By Merlisa Lawrence Corbett
Jennifer Horne is an avid gardener who sees the parallels between growing plants and the real estate development process.
Horne is CEO and Managing Partner of Urban Campus & Core, a Nashville-based real estate development company.
She believes that, like gardening, growing sustainable communities requires planning, nurturing, and cultivating.
“I like helping partners who have been in communities for years see the projects they and their neighbors have dreamed of taking shape,” Horne says. “For example, an active senior housing development that allows residents to age in place, or a multi-family community with room for families to grow.”
Urban Campus & Core is part of the Monroe Park development in North Nashville. The proposed 87-unit development is designed to feature community greenway connections, a clubhouse, and a generational pocket park. The project represents a collaborative community partnership between an existing landowner to create missing housing solutions.
The Monroe Park project exemplifies Horne’s real estate development strategy. Her approach goes beyond mere construction; it encompasses a holistic understanding of urban spaces, aiming to create environments that promote inclusivity, accessibility, and sustainability.
As a Nashville native and Vanderbilt University graduate, Horne has deep roots in the community and a vested interest in creating inclusive and sustainable growth.
“Nashville is growing but hasn’t grown past the point where we can still get it right, preserve greenways and parks, and make smart connections to existing neighborhoods to create a strong sense of place,” Horne says. “City, corporate, and community leaders have a shared vision of sustainability and making sure we grow in an equitable way that is conducive to sustainable development.”
Horne is aware that, as a black female real estate developer, she operates in a space dominated by white men. Undeterred, Horne looks to other women who have plotted paths to success.
“Women have historically been a driving force in shaping communities and reimagining how land can revitalize economies. One of my earliest memories of a public-private partnership, even before I knew what the term was, was watching my church growing up create an affordable senior housing project,” Horne says.
“One of the driving forces behind that effort was Dr. Peggy Alsup, a medical professional and public health leader who knew that senior populations faced better health outcomes when they had housing security.”
Horne also admires the accomplishments of Sheila Crump Johnson, co-founder of BET.
“She is truly the definition of a renaissance woman,” says Horne. “She has been successful across various industries and in development through her Salamander Hospitality group has established a brand and portfolio in a space with very few women leaders.”
Horne seeks to emulate these pioneering women, especially on the Nashville scene.
The payoff is watching communities blossom.
“I am awed and thrilled to see how so many innovative and collaborative solutions and partners come together to create a project that will make a difference in the lives of residents and small businesses,” Horne says. “With a purpose-driven focus on the social component, we can create projects that enable equitable outcomes.”