South Murfreesboro might be getting a serious new neighbor, with Lowe's moving to plant a second big-box home improvement store along Shelbyville Pike.
The company has filed to annex and rezone roughly 16.8 acres on the city's far south side, kicking off a public review that is already catching the attention of neighbors and city officials who have watched one large proposal after another pop up in the area.
What Lowe's Wants To Build
The proposal, logged as Zoning Application 2026-410, lists Lowe's Home Centers, LLC as the applicant and covers about 16.78 acres on the east side of Shelbyville Pike, just south of Joe B. Jackson Parkway at the southern end of Christie Knob Way (Tax Map 136, Parcel 26.00). The land is currently zoned RM in unincorporated Rutherford County and sits at the commercial-residential edge of a corridor that has been rapidly filling in.
Nearby uses include a Pep Boys service center and the Tiger Hill townhomes, according to staff comments from the City of Murfreesboro. Lowe's is asking the city to annex the property and rezone it to a Planned Commercial District, which would formally open the door for a new big-box store if approved.
Planning commission records show Lowe's representatives were present for the April discussion, and a public hearing was set for the early June meeting to take up the annexation and rezoning request, according to the City of Murfreesboro.
What City Leaders Are Saying
The Daily News Journal reported the filing in a video story on June 4, highlighting the project as a potential second Lowe's for Murfreesboro and quoting City Councilmember Jami Averwater.
Averwater described the site as being on the city's far south side, near the Tiger Hill neighborhood. According to the local coverage, council members and staff are expected to home in on traffic, stormwater and how a large retail box will play next to existing homes as the application advances. Public comments were anticipated at the planning commission hearing and are likely to follow the project as it moves up to the council.
Where It Fits On Murfreesboro's Retail Map
If city leaders ultimately sign off, this store would give Murfreesboro a second Lowe's. The chain already operates a location at 1825 Old Fort Parkway on the city’s west side.
The proposed Shelbyville Pike location would land amid a mix of medical and service uses along a corridor that is steadily marching south from the I-24 interchange. The setup positions Lowe's to tap into ongoing residential growth in that direction. The existing store’s Old Fort Parkway address and hours are listed in the retailer’s local profile, according to Lowe's.
Why Planners Are On High Alert
South Murfreesboro is not exactly quiet right now. A massive Buc-ee's travel center is rising just off I-24, a project that has quickly become one of the region's most talked-about roadside builds, as chronicled in coverage of the giant Buc-ee's powers ahead.
On top of that, the city is working to extend Stonesbattle Parkway to help handle current traffic and what is coming next, according to WSMV.
At the same time, Murfreesboro officials have signaled they are not shy about pushing back on developers over flooding and runoff. City councilors recently hit pause on a grocery-and-fuel project over drainage concerns, a move detailed in a stormwater showdown report.
All of that means the Lowe's proposal is arriving in a corridor where new roadway plans, major retail construction and wary neighbors are already in the mix, and where staff are primed to scrutinize stormwater and traffic impacts.
What Happens Next
The planning commission’s public hearing on the annexation and rezoning was scheduled for June 3. From there, the application must continue through the rest of the city’s review steps, including annexation approvals and detailed site planning, before any shovels hit the ground.
In the months ahead, city staff and the applicant are expected to refine traffic studies, drainage plans and buffering for nearby homes. Residents who want to track the proposal can follow upcoming agendas for both the planning commission and city council, where formal votes and site-plan details will surface as the review process moves along.
