CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Downtown Clarksville will soon look very different as long-awaited quality of life projects get underway amid the near completion of F&M Bank Arena.

In a ceremony with city and county officials on Wednesday, crews officially broke ground on Riverview Square, which will be a 4-acre mixed-use destination center featuring dining and shopping right next door to the arena.

Groundbreaking of the new Riverview Square, at the site of the former Riverview Inn in downtown Clarksville on Jan. 25, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Groundbreaking of the new Riverview Square, at the site of the former Riverview Inn in downtown Clarksville on Jan. 25, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Clarksville Mayor Joe Pitts at the groundbreaking of the new Riverview Square, at the site of the former Riverview Inn in downtown Clarksville on Jan. 25, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Philip Welker at the groundbreaking of the new Riverview Square, at the site of the former Riverview Inn in downtown Clarksville on Jan. 25, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden at the groundbreaking of the new Riverview Square, at the site of the former Riverview Inn in downtown Clarksville on Jan. 25, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Michelle Hueffmeier and Jordan Burns at the groundbreaking of the new Riverview Square, at the site of the former Riverview Inn in downtown Clarksville on Jan. 25, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Groundbreaking of the new Riverview Square, at the site of the former Riverview Inn in downtown Clarksville on Jan. 25, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Groundbreaking of the new Riverview Square, at the site of the former Riverview Inn in downtown Clarksville on Jan. 25, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
John Peck and Mayor Wes Golden at the Groundbreaking of the new Riverview Square, at the site of the former Riverview Inn in downtown Clarksville on Jan. 25, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Tommy Bates, Jay Albertia, and Sheriff John Fuson, at the groundbreaking of the new Riverview Square, at the site of the former Riverview Inn in downtown Clarksville on Jan. 25, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Groundbreaking of the new Riverview Square, at the site of the former Riverview Inn in downtown Clarksville on Jan. 25, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Groundbreaking of the new Riverview Square, at the site of the former Riverview Inn in downtown Clarksville on Jan. 25, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Groundbreaking of the new Riverview Square, at the site of the former Riverview Inn in downtown Clarksville on Jan. 25, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Groundbreaking of the new Riverview Square, at the site of the former Riverview Inn in downtown Clarksville on Jan. 25, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Groundbreaking of the new Riverview Square, at the site of the former Riverview Inn in downtown Clarksville on Jan. 25, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Groundbreaking of the new Riverview Square, at the site of the former Riverview Inn in downtown Clarksville on Jan. 25, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Groundbreaking of the new Riverview Square, at the site of the former Riverview Inn in downtown Clarksville on Jan. 25, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Mayor Wes Golden, Mayor Joe Pitts, and Adam Arnold, at the groundbreaking of the new Riverview Square, at the site of the former Riverview Inn in downtown Clarksville on Jan. 25, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Adam Arnold speaking at the groundbreaking of the new Riverview Square, at the site of the former Riverview Inn in downtown Clarksville on Jan. 25, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
Ryan Batson speaking at the groundbreaking of the new Riverview Square, at the site of the former Riverview Inn in downtown Clarksville on Jan. 25, 2023. (Lee Erwin)
A rendering of the outside of the DoubleTree By Hilton and Riverview Square, coming to downtown Clarksville in 2023. (Contributed)

The big day

BNA Associates announced in August 2022 that the former Riverview Inn will be renovated into a state-of-the-art Double Tree by Hilton featuring 156 rooms. That is in tandem with the 55,000-square-foot retail and entertainment center, known as Riverview Square, that will provide accommodations for the arena.

“It’s taken a lot of work from a lot of talented professionals to get to this point,” said Philip Welker, co-founder and partner of BNA Associates, at the ceremony on Wednesday.

Welker thanked several people and groups who helped make the project happen, including Johnson Studio in Atlanta, Georgia, who partnered with Lyle Cook Martin Architects for the design and engineering work.

He also thanked Skanska Construction, which is also responsible for building the arena and downtown parking garage right across the street.

“We hand selected those two firms very specifically for their capabilities in doing all sorts of projects, because this is three projects. This is a hotel renovation, a new construction of retail and then a parking garage, which are all very different talents.”

Additionally, Welker thanked the city, county, state and Economic Development Council for their involvement in getting the project underway.

Transforming downtown

Mayor Joe Pitts praised to the 1,400 individuals working for the City of Clarksville and said the project will have a transformative effect downtown.

“Every day, there are goods and services exchanged for consideration, and those transactions drive our city’s economy. But every once in a while, probably once in a lifetime, there is a transaction or a moment that we have that becomes transformative,” he said. “We are looking forward to seeing the transformation of this site and our downtown because it will expand options for our dining, entertainment and jobs for our downtown community.”

Montgomery County Mayor Wes Golden echoed those sentiments, adding that the relationships formed during the process have made the work easier.

“It is a great day in Clarksville-Montgomery County,” Golden said. “It’s exciting times that we live in here, and everybody sees the magic and the growth that’s happening here. That’s why the state has come to the table with the $14 million (for the parking garage). We have city, county, state (and) private companies all coming together to make sure we’re growing the way we need to be growing.”

A proposed image of Riverview Square, a retail development planned between Riverview Inn and the F&M Bank Arena in downtown Clarksville. (Contributed)
A rendering of the outside of the DoubleTree By Hilton and Riverview Square, coming to downtown Clarksville in 2023. (Contributed)
View of the Riverview Inn from the third floor of Shelby’s Trio during construction, at the corner of N. Second St. and College St. on Dec. 7, 2022. (Lee Erwin).
A rendering of the bar in the DoubleTree By Hilton, coming to downtown Clarksville in 2023. (Contributed)
A rendering of the lobby in the DoubleTree By Hilton, coming to downtown Clarksville in 2023. (Contributed)
A rendering of the dining area in the DoubleTree By Hilton, coming to downtown Clarksville in 2023. (Contributed)
A rendering of a guest room in the DoubleTree By Hilton, coming to downtown Clarksville in 2023. (Contributed)

Downtown projects

The hotel will feature 156 guest rooms, an expanded lobby with outdoor space, a restaurant overlooking the Cumberland River, a heated indoor pool, meeting rooms and a 4,000-square-foot ballroom. With Riverview Square next door, guests will be within walking distance of sporting events, concerts and conventions.

“We’re just thrilled to be bringing a project of this size to Clarksville and try to help revitalize a downtown community,” Welker told Clarksville Now. “Hopefully it means more jobs, tax revenue and a new center of entertainment and dining destinations.”

In addition to the Riverview Project, work on the arena is wrapping up and is set to open in a couple of months. The arena will hold approximately 6,000 fans for concerts, 5,500 for basketball games and 5,000 for hockey games.

Parking is also part of the equation, with the downtown 724-space parking garage also in the works. That project will be built on land donated by the Hand family using a $14 million state grant. Additionally, the county will provide infrastructure upgrades as part of that development.