GALLATIN, Tenn. (WKRN) — As one of Nashville’s fastest growing suburbs, Gallatin has experienced a steady population increase and vast transformation this past decade.
A study from this past October showed Gallatin as having grown by nearly 12% between 2020 and 2022. In 2024, city officials have been busy rezoning different portions of land around Gallatin to accommodate needs like housing or commercial business.
So what it’s in store for 2025 and beyond in the booming Sumner County city?
“I honestly think it will be very similar to ‘24. I think we will see, like I said, more commercial investment,” Gallatin mayor Paige Brown said. “I think some of this residential [development] that you see planned is for the next 10, 20, even 30 years.”
A clear representation of Gallatin’s growth can be seen at any of their council meetings. Nearly every agenda from January through December 2024 has discussed zoning and rezoning, with countless discussions around open land. These changes can be seen all around town, especially along Nashville Pike where many more developments have been proposed.
“You never exactly know when, or if, something is going to come out of the ground,” Mayor Brown explained. “Even with the development we have approved currently, I suspect that some will change drastically and some will never happen.”
Handling all this growth is a true balancing act, Brown said.
“There have been efforts by the city to buy and preserve land,” Brown said. “But you can’t just condemn somebody’s land because you don’t like growth, especially when so many people are moving here.”
Gallatin has a list of all recent proposals or approvals for development, or those already under construction. It’s a long list that blends massive residential plans with retail and commercial — even plans for a harbor along Old Hickory Lake.
“This is not about me and what I want for convenience or even my personal likes and dislikes in my community,” Brown said. “This is for the future generations.”
Brown, a Gallatin native, said she remembers a time not long ago when their city lacked appeal, especially for younger people and young families. That’s no longer the case. Instead, Gallatin could simply be summed up as: under renovation.
“It absolutely is a challenge that together we need to work to navigate. You can’t stop growth,” Brown said. “I mean, you can manage it as well as you can possibly manage it, and I believe in Gallatin that we are following all the right principles…There’s no perfect formula.”
