The Murfreesboro Buzz

Shoppers Grab Your Checkbook

Shoppers in Murfreesboro Tennessee have certainly had reason to celebrate recently!  The existing Stones River Mall is undergoing extensive additions and renovations.  The sleek  and fashionable new Dillards Department Store celebrated their Grand opening last week.  The huge new outdoor mall, The Avenue, is under construction and scheduled to open in the fall of 2007.  Now, we have heard that Stein Mart will be opening a new store in The Oaks Shopping Center which is located on the corner of N. Thompson Lane and Medical Center Parkway.  This is also where the current Ross Dress Barn, Marhsalls, The Peanut Gallery, and Jason's Deli are located.  Although company officials will not acknowledge the opening of the new store, it is pretty apparent that there will be a new Stein Mart in Murfreesboro in the near future.  The developers have submitted plans to construct the 31,000 square foot store to the Murfreesboro Planning Department. 

Murfreesboro TN is a wonderful place to live, work and play!  If you are interested in buying a home, be sure to check out my FREE MLS Home Search found on my website www.SoldonTN.com.

Rover Running Through The Boro!

Murfreesboro Residents have one more thing to add to their list of amenities!  The green public transportation buses, called Rover, have officially been launched.  There are nine Rover Buses, each bus will carry sixteen passengers and cost the city of Murfreesboro approximately $900,000 each.  Federal and state funds cover about 75 percent of the cost of the buses plus the annual operational expenses. 

These buses will provide transportation alternatives to all residents of Murfreesboro.  However, they will be much more than alternative transportation for some local residents.  They are nothing short of a blessing and independence on wheels for others!  For senior citizens who no longer feel comfortable driving, residents who don't have the luxury of owning a car, or others who are not physically capable of driving due to blindness or other limitations, the buses mean they can once again regain their freedom!  As word of the new public transportation system travels, it is expected that the number of riders will increase. 

Bus fare is only $1.00, and .50 for children under 5 and senior citizens over 65.  The buses will run Monday through Friday from 6 am until 6 pm and will travel through the main areas of the city.  There are currently about 100 official bus stops for the Rover Buses, however, drivers are more than happy to pick up anyone who flags them down and drop them off at a convenient location as long as the driver is able to pull over safely.  If you see a Rover, and need a ride, simply wave for the driver to stop!  For a complete bus schedule you can visit the Murfreesboro City Website.

NASA Coming to Murfreesboro!

Murfreesboro residents will not want to miss the NASA interactive exhibit that is coming to the Children's Discovery Center April 10 and 11, 2007.  NASA staff members will be on hand to demonstrate an interactive 3D holographic exhibit that will allow visitors to explore space right here in Murfreesboro.  You will actually be able to see what it might be like if you were able to explore the surface of the moon or even Mars.  You will also be able to manipulate the lunar environment and travel to one of Saturn's moons.  The exhibit will show us how our future lifestyles will be changed and what NASA is doing with computer technology, communications, and robots.  NASA staff will be available between 10 a.m. and 5 p.m. to answer questions and talk about space travel and future advancements and goals of NASA.  For more information, contact the Children's Discovery Center at 615-890-2300.   See you on the moon!

Reese Performing Arts Takes Awards

The Reese Performing Arts Company Dancers competed at the Nexstar Dance Competition in Nashville, on March 24 - 25, 2007.  A huge Congratulations is due to ALL of the girls!  They did an awesome job and brought home a ton of awards!  The dance routines were choreographed by Casey Reese who is also the instructor for the Company Dancers.  Her girls brought home EIGHT platinums awards, SEVEN high golds, the Choreography Award, Performance Award, Backstage sportsmanship Award, 1st place overall, and 8 overall high score awards! 

This was a tough competition and the girls performed extremely well!  Murfreesboro residents can be proud to have the Reese Performing Arts Company Dancers representing their community!  It was a huge honor for them to bring home the highly coveted Backstage Sportsmanship Award for this competition!  The girls showed an amazing positive attitude and encouraged everyone at the competition...even competitors!  It was an real honor for the dancers to receive the sportsmanship award.  It recognized their outstanding character and positive attitudes, not only as dancers but as great young people.

If you have a child interested in dance, acting, piano, voice, or fencing, you may contact the Reese Performing Arts Academy at www.rpaa.net.

Murfreesboro Greenway to be Extended

The city plans to extend the current Greenway trail system an additional 2.7 miles to the newly developed Gateway Center on Medical Center Parkway.  The trail will wind through sidewalks and office buildings and connect to the future MTMC hospital scheduled to be completed in 2010.   

In addition to the extended trailway, the city plans to incorporate an existing pond into the trail.  A large island is to be constructed in the pond and a 1200 square foot reception center and pavilion will be built on the island.  The city believes that the reception center will become a venue for catered events and small concerts as well as being available for recreational use of trailway visitors.  The city hopes to have this extension of the Greenway completed within 12 - 18 months.  This extension is estimated to cost approximately $5 million dollars and 80% of the funds will come from the federal government. 

