RiverGate Redevelopment

The RiverGate redevelopment transforms the shuttered Rivergate Mall — a super-regional shopping center that opened in 1971 and closed in February 2026 — into a 57-acre walkable, mixed-use district straddling Goodlettsville and the Nashville neighborhood of Madison. Developed by Merus (the Cincinnati-based design-build firm formerly known as Al. Neyer), which acquired the site for $33 million, the roughly $450 million project replaces the enclosed mall with new streets and infrastructure, housing, neighborhood-serving retail and dining, entertainment, medical and office space, and public green space anchored by a center green and plaza. Plans at full buildout call for roughly 710 multifamily units, about 127 townhomes, 80 independent senior housing units, a 120-key hotel, more than 120,000 square feet of commercial space, and around 20,000 square feet of medical and office space, with a portion of the site donated to Metro Nashville to support future WeGo rapid bus transit. The master plan has continued to evolve, including a planning-commission-approved amendment swapping one originally planned hotel for a roughly 51,000-square-foot grocery store and additional retail and restaurant space. Master planning is by Smith Gee Studio with civil engineering by Fulmer Lucas, and the project is supported by tax-increment financing from Metro Nashville and the City of Goodlettsville. Demolition began in spring 2026, with early vertical construction expected by the end of 2026 and phased development continuing through the early 2030s. Dillard's is expected to remain open throughout.