Major retailer eyes Soddy-Daisy project

A major retailer is eyeing a new store in Soddy-Daisy as part of a project that an official says would be one of the largest commercial developments in the city in recent years.

The Nashville developer isn’t yet revealing the retailer’s name, but an attorney said the store would anchor a $15 million to $20 million commercial project off Dayton Pike not far from the intersection of U.S. Highway 27 and Highway 153.

“It would not solely be the retailer,” said attorney Arnold Stulce Jr., who’s representing developer Russ Morris of Nashville along with the property owner of the vacant tract. “The plans I’ve seen and the way it’s presently configured would have a couple of adjoining outparceltype businesses there.”

Soddy-Daisy Mayor Rick Nunley said the project is in the early stages and he doesn’t know the retailer’s name, but it could be a major grocery chain or a department store.

Soddy-Daisy doesn’t have a Publix supermarket, though he said it already holds a Food City and a Walmart.

Publix, which has a store in the north end of Hixson several miles away from the Dayton Pike site, did not return a request for comment on Wednesday.

Nunley said the proposed development is on the extreme south end of the city where there is little commercial space, but there’s good proximity to major roads and the Hixson area.

“In recent years, it would be one of the largest developments” in the city, he said about the proposed project.

Nunley said the work could

spur even more development in that part of the city.

“I could see that happening,” he said. “Once there’s a major development, it spurs things on.”

Still, the mayor said, existing landowners would need to sell their property.

A proposed rezoning of the project location to hold commercial space is expected to go before the city commission for a final time on Thursday after the change was approved on first reading last month.

While Stulce wouldn’t identify the retailer, he said the business has locations around the Southeast.

“It would be the type of retailer my wife and I would frequent,” he said.

Stulce said the developer would like to break ground on the project within a year to 18 months.

After obtaining rezoning of the property and purchasing the site, the developer still needs to talk lease terms with the retailer and put into place more definite plans, he said.

Stulce agreed the project could trigger even more development in that area of the city.

“It kind of makes sense,” Stulce said. “Once one group moves in, another will piggy-back and be in the same area.”

Nunley said he doesn’t believe there would have to be a road expansion made around the proposed site, but a traffic light may have to be installed.