MERCURY PARK MASTER PLAN
Murfreesboro Housing Authority
Mercury Park MASTER PLAN
COMPLETION YEAR:
2021
LOCATION:
Murfreesboro, TN
SIZE:
Approx. 17 Acres
245,000 SF
146 Units
PROJECT DESCRIPTION:
Commissioned by the Murfreesboro Housing Authority, the Mercury Park Master Plan entailed a comprehensive planning and design process to reimagine, redevelop, and replace the affordable housing neighborhoods of Mercury Court and Parkside in Murfreesboro, Tennessee. The project encompasses approximately 14+ acres along Mercury Boulevard and an additional 2.75-acre Parkside property along E. Castle Street, both adjacent to Patterson Park and the Community Center.
Implemented in two phases, the master plan replaced 46 homes on the Parkside property and introduced 100 new homes on the Mercury property. The plan establishes a thoughtful transition from the commercial scale of Mercury Boulevard to the surrounding residential neighborhoods.
Extensive community engagement, including Charrette Phase II, provided valuable input that shaped the final design. The master plan complements the character of adjacent neighborhoods, expands housing options, introduces meaningful open space, strengthens connections to Patterson Park, and addresses the scale and presence of Mercury Boulevard.
The Parkside property was developed with groupings of modern rowhouses organized around a central green space that connects to the park’s existing walkways. Two-story rowhouses line E. Castle Street, with parking located to the sides and rear for resident convenience.
On the Mercury property, neighborhood pocket parks serve as organizing features throughout the development. Single-family and duplex homes line Minor Street and extend north along S. Bilbro Avenue, while rowhouses and townhomes occupy the first block off Mercury Boulevard to respond to the four-lane corridor. The master plan also includes a three-story mixed-use building at the corner of 1st Avenue and Mercury Boulevard, designed to accommodate commercial and office space with residential units above.