The Murfreesboro City Council voted unanimously on first reading Thursday to approve the amendment of a proposed 1.56 acre townhome development along Middle Tennessee Blvd. near Boulevard Restaurant. The restaurant is a popular dinning location for students and faculty near the MTSU campus.

The three-story structure proposed by Regent Development would construct approximately 44 townhomes on the east side of Middle Tennessee Blvd. The townhomes will range in size from 1500 to 2052 square feet.

The original townhomes approved by the City Council back in mid-2008 called for a 2-story building with townhomes ranging in size from 968 to 1250 square feet. At that time, the property was zoned Planned Residential District (PRD) as a companion of the Planned Commercial District (PCD) zoning for the East Main Village that includes Boulevard Restaurant.

By adding a third-story, developers proposed to make the structure slightly smaller but the overall size of the individual units larger. The Planning Commission, which approved the amendment in September, advised the Council that the proposed height would be consistent with what is permitted in the multi-family zoned districts.

The amendment must still be approved by two subsequent Council readings. Site Engineering Consultants, Inc. of Murfreesboro requested the amendment for Regent Development owner Dave McGowan.