Dive Brief:
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A planned Nashville healthcare and technology complex will include commercial, residential and research space—and a block-long retail mall made from 21 repurposed shipping containers.
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Each 8 x 40-foot container will feature a flexible, modular interior design that can be rearranged to suit the tenant. The 21 containers will be hoisted onto concrete piers and grouped into 8,000 square feet of selling space for restaurants and fitness retailers.
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Dubbed C1TYblox, the temporary retail district will be the first space to open in a larger complex that is expected to take a few years to build.
Dive Insight:
C1TYblox is Nashville’s first experiment with buildings crafted from shipping containers, which once transported furniture and large appliances like washing machines. But around the world, builders have constructed dozens of structures, including a 2,100-square-foot home in Michigan, with the empty containers, which sell for around $2,000 each.