“The local construction environment is still very busy,” he says. “Folks who are not in the industry likely look at construction as very lucrative right now. In reality, the strain on resources, at all levels, is creating new challenges. Finding and retaining seasoned workforce labor, for example, is a common hurdle.”

Despite that challenge, most owners aren’t hesitating to move forward with projects.

“The market is staying relatively constant at this heightened level, and projections indicate this will be maintained for at least the next two years,” Schalmo says.

Though the Nashville construction market has been robust for several years, the strength of various subsectors is beginning to vary noticeably.

“While multifamily construction has fallen off, the hospitality market has more than picked up the slack,” Schalmo says, noting his firm is currently underway on three hotel projects. “There still seems to be quite a bit of pent-up demand in the office sector, and we’re also seeing modest growth in the entertainment sector.” 

Firm in Focus

Tuck-Hinton Architects
410 Elm St., Nashville
Founding Principals: Seab A. Tuck III, Kem G. Hinton
Founded: 1984
Ground Broken: State officials—including Gov. Bill Haslam—held a ceremonial groundbreaking for the Tennessee State Library and Archives project on Dec. 11, 2017.  Designed by Tuck-Hinton Architects PLC/Thomas, Miller & Partners LLC Joint Venture, the 165,000-sq-ft facility will house state government archives, records, books and photographs and will feature classrooms, meeting space and rotating exhibits designed to make state archives more accessible to the public, according to the architectural firm. The building will be located at the corner of Sixth Avenue North and Jefferson Street in Nashville, adjacent to the Bicentennial Mall. The firm’s website notes: “The building’s location helps fulfill the original plan for Bicentennial Mall, which called for public buildings to line the park extending north from the state capitol building.”