The city is also planning a five mile extension of the Greenway trail this fall and a second extension of 7 miles going all the way to Barfield Crescent Park to start at a later date.  The Greenway is one of my favorite places to go in Murfreesboro.  It is a great place to enjoy being outdoors in a safe and relaxing place while working in a little exercise - whether you prefer walking, biking, or running.  And best of all, the Greenway is free!

160 New Jobs May Be Coming to Murfreesboro

Everyone knows that Rutherford County has been fortunate to have attracted Nissan Motor Corporation of America here when they built their factory in the Smyrna, Tennessee, area. Now, the City of Murfreesboro is hoping to attract a possible $70 million dollar food processing plant. The plant would be located in the southern portion of the county off Joe B. Jackson Parkway and I24. If successful, the factory would bring an estimate 160 high paying jobs to the area.

City officials believe that this facility would be an excellent opportunity for the local economy and would offer diversification within the county. The current economy is very dependent on the automotive industry, and brining a new type of industry to the area would only strengthen the economic outlook for Murfreesboro as well as Rutherford County.

The plant would be located on approximately 53 acres near the Joe B. Jackson Parkway. The Murfreesboro Planning Commission will be holding a meeting on April 4 to discuss the required zoning to heavy industrial use in order for the plant to be built. A second meeting will be held on April 5 with the Murfreesboro City Council.

The name of the company was not released, but city manager Roger Haley stated that it was a large, well-known food or beverage corporation. Of the estimated 160 jobs provided by the company, 130 of those would start at a rate of $21 per hour. The remaining 30 employees would be paid an annual salary which would average around $60,000 per year.

It is anticipated that the planning commission will return a favorable recommendation to the city council regarding the rezoning of the area to allow for the factory.

A stronger and more diversified economy also impacts the housing market. The addition of 160 new high paying jobs in Murfreesboro, TN would directly impact the value and demand for homes in the Rutherford County area. Real Estate in Murfreesboro has been a solid investment and the continued growth of the area and expansion of new jobs continues to fuel the rise in property values. However, affordable housing is still available and the cost of living is still below the national average.

Mornings At The Mac

Some call me dedicated, some call me crazy, other just don't know what to call me, but almost every morning, EARLY morning, you will find me at The Murfreesboro Athletic Club.  To be quite honest, I really don't understand why I do this myself most days, but somehow, this early morning hour has become my "me" time.  I actually have come to enjoy this time and now my oldest daughter even meets me to workout.  Well...actually she USED to meet me every morning but she has become hit or miss a lot these days!!!  So much for the energy of the youth. 

If you haven't checked out The MAC and are interested in getting back into shape and becoming more healthy, then I highly recommend stopping by.  The MAC is a staggering 47,000 sq. feet full of the latest equipment that is open 24/7 (with the exception of Sunday evenings and they reopen at 5 a.m. on Monday.)  You will find a wide array of clients at The MAC and should not feel intimidated at all or worry about not fitting in.  People of all age, and all body types work out at The MAC.

There are three cardio sections to choose from with unlimited cardio equipment.  If you enjoy climbing the evil stair mill or the new wave machine then you will find those at the MAC along with the usual selection of stationary bikes, treadmills, elliptical, rowing machines, and stair masters.  Cardio seems to go by much faster while watching a movie inside the Cardio Theater in the dark!  Or, you can opt to have you own private television on the platform cardio section, or watch large screen televisions preselected with 12 of the most popular stations in the front cardio room.

The workout floor has a huge selection of resistance training equipment and most machines are grouped together to make your workout even more efficient.  If you prefer free weight (like me!) then you will find a huge selection of free weights with increments to accommodate everyone from the novice to the serious body builder.

Group classes are offered in everything from spin class, pilates, yoga, aerobics, step, power, spin-pump, kick-boxing and all-over body conditioning.  I have found the instructors to be knowledge and creative; keeping the classes challenging yet fun.  My favorite is the early morning Spin Class which can actually be quite full!

The MAC also offers a large selection of personal trainers that will help you determine your fitness goals and set up a workout and diet plan for you to follow.  There are several trainers at The MAC, but make sure you request Chris Hurd.  You will find Chris to be extremely knowledgeable about training and very motivational.  Somehow he always makes me push myself harder and go farther than I ever would have gone on my own.  Investing in a few personal training sessions is a great investment in your health.  It will help you become more efficient at working out and make you see better results from all your hard work!

I personally think that the The MAC is one of the nicest workout facilities available anywhere.  I'm just excited that it just so happens to be located in Murfreesboro!  It really is a wonderful place to get back into shape and you will find that you get to know the other members their quickly.  There is definitely the "morning crowd" that arrives early like me each and every day.  So, the next time you find yourself awake at 4:15 in the morning, why not get up and join us at The MAC.  We'd love to have another morning workout partner!