Maney Station: Mixed-Use Construction in Murfreesboro

Mixed-use developments can create long-term value by bringing commercial activity, housing, and walkable density together within one coordinated property.

Maney Station is a mixed-use development located near downtown Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The project includes 13 residential units positioned above ground-level commercial space, creating opportunities for both business occupants and residential investors within walking distance of Murfreesboro’s historic town square.

Vision Building Group served as the general contractor for the project, coordinating the construction of a building designed to accommodate two distinctly different uses under one roof.

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A Mixed-Use Development in Murfreesboro

Murfreesboro continues to experience significant residential and commercial growth. As the city expands, mixed-use developments can help support that growth by locating businesses, services, and housing closer together.

Maney Station was developed to provide:

• Ground-level commercial space

• Thirteen residential units

• Opportunities for business owners and commercial tenants

• Residential investment opportunities

• Convenient access to downtown Murfreesboro

• A more walkable connection to the surrounding community

Unlike a conventional single-use building, a mixed-use project must accommodate different occupants, operating schedules, building systems, privacy needs, and life-safety requirements.

That makes early coordination especially important.

The Complexity of Mixed-Use Construction

A mixed-use development is not simply an apartment building placed above a commercial storefront.

Commercial and residential occupancies often have different requirements involving:

• Structural design

• Fire-rated assemblies

• Life-safety systems

• Sound separation

• Mechanical systems

• Plumbing distribution

• Electrical service

• Utility metering

• Accessibility

• Egress and circulation

• Security and controlled access

• Parking and site planning

• Interior finish standards

The building must function as a coordinated whole while allowing each portion of the property to serve a different purpose.

For Maney Station, the residential units needed to provide privacy, comfort, and independent access while the commercial level remained suitable for businesses and their customers.

The relationship between those uses had to be considered throughout construction.

Separating Commercial and Residential Uses

One of the central challenges in mixed-use construction is maintaining appropriate separation between occupancies.

Commercial tenants may generate more activity, sound, deliveries, foot traffic, and mechanical-system demand than residential occupants. Residents, meanwhile, expect privacy, secure access, and protection from disturbances associated with the businesses below.

A properly coordinated mixed-use building may require:

• Fire-rated floor and wall assemblies

• Sound-control measures

• Separate entrances and circulation paths

• Independent mechanical zones

• Coordinated plumbing and electrical distribution

• Controlled access to residential areas

• Thoughtful placement of equipment and utility spaces

• Properly designed emergency egress

These requirements must be incorporated into the plans, budget, and construction sequence from the beginning.

Addressing them after construction has started can result in costly changes and avoidable delays.

Ground-Level Commercial Space

The commercial portion of Maney Station was designed to support business occupancy near downtown Murfreesboro.

Ground-floor commercial space can provide several advantages:

• Visibility from the surrounding area

• Convenient customer access

• Proximity to downtown businesses and amenities

• Opportunities for retail, office, service, or hospitality uses

• Additional activity at the street level

• Long-term flexibility for property ownership

The final requirements of a commercial suite depend heavily on the tenant and intended use.

A professional office, retailer, restaurant, salon, and medical provider may each require substantially different plumbing, electrical, mechanical, accessibility, and life-safety systems.

For that reason, the base building must be planned with future tenant needs in mind.

Residential Units Above Commercial Space

Maney Station includes 13 residential units located above the commercial level.

Within a mixed-use development, multifamily construction must be coordinated with the building’s commercial systems and shared infrastructure. Residential occupants need functional layouts, dependable utilities, secure circulation, acoustic separation, and comfortable interior environments.

At the same time, the residential component cannot interfere with the operation or future modification of the commercial suites below.

This requires coordination among the owner, contractor, architect, engineers, inspectors, trade partners, and utility providers.

Construction Coordination

Mixed-use projects involve multiple scopes that must be installed in the correct sequence.

Construction coordination may include:

• Site and utility work

• Structural framing

• Exterior building-envelope systems

• Roofing and waterproofing

• Fire-rated assemblies

• Mechanical, electrical, and plumbing systems

• Fire protection and alarm systems

• Vertical and horizontal utility distribution

• Residential-unit construction

• Commercial shell or tenant-space construction

• Common areas and circulation

• Exterior entrances and storefront components

• Parking and site improvements

• Final inspections and occupancy requirements

A decision made in one portion of the building can affect several other trades.

For example, plumbing serving an upper residential unit may pass through or near a future commercial space. Mechanical equipment may create noise or require access through shared building areas. Electrical and utility systems may need to be separated for billing and maintenance.

These conditions make experienced construction management essential.

Building Near Downtown Murfreesboro

Construction near an established downtown area can introduce logistical considerations that are less common on open suburban sites.

Depending on the property and surrounding conditions, those considerations may include:

• Limited staging areas

• Restricted material-delivery access

• Nearby businesses and residents

• Existing utilities

• Traffic and pedestrian activity

• Site-access limitations

• Noise and working-hour considerations

• Coordination with local authorities and utility providers

A contractor must account for more than the work occurring inside the property line. The construction plan must also consider how the project interacts with its surroundings.

The Value of Early Preconstruction

Mixed-use developments benefit greatly from early contractor involvement.

Before construction begins, the owner and project team should evaluate:

• Intended commercial uses

• Residential-unit count and configuration

• Zoning and land-use requirements

• Parking needs

• Utility availability and capacity

• Fire-separation requirements

• Structural design

• Accessibility

• Mechanical-system strategy

• Sound control

• Site access

• Construction budget

• Project phasing

• Long-term maintenance

• Future tenant flexibility

A preliminary budget developed without understanding these factors may omit substantial portions of the eventual scope.

Vision Building Group’s preconstruction process is intended to help owners identify these issues early, establish a more realistic budget, and align the project’s design with its intended use.

Mixed-Use Construction Experience Matters

Mixed-use construction in Murfreesboro requires a contractor to understand how commercial and multifamily components interact.

The contractor must be able to coordinate:

• Different occupancy requirements

• Shared and separate building systems

• Commercial tenant considerations

• Residential privacy and comfort

• Fire and life-safety requirements

• Multiple inspection disciplines

• Complex construction sequencing

• Owner and design-team priorities

Relevant experience is particularly important because problems do not always remain confined to one portion of the project.

A change affecting the commercial level may impact the residential units above it. A structural, plumbing, mechanical, or fire-protection decision may affect the entire building.

The construction team must understand those relationships and communicate them clearly.

Maney Station and Murfreesboro’s Continued Growth

Maney Station represents the type of coordinated development that can support growth near an established downtown district.

By combining ground-level commercial space with 13 residential units, the project adds both business opportunities and housing within a compact footprint.

It also demonstrates how thoughtful mixed-use construction can contribute to a more connected and walkable community.

For developers and property owners, mixed-use projects may provide diversified income potential and improved use of valuable land. However, they also require careful planning, realistic budgeting, and strong coordination among the entire project team.

Planning a Mixed-Use Development in Middle Tennessee?

Vision Building Group is a commercial general contractor serving Murfreesboro, Rutherford County, and communities throughout Middle Tennessee.

Our services include:

• Mixed-use construction

• Ground-up commercial construction

• Retail and office development

• Multifamily components within commercial developments

• Commercial tenant improvements

• Preconstruction planning

• Construction budgeting

• Commercial due diligence

• Design-assist coordination

• Value engineering

• Construction management

Whether you are evaluating a property, developing preliminary plans, or preparing to begin construction, involving the contractor early can help identify risks before they become expensive problems.

Contact Vision Building Group to discuss your mixed-use or commercial construction project.

Call 615-278-9081 or visit our contact page to begin planning.