Crescent Communities Plans 313-Unit NOVEL oneC1TY Multifamily Development in West Nashville

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (Sept. 2, 2026) — Crescent Communities has announced plans for NOVEL oneC1TY, a 313-unit multifamily community to be developed within the oneC1TY mixed-use campus at the intersection of I-440 and Charlotte Avenue in West Nashville. The project is a joint effort with Cambridge Holdings Incorporated, the developer behind the 18.7-acre oneC1TY district, and is expected to deliver in 2029.

The development will replace C1TYBLOX, a retail and activity village constructed from repurposed shipping containers that has operated at 3 City Ave on the oneC1TY campus for approximately 12 years. C1TYBLOX will continue operating through the end of the year as redevelopment gets underway.

Project Details and Amenities

NOVEL oneC1TY will offer studio, one-, two-, and three-bedroom units across the 313-home community. The development will include approximately 5,000 square feet of ground-floor retail and a public-facing plaza. Crescent Communities and Cambridge said they are exploring ways to incorporate elements of C1TYBLOX into the new building's programming, including the potential return of sand volleyball to the site.

Planned amenities include a resort-style rooftop pool deck, a bar and social gathering space integrated with sand volleyball, a resident clubhouse, a library with Nashville-specific design elements, a fitness center oriented toward training and recovery, a courtyard with fire pits and outdoor kitchen space, and a top-level Sky Lounge with views of the Nashville skyline.

The project's design and engineering team includes KTGY as architect, CSDG for landscape architecture and civil engineering, EM Structural for structural engineering, IMEG for MEP engineering, and Streetsense for interior design.

Site Context and C1TYBLOX Legacy

C1TYBLOX was developed by Cambridge as a temporary activation strategy at the outset of the oneC1TY project to demonstrate the health- and wellness-focused vision for the campus before permanent buildings were constructed. Over its 12-year run, approximately 20 local food, health, fitness, and creative arts tenants rotated through the shipping container village.

"C1TYBLOX was created as a 'temporary' activation strategy 12 years ago to help visitors envision the mindful, healthy development that was to come at oneC1TY, before any permanent buildings were constructed," said Alan Aschenbrenner, Cambridge senior vice president of development. "Since then, C1TYBLOX has seen some 20 local food, health, fitness, and creative arts oriented tenants rotate through the village. Many of them have grown their businesses beyond the shipping containers that got them started — including one of the first C1TYBLOX tenants — AVO — which continues to operate as a much loved and celebrated vegan restaurant on the ground floor of the Element hotel building at oneC1TY."

Aschenbrenner added that Crescent Communities' plans for a public-facing plaza — including the potential return of sand volleyball — align with what visitors have valued about C1TYBLOX.

The broader oneC1TY campus includes permanent activation areas, The Yard and Community Table, which together draw approximately 70,000 visitors per year. Those spaces will continue to host community events during and after construction of NOVEL oneC1TY.

Simcha Ward and Crescent Communities' Nashville Strategy

Simcha Ward, Managing Director for Nashville and Charlotte at Crescent Communities, described the project as an extension of the oneC1TY neighborhood's existing character.

"We think of NOVEL oneC1TY as Nashville's new social club: open to the community by design, with special experiences and benefits for the residents who call it home," Ward said. "Building on the success of the existing oneC1TY neighborhood, it will be a place to gather below, recharge within and escape above. Woven from Nashville rather than simply located in it, NOVEL oneC1TY will reflect the creativity, energy and hospitality of the city while welcoming people to experience the community on their own terms."

NOVEL oneC1TY represents the latest addition to Crescent Communities' active Nashville pipeline. The firm is currently leasing at NOVEL Manchester Farm and HARMON West Meade, and has begun construction at NOVEL Richland Creek. Crescent Communities' Nashville legacy portfolio includes NOVEL Edgehill, Harpeth Heights, Camden West Nashville, The Sawyer at One Bellevue Place, Heartwood at Lockwood Glen, and Cadence Cool Springs. The firm's NOVEL brand represents its urban Class A multifamily platform, while HARMON is its single-family build-to-rent platform.

About the Developers

Crescent Communities is a real estate investor, developer, and operator with offices in Charlotte, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Orlando, Nashville, Dallas, Austin, Denver, and Phoenix. Since 1963, the firm's development portfolio has included more than 95 multifamily communities, 26 million square feet of commercial space, and more than 60 master-planned communities. In addition to its NOVEL and HARMON multifamily brands, the firm operates AXIAL for industrial development and THE YIELD for life science development.

Cambridge Holdings Incorporated, founded in 1987, specializes in the development, financing, and management of healthcare projects and health-focused mixed-use campuses. The firm developed the 18.7-acre oneC1TY campus in Nashville, which integrates wellness, corporate office, retail, hospitality, and multifamily uses.