Which way will you turn when you head to Cookeville's new Target on October 11? Most people will picture pulling straight in from South Willow Avenue by the I-40 interchange. The city's plan for the 40-acre shopping center at the southeast corner of South Willow and I-40 points somewhere else. It names Green Gate Lane, the side street to the north, as the main way in.
That one design choice explains a lot about this week. It explains why Home Depot opens three days before Target, why a road deadline matters to the city's budget, and why the restaurants many people have been asking about are not part of the opening.
The entrance the plan was drawn around
When the Cookeville City Council approved the infrastructure grant for The Willows in November 2024, City Manager James Mills described road improvements in three parts:
- A traffic signal where Green Gate Lane meets South Willow Avenue.
- A widened Green Gate Lane, plus a dedicated northbound right-turn lane on South Willow.
- Driveways straight off South Willow limited to right turns in and right turns out.
Mills put it plainly:
"The primary access from the North will be from Green Gate Lane. ... Access from South Willow will be right in and right out."
In practice, if you're coming from the north and want to cross traffic, the signal at Green Gate Lane is the planned way to do it. The South Willow driveways are built for drivers already headed in the right direction. The work was still moving through city business this spring. The March 5, 2026 City Council agenda included a proposed agreement with CHM, the developer, to pave Green Gate Lane and move a water line for The Willows. I haven't found a public update confirming that the signal, the widening, or the turn lane is finished and working. Until you've seen the new layout yourself, treat it as the plan.
The city has said openly why it's planning road changes at all. In February, the City of Cookeville said that "traffic is a top concern for many residents" and that it was "actively planning roadway improvements to help keep traffic moving safely and efficiently."
Why October 15 sits behind every date this week
Under the grant terms, the City of Cookeville and Putnam County each agreed to put up $1.375 million, for $2.75 million total, to cover the public infrastructure. The deal includes no tax break: no PILOT, which is a payment in lieu of taxes, and no tax increment financing. The money goes to the Industrial Development Board, which passes it to CHM only "upon satisfactory completion of the public infrastructure upgrades."
There's also a condition about the stores themselves. At least one anchor has to be fully open for at least one day, and in 2024 Mills said the improvements were expected to be finished by October 15, 2026. "If the first anchor does not open by Oct. 15, the city is under no obligation to make the grant," he said.
Seen that way, the opening schedule makes sense. The grant terms don't say which anchor opens first, but Home Depot opening on October 8 puts an anchor in business a full week before that date, and Target follows on the 11th.
| Date | What's happening | Details |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday night, Oct. 4 | Overnight paving on Interstate Drive begins | 7 p.m. to 6 a.m., about three nights, weather permitting |
| Wednesday, Oct. 7 | Home Depot "Neighborhood Night" | 6 p.m., food trucks, live music, giveaways |
| Thursday, Oct. 8 | Home Depot grand opening | Doors at 6 a.m. |
| Sunday, Oct. 11 | Target opens | 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. daily |
| Oct. 15 | Grant milestone set in 2024 | Public road work done and one anchor open |
What opens on day one
According to the Herald-Citizen, the Target at 1100 S. Willow Ave. is Putnam County's first. The 128,000-square-foot store includes a Starbucks, groceries, and EV charging stations, and it's expected to create more than 150 jobs paying $15 to $24 an hour. The Upper Cumberland Business Journal adds that it will have a CVS Pharmacy, plus Drive Up, Order Pickup, and same-day delivery. Those pickup services matter for traffic, too. They give you a way to shop the first few weeks without parking and walking the aisles.
Home Depot will be open 6 a.m. to 10 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday. Target is open 8 a.m. to 10 p.m. every day. I haven't seen a Target ribbon-cutting or opening-day giveaway announced, so plan on a regular first morning of business.
Former Putnam County Mayor Randy Porter said that during his term, these two stores were "by far, the most requested by our citizens." He added that keeping more sales tax dollars in the county was part of the goal.
The restaurants are on a different timeline
The Willows is set to open in phases, as each tenant finishes building. The 2024 site plan included three restaurant spaces next to the two anchors and a garden center. As of early September, each was at a different stage:
- Chuy's started construction on October 3. A Darden spokesperson told UCBJ the restaurant expects to open in "late spring/early summer 2027."
- McDonald's has a building permit, according to Cookeville Planning Director Jon Ward, but no opening date.
- In-N-Out Burger has preliminary site plan approval but no building permit and no opening date.
For the next several months, then, The Willows is mainly a place to shop, and the Starbucks inside Target is the only food on site. Chuy's has been on many local "please come to Cookeville" lists for years. Its first location outside Texas opened in Franklin in November 2009.
South Willow is filling in on both sides
The Willows isn't the only project along this stretch. Culver's announced in May that it's coming to 969 S. Willow Ave. at Humble Drive. Building permits were issued then, but no opening date has been named. A state filing reported by UCBJ in late August suggests a second 7 Brew drive-through coffee stand at 564 S. Willow Ave. The site plans aren't confirmed. With more driveways and drive-throughs coming along the same road, a signal at Green Gate Lane and limited turns off South Willow will matter more each year.
Just north, Interstate Drive is changing too. CHM also built The Shoppes at Eagle Pointe, which opened there in 2018. O'Charley's at 1401 Interstate Drive has closed. First Watch is planned for 1115 Interstate Drive, the former IHOP address. In June, IHOP employees were told the restaurant would close "in the coming weeks," and First Watch's own website still lists Cookeville as "Coming Soon."
If you're driving that way this week, overnight paving on Interstate Drive starts tonight, Sunday, October 4, at 7 p.m. Crews will work 7 p.m. to 6 a.m. for about three nights, weather permitting. The City of Cookeville says to expect delays and use caution in the work zone. On that schedule, the paving should wrap up about the time Home Depot holds its 6 p.m. Neighborhood Night on Wednesday.
If you have questions about how The Willows and the new businesses along South Willow could affect a home you own nearby, or one you're thinking about, Leslie Scott is happy to talk it through. She's lived in Cookeville since 1998 and has watched this corner change. Let's Connect.
This article is general information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Consult a qualified professional about your situation.
