Tennyson Germantown

Place Development, a boutique Nashville developer, set out to transform an underutilized Germantown parcel into a high-quality, walkable townhome community that fit the neighborhood’s urban character. CSDG partnered with the team to lead civil engineering and landscape architecture, guiding the project from concept through construction while addressing complex grading, regulatory hurdles, and combined sewer challenges typical of Nashville’s urban core.

The site came with inherited entitlements, significant grade changes along 4th Avenue and Hume Street, and tight market-driven timelines. Located within one of the city’s most constrained combined sewer basins, it also required careful coordination with Metro Water to manage capacity and prevent downstream impacts. CSDG approached these constraints through integrated civil and landscape collaboration, leveraging an established working relationship with Place Development to make fast, informed decisions.

CSDG designed an infiltration-based stormwater system that met Metro’s rigorous standards without costly public infrastructure extensions and worked closely with Root Arch to align site engineering with architectural intent. This ensured efficient grading, strong pedestrian connections, and a cohesive urban scale. With decades of experience navigating Metro approvals, CSDG also streamlined the permitting process to keep the project moving on schedule.

The final plan delivered 16 luxury townhomes within a compact footprint, with stormwater infrastructure blended into the hardscape, direct pedestrian access for each home, and streetscape improvements that strengthen connections to the adjacent park. The project reinforces Germantown’s walkable character and stands as one of Place Development’s most refined urban communities to date. Read the full case study.

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‍“We’re incredibly proud of the product. It’s the highest-quality townhome development we’ve delivered and one of the best in Nashville.” — Derek Lisle, Place Development