NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Construction is steadily progressing on a groundbreaking development in Antioch that will soon become home to Nashville’s first Chinatown. With the first phase scheduled to open by September, the project is set to become a cultural and commercial hub for the region’s growing Asian and Pacific Islander (API) community.

Tennessee continues to see rapid demographic shifts, with the API population surpassing 180,000, according to API Middle Tennessee. Yet for many residents, there has long been a noticeable void — a centralized location to celebrate and share Asian heritage.

“I’ve been saying that Nashville has needed a Chinatown for years,” said Joseph Gutierrez, executive director of API Middle Tennessee, who has been a vocal supporter of the development.

The Chinatown project—officially launched in May 2024 under the name “Tennessee Nashville Chinatown”—is located just off Hickory Hollow Parkway in Antioch. It promises more than just retail space. Anchored by what will be the largest Asian grocery store in the city, Pan-Asia Supermarket, the development is designed to support commerce while fostering cultural connection.

“It’s not really downtown like your traditional Chinatown concept, but in that area, it is very multicultural, and it is going to bring a lot of business to Antioch,” said Michelle Kang, former president of the Greater Nashville Chinese Association.

Spanning over 10,000 Asian food and household products, Pan-Asia Supermarket is already a major draw, especially for longtime residents searching for authentic flavors and ingredients.

“I always get questions about ‘Where do you get good Asian food?’; ‘Where do you buy your groceries?’ And stuff like that, so now I will have a really simple answer,” Gutierrez added.

Plans for the development include a variety of dining options — from Chinese rice noodles to Korean fried chicken and Vietnamese pho — aiming to reflect the wide spectrum of API cultures. But for many, the project’s cultural significance outweighs the commercial aspect.

“It would be neat, especially for the second generation — like they didn’t grow up with what we experienced, so they get to experience the culture,” Kang said, emphasizing the impact on younger Asian Americans who may not have had easy access to traditional spaces.

Gutierrez also highlighted the importance of having a shared physical space for a community that is currently spread across Middle Tennessee. “There is no one neighborhood that has a lot of Asian and Pacific Islander community members living in it, so our community is so sparse,” he said. “It is very difficult to find connections in that kind of way. So I think that is one of the key things.”

He also noted that beyond restaurants and grocery stores, the later phases of the development will introduce something vital to the community: “I really kind of think that there isn’t a center for community hubs. I am really excited for the Chinatown development because the later stages of its development will include an event center.”

By 2027, the full buildout will include additional commercial spaces and multi-use buildings for events, performances, and gatherings. For a region that has traditionally lacked a large-scale cultural hub, the development is about more than infrastructure—it’s about identity and inclusion.

“[Nashville], as far as Asian culture-wise, it is a huge difference,” Kang reflected. “There used to be just one tiny little grocery store and farmers market, but now there are multiple grocery stores.”

And for Gutierrez, the long-term vision goes far beyond architecture. “There aren’t many places to connect, and once we have them, it is really important that people can come together and just feel welcomed and safe,” he said.

With phases two and three of the project slated to wrap by 2027, the Chinatown development stands as a beacon for cultural representation and economic opportunity in one of Nashville’s most diverse neighborhoods.

Originally reported by Katelyn Quisenberry in WKRN.