Holladay Ventures, a nationally recognized local leader in affordable housing developments, today announced it has closed on funding for The Opaline, a 251-unit affordable housing mixed-use development located at 3533 Dickerson Pike. Construction, led by general contractor RC Mathews, is set to begin this November.
Seeking to be a model that addresses Nashville’s top needs, The Opaline will include:
- 251 affordable units for residents at 60% Area Median Income (AMI);
- Nonprofit services, studios, and maker spaces for creatives;
- An expanded, new 4,000 sf child care facility for the Lotus Learning Center on site;
- 7,000 sf of retail; and
- A future WeGo transit hub on Dickerson Pike.
“The Opaline at Artist Hill is a mixed-use affordable and artist-centric project that reflects the heart of why we founded Holladay Ventures: to create mission-driven housing that is responsive to community needs and builds lasting value for the people it serves,” said Evan Holladay, founder and CEO of Holladay Ventures. “We’re striving to establish a model community that serves the creatives who make Nashville special while also tying it to Nashville’s need for transit-orientated development, on-site child care, walking trails, as well as spaces and amenities for artists of all disciplines to work on their craft.”
Added Holladay, “We’re thankful for our tremendous partners and the public, private and community support we’ve received to be able to start construction on this legacy project.”
To ensure the development meets the unique needs of Nashville’s creative community, Holladay Ventures is partnering with the Arts & Business Council of Greater Nashville (ABC)— a nonprofit celebrating its landmark 20th anniversary.
ABC has provided expert consultation on the design of The Opaline’s creative spaces and will facilitate its nationally recognized programming on site once the development opens in early 2028. The organization will offer education workshops, legal clinics, and opportunities for cross-disciplinary collaboration amongst the art and business communities. This partnership with Holladay Ventures represents another step in ABC’s broader effort to expand access to affordable creative resources and strengthen Nashville’s creative economy.
“We are proud to bring our expertise to this project and to partner with Holladay Ventures in setting a national example for what affordable, artist-centered development can be,” said Jill McMillan Palm, Executive Director of ABC. “Our research shows more than 25% of local artists are considering leaving the area due to rising housing costs and lack of space to create. The Opaline is telling artists: you belong here, and your creativity matters to the future of this city.”
Transit, Child Care, and Connectivity: A Model Affordable Development
The Opaline is strategically situated along Dickerson Pike, a major transit corridor in Nashville. WeGo Public Transit, in partnership with NDOT, has committed to delivering a new transit center adjacent to The Opaline. This investment advances the implementation of Nashville’s Choose How You Move Transportation Improvement Program.
“Route 23 Dickerson Pike is one of our busiest routes and a strategic location for expanded bus service in the future,” said WeGo CEO Steve Bland. “It’s exciting to be able to combine that expansion of service with a new affordable housing development. Public transit is a big part of the effort to make Nashville more affordable for residents.”
Nearly 60% of families in Nashville say their employment has been disrupted by a lack of child care according to the Nashville Early Education Coalition. Today, the Lotus Learning Center, an early childhood education center, is on the development site. As part of construction, Holladay Ventures will be building Lotus a brand new, larger 4,000 sf facility.
The original center will remain open until the new facility is ready for move-in, allowing a seamless transition from the old center to the new without any loss of child care service.
“The Opaline will be an important affordable, mixed-use development to foster Nashville’s thriving community of artists and creatives,” said Mayor Freddie O’Connell. “What’s more, the development sits on a key transit line, and with an on-site child care center, ensuring that getting around and finding great care for your kids is one less thing for a busy artist, creator, or maker to worry about.”
“By combining affordable housing with dedicated artist spaces, transit access, and on-site child care, this development addresses multiple community needs in one thoughtful project,” said Michelle Brown, Senior Manager, Public Policy at Amazon. “We’re grateful to collaborate with Holladay Ventures and the Arts & Business Council on creating these 251 affordable homes that will help Nashville’s creative community thrive where they live and work.”
The Opaline is the first of an expected three phases for Artist Hill, which is a 38.76-acre master plan that is projected to include rental and first-time homeownership opportunities, retail, creative workspaces, green spaces, walking trails and other community amenities.
A collective of public and private funding partners worked together to provide the financing needed to bring The Opaline to life. This includes support from Amazon, Barnes Housing Trust Fund, Metropolitan Development and Housing Agency, and Metro Nashville Office of Housing as well as the Tennessee Housing Development Agency, U.S. Bank, Citibank, Stifel Public Finance and Truist Bank.
For more information on The Opaline, and to sign up for updates on leasing, visit: www.opalinenash.com.
Subscribe to our Newsletter!
