"There is no grocery store east of Interstate 24." Josh Ward, president of the Clarksville-Montgomery County Industrial Development Board, said that to Clarksville Now in August. He then listed who feels it: "Everybody that lives in Farmington, Stones Manor and (works at) Kirkwood Schools, works at Hankook, they have to go to I-24 Exit 11 to that Publix."
For anyone living off Rossview Road, that's a weekly fact of life. The closest options are the Publix on Martin Luther King Jr. Parkway off Exit 11 and the Walmart on Wilma Rudolph Boulevard off Exit 4. On Wednesday, August 12, the IDB approved a deal meant to change that. If the headline sounded familiar, there's a reason.
June 2023 Said Almost The Same Thing
Three summers ago, Clarksville Now opened a story with this: "A large new grocery store is coming to Rossview Road near Exit 8." That plan covered 20 acres zoned C-5 in the South Industrial Park, off Rossview Road and International Boulevard. The developer agreed to build a grocery, a pharmacy and multi-tenant space, and the site could also hold a restaurant, a health clinic and a food truck area.
The deal terms were specific. The developer would pay the IDB $3.9 million for 13.28 acres, and $1 million of that would go to Montgomery County to build a new road called International Court. That road would carry complex traffic off Rossview Road. Ward described the grocer as "a well-known name" that hadn't been confirmed to him. A vote to actually sell the land was set for later.
As of October 2026, there is still no grocery east of I-24. Ward's August quote says so directly. The more useful part of the 2023 story is the second item tucked into it.
The Waffle House Is The Part That Showed Up
The same 2023 article said Waffle House planned a 24/7 diner on the lot behind Taco John's, on 0.7 acres at the corner of the planned International Court. The goal was a late-night option for third-shift workers at the Industrial Park. The IDB agreed to sell that lot at its appraised value of $381,000.
That one got built. Waffle House's official locator now lists store #2552 at 2975 International Blvd, open 24 hours. In January 2026, Ward said the Waffle House would open "in a couple of months," and that the former Taco John's on the site would become a Dunkin'. Dunkin's locator now lists a Clarksville store at 1645 Hankook Road. Neither company has published an opening date.
So the corridor has filled in with exactly the kind of project that's easiest to finish: one tenant, one small pad, a drive-through or a counter. A grocery anchor is a different kind of project, with more acreage, more stormwater, more traffic and a named chain that has to commit. That's the lens for reading the August deal.
What The August Deal Actually Contains
Here is what's new this time, and it's more concrete than the 2023 version in several ways.
- A named developer with a local track record. The IDB agreed to sell a 5-acre tract to Brown Group Inc., an Arizona-based developer. In Clarksville, Brown Group built the Publix at Walker Farms on Trenton Road.
- Land assembled from two owners. Lori Smith, owner of the planned ACE Hardware, had bought 12 acres from the IDB and needs only 3. She'll sell the remaining 9 to Brown Group, bringing its total to about 15 acres.
- Defined edges. Agero and the incoming ACE Hardware are on the west side, Rossview Road to the southeast, Rollow Lane to the east and the IDB stormwater basin to the north. A traffic signal is already planned at Rossview and Rollow.
- More than a grocery. Brown Group also plans three to four pad sites and multi-tenant space aimed at about a dozen national and regional retailers.
- Projected scale. The IDB projects $30 million to $45 million a year in grocery sales, about $1 million a year in local sales tax and 100 to 120 jobs.
One detail matters more than the rest. The land is part of an IDB stormwater basin. Brown Group gets it at a reduced price, and in return it has to make significant improvements. It must keep current stormwater retention and also hold any extra runoff the new development creates. That engineering work comes before a building can go up.
Its neighbor shows how long that phase can take. In January, Ward said the ACE Hardware, which will focus on supplies for contractors and small businesses, was still in site review and the developer was designing the stormwater basin plan. In August it was still described as "incoming." No opening date has been published.
What hasn't changed since 2023: the grocer's name still hasn't been announced.
Rossview Plaza Is Filling In From The Coffee End
West of the grocery site, the pattern from International Boulevard is repeating at 1243 Rossview Plaza off Exit 8. Small tenants are setting up before any large anchor. On July 8, Clarksville Now photographed construction there, and three businesses were already marketing themselves.
"I think Exit 8 is a really good location, and it's underserved when it comes to coffee."
That's Ken Poindexter, who has owned and roasted for veteran-owned Mugsy's Coffee Company since 2008, speaking to WhatNow Nashville in July. Rossview will be Mugsy's third Clarksville shop, after Fort Campbell Boulevard and Dunlop Lane. He said it was expected to open in August if construction stayed on schedule. Visit Clarksville lists the shop at 1243 Rossview Road, Suite 100.
Here's where the plaza stands, based on what's been published:
- Mugsy's Coffee Company, Suite 100. August was a conditional target. We found no news report confirming it opened.
- Ireh K Food, Suite 101. Signs say it will serve banchan, the side dishes such as kimchi and jun that are central to a Korean meal, and it plans to offer catering. An online directory updated October 1 lists Monday hours of 9:30 a.m. to 7 p.m. Calling ahead is the safer bet.
- Chillville Bakery & Boba. It has advertised on Rossview Road, but signs haven't shown which storefront it will take.
None of this replaces the drive to Exit 11 for a full grocery run. It does mean a coffee, a Korean side dish or a 2 a.m. waffle no longer requires crossing the interstate.
The Road Widening Runs On A Later Clock
Rossview Road itself is set to change too, just later than the businesses along it. The widening covers 3.12 miles from east of International Boulevard to east of Kirkwood Road. The plan calls for five lanes, a 10-foot multi-use path on the south side and a sidewalk on the north side. As of February 2026, right-of-way acquisition was 86% complete and utility work was 30% complete.
TDOT's current 10-Year Project Plan, covering FY26 through FY35, lists the project at an estimated $68 million with construction in 2028. Montgomery County's project sheet still says construction would start around early 2025 and finish between late 2026 and early 2027. That start date has already passed with work still in the acquisition and utility phase, so TDOT's 2028 is the timeline to use.
For daily driving, the signal planned at Rossview and Rollow was reported as part of the grocery deal, separate from the widening. Any shopping center that opens in the next couple of years will likely open onto today's road.
What Would Make It Real
The 2023 announcement and the August 2026 approval were both board votes. The milestones that would separate this round from the last one are the ones that haven't happened yet:
- Brown Group or the IDB names the grocer.
- The land sales close, both the IDB's 5 acres and Lori Smith's 9.
- A site plan and stormwater design move through review, the same step ACE was still working through in January.
- Construction starts on the signal at Rossview and Rollow.
Until the grocer has a name, the realistic daily picture east of Exit 8 stays the same: coffee and quick food are moving closer, and the big grocery run still goes through Exit 11.
If you live off Rossview and you're wondering how a shopping center at Rollow Lane might change things for your street, Make Clarksville Home watches this corridor closely and can walk you through what's been filed and what's still just a plan. Schedule a free consultation.
