Downtown Nashville is getting a new child care center.
Southwest Value Partners, the owner and developer of Nashville Yards, today announced an agreement with The Goddard School to open a facility in the 18-acre downtown development.
The school, which will offer enrollment for 250 children between ages of 6 weeks and 6 years old, will open in spring 2025. It will also create 50 teaching jobs in the community.
The 20,000-square-foot school will be adjacent to the development’s Pinnacle Tower, and spread over two levels. It will feature 15 classrooms, indoor and outdoor play areas, state-of-the-art equipment and train-themed design elements to celebrate the site’s history as a rail yard.
“At The Goddard School, we are committed to providing the best possible environment for the education, development and safety of young children, preparing them for school and for life,” Leisa Byars, the owner and operator of four Goddard School locations in Middle Tennessee, said in a press release. “We also know just how important convenience is for working families. I can’t think of a better place to be than in Nashville Yards, close to so many major employers and residences, and serving the urban core.”
Byars and her husband, Del McSpadden, opened the first of their four Goddard School locations in 2010. They currently operate schools in Murfreesboro, Hendersonville, Gallatin and Cool Springs.
Byars, speaking to the Business Journal, said the facility will offer priority enrollment to families who live or work in Nashville Yards.
The development has already secured tenants like Amazon, Pinnacle Financial Partners and Bass, Berry & Sims — with others expected to follow suit. The property will also contain at least eight residential towers by the time it’s complete.
Byars said she and her husband had been looking to open a Nashville for location for several years, and that the city’s rapid growth had only increased the need for more schools in the area.
“There’s definitely a need for quality and affordable child care in Nashville. We’ve experienced that at our other locations. I think the biggest telltale is when you see parents getting on waitlists for infant rooms before they’re even expecting, which is kind of where things are,” Byars said. “That’s one thing we learned from the pandemic, that child care really is essential. It’s needed for the economy to work.”
Cary Mack, managing partner at Southwest Value Partners, said child care is one of the “critical components” to make Nashville Yards a success.
“Lisa, Del and the Goddard School are the perfect partners; Their commitment to the community and track record of success across Middle Tennessee is inspiring, and we share a common commitment to safety, health and wellness,” Mack said in the release.
Ben Claybaker and Brandon Hoop of NAI Nashville Stanton Group represented The Goddard School in brokering the deal.
The Goddard School has more than 600 locations across the country and serves more than 75,000 students.
When it’s completed, Nashville Yards will sprawl across 18 acres of downtown Nashville. The project will offer a walkable, urban community with hospitality, retail, restaurants, office space and residences.
Read the full story from Nashville Business Journal here.
Read the full press release here.