Local
Sagefield Groundbreaking Draws Cheers for Jobs, Jeers Over Traffic in Thompson's Station
Simon Property Group began construction Thursday on its 16-building Sagefield shopping center at I-840 and I-65, promising $40 million in road and utility upgrades and 700 jobs, while nearby residents warned of worsening traffic and noise.
THOMPSON'S STATION, Tenn. â Construction crews began work Thursday on Sagefield, a 16-building shopping center that Simon Property Group and its partners plan to build on open farmland at the interchange of Interstate 840 and Interstate 65, a project the developer says will bring hundreds of jobs and tens of millions of dollars in infrastructure upgrades to one of Williamson County's fastest-growing communities.
The groundbreaking ceremony took place on a site that until now has been an open-air field. Simon Property Group, which also owns Opry Mills and Green Hills Mall, is developing the center with partners.
Mark Silvestri, the company's president of development, said the project's first phase centers on infrastructure rather than storefronts. More than $40 million will go toward widening Lewisburg Pike and improving water and sewer service, work he described as long overdue.
"One of the key aspects of Sagefield is over $40 million of infrastructure improvement. That is one of the first things we are doing," Silvestri said. "So, road widening on Lewisburg Pike, water and sewer improvements, a lot of things that were really needed for the community."
The development is projected to create 700 full-time jobs. Silvestri acknowledged that filling those positions in a tight labor market will be a challenge and said the company plans job fairs and open houses to recruit workers, including students looking for after-school work and retirees seeking part-time employment.
"We will do job fairs, and have open houses and it's amazing people show up," he said. "A lot of kids after school need jobs, retirees looking for something part-time."
Not everyone in the community is welcoming the project. Jane Sadler, who lives about five minutes from the site, said she opposes the development and cited traffic, infrastructure and staffing as her main concerns.
"None of us are happy about this. We don't want it and don't need it," Sadler said. "It doesn't fit and unfortunately we are going to be dealing with the effects of the traffic, noise pollution, light pollution. The more cars we add the road will become obsolete."
The interchange area has seen mounting development pressure in recent years as the region's population has grown, and residents have repeatedly raised questions about whether roads and utilities can keep pace. An open house on the proposed center was held in Williamson County in November 2025, according to prior reporting.
Silvestri said the company aims to open Sagefield before the end of 2028. Tenants â the shops and restaurants that will occupy the 16 buildings â have not yet been announced and will be disclosed later, he said.