A current view of the Nau’s Enfield Drug building. Image: Miró Rivera Architects / Zydeco Development Corporation
The 2022 closure of Clarksville pharmacy Nau’s Enfield Drug was a dispiriting end for the long history of this iconic “Old Austin” staple, which first opened as a drugstore and small lunch counter serving burgers and milkshakes way back in 1951. But for many nearby residents, the shuttering of the business wasn’t a huge surprise, since it had publicly struggled with staffing for many years prior — the real anxiety around Nau’s closing was the possibility of something new and flashy being built here at the corner of West 12th and West Lynn Streets, an extremely visible location in the heart of Clarksville’s small business district. The notion that any new building could gentrify a neighborhood with a current median home sales price of $1.1 million is perhaps worth its own knee-slapping conversation, but the fact remains that any new development at the Nau’s site will face an unusual degree of public scrutiny.
The property’s new owners at local firm Zydeco Development Corporation appear to be taking on that challenge with gusto over the last couple of months, with a number of presentations to area neighborhood associations and a briefing scheduled for today’s meeting of the Historic Landmark Commission’s Architectural Review Committee by the developer’s design partners at local studio Miró Rivera Architects on a potential concept for redeveloping the Nau’s site — and keeping the original Nau’s building at the same time, if that makes some of you feel better.
An aerial view of the land assembly including the former Nau’s building now slated for redevelopment. Image: Miró Rivera Architects / Zydeco Development Corporation
The Zydeco concept seen below would raise a five-story building to a maximum height of 60 feet above the existing structure housing Nau’s and its neighbor, Anthony’s Laundry & Dry Cleaning. The new structure would contain up to 30 condo residences, with retail on the ground floor in the former Nau’s storefront. To ensure an active street presence, the building’s two levels of parking are underground. The project will include a restrictive covenant agreement for the protection of the Nau’s facade, and the mural by Daniel Johnston on the side of the structure is planned to be preserved.
Image: Miró Rivera Architects / Zydeco Development Corporation
You’ll note that the retail tenant shown for the building in the rendering above is Waterloo Records, which would be a handy move for the iconic local business after losing its current location, but this hasn’t been confirmed yet. Zydeco’s full assembly of properties for the redevelopment includes several tracts to the south of the Nau’s corner, including two single-family homes, a parking lot, and the converted house containing Medici Roasting, which is apparently what we’re calling it now. At least according to this concept, Medici is sticking around in its existing building, with the footprint of the project not encroaching on the far end of this collection of properties.
A site plan for the potential redevelopment. Image: Miró Rivera Architects / Zydeco Development Corporation
Although it’s likely to change in any number of ways during the planning process, the design for this site seen here seems like a potential best-case scenario for adding additional growth at this corner while holding onto the architectural heritage of the existing building. The five-story height and visible setbacks on the structure, intended to reduce its perceived density from nearby residences, are not too intense for this eclectic district. But what’s most appealing about the plan is that we’re confident it will be a stunning addition to the urban environment of the neighborhood however it comes out — Miró Rivera is behind some seriously attractive projects, and it’s clear that Clarksville isn’t getting a cookie-cutter building in this location.
This cross section of the Nau’s redevelopment shows the building’s layout and various setbacks from the surrounding streets. Image: Miró Rivera Architects / Zydeco Development Corporation
According to the developers, construction isn’t expected to start here for at least two years, since they say they really want to take their time discussing the project with the neighborhood and the city to iron out all the details and deliver an end result that everyone likes. Lofty goals, sure, but let’s see how it goes!
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