A proposed housing development in Nashville, Ind. hopes to bring in more permanent residents to Brown County.
(WFIU/WTIU News)
A proposed housing development near Nashville could benefit the town and all of Brown County by attracting more residents and increasing Brown County’s population over the next two years, an official said.
The location, where the former Little Nashville Opry was until the building burned down in a fire in 2009, could provide about 194 units, each offering one to two bedrooms.
Dax Norton, municipal operations consultant for Nashville, said the additional residents would be positive for the town and county. The goal, he said, is to provide housing for those of all socioeconomic demographics.
“Attainable housing for all walks of life is the intent,” Norton said. “We want you to be able to graduate college, move to Nashville or Brown County on an entry level salary.”
Norton said remaining single-family homes or apartments and condos have been turned into vacation rentals, which drives the housing shortage. There has been little development of new housing in decades. The school system has also struggled to increase enrollment due to lack of development.
The 2010 U.S. Census reported a population of 803 residents for Nashville. In 2018, the estimated population based on Census data was slightly over 1,100 residents.
Norton said the condo developer will invest approximately $35 million of assessed value, generating tax revenue. He hopes it will solve the problem of limited housing availability.
The biggest challenge will be the cost of sewer service. The area is just outside Nashville city limits, so the current goal is to get a sewer line routed to the site.
“Once that happens, they have everything they need to go vertical,” Norton said.
Besides increased tax revenue, additional benefits to the community include increasing student enrollment in schools and an increased work force population.
The developer wants to move as quickly as possible because of lower market prices. The goal is to begin construction within nine months, according to Norton. Apartments will be sold at market rates.
Austin Kritzer, a longtime resident of Brown County, said he looks forward to the potential of new housing. His family has owned a small business in Nashville for 23 years and believes the city’s small businesses need more than just tourism to sustain themselves.
“We still need residents,” Kritzer said. “We need regulars who are sustaining businesses. If we don’t have locals who are willing to sustain, it’s not helping any of us.”
Kritzer said a Section 8 housing complex in the area with affordable housing has a waitlist. He said it could take approximately one year to be considered for housing.
Kritzer graduated from Indiana University in 2020, and lives with his parents in Nashville. He said hopes to be able to move into his own housing unit and is optimistic that the new condo developments could provide him with his new home.
