: acres, GLA. Know it? Tell us.

Background

Rivergate Mall was a super-regional shopping mall located in Goodlettsville, Tennessee, United States, just outside of Nashville, the state capital of Tennessee. Opened in October 1971, the mall featured 1,129,035 square feet (104,890.8 m2) of gross leasable area. It once held up to 80 stores and restaurants. Rivergate Mall opened with three anchor stores—Cain-Sloan, Castner Knott, and JCPenney—and later expansions added a food court and a new anchor space which was occupied by Sears. The mall underwent a decline in tenancy beginning in the 2000s, with several stores relocating to nearby shopping centers such as Opry Mills and the Streets of Indian Lake. The final interior tenants of the mall closed in December 2025, with the mall itself closing in February 2026. The mall was located in the core of a shopping district that is shared by the city of Goodlettsville and the Nashville neighborhood of Madison. This area is colloquially referred to by locals as "Rivergate," after the mall.

Excerpt from Wikipedia (authors and history), CC BY-SA 4.0. May be older than the record above.

Timeline

  1. 1971 Opened (Wikidata)
  2. 1971 opened
  3. 1995 tornado damage
  4. 1998 sale to CBL
  5. 2001 Proffitt's sale
  6. 2003 Linens 'n Things
  7. 2006 Macy's takeover
  8. 2008 Streets of Indian Lake
  9. 2013 sale to Hendon
  10. 2019 Sears closure
  11. 2026 demolition start

Sources

  • Wikipedia: Rivergate Mall · supports: after notes, original developer, status, strategy, zoning change
    15 quoted sentences
    built by Retail Planning Corporation...
    mixed-use real estate project
    demolished
    demolished and rebuilt as mixed-use

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