LISA HOBBS - News Editor
J’s Restaurant, a mainstay at the Three Star Mall, pays the second highest rent per square foot. There is no set rate, with at least one business paying as little as 8 cents per square foot and the highest paying $2.29.
According to information obtained from Warren County Finance Department, J’s Restaurant pays $1.64 per square foot in rent and fees per month on 2,102 square feet. The total monthly amount is $3,441.24. That lease was signed July 1, 2021, before the county purchased the building.
When questioned, Finance Department Director Justin Cotten stated that the $3,441.24 includes a dumpster fee of $242.
Paying the most per square foot is Cali Nail. It has 857 square feet. Rent and fees are $1,963.50 per month, making its square footage cost $2.29. That lease was signed April 15, 2025.
Other renters at the mall:
Bath & Body as a storage area that’s 436 square feet. The rent is $518.84 per month, which is $1.19 per square foot. No additional fees. The lease was signed June 20, 2022.
Bath & Body has 2,930 square feet. It pays $1,548.83 in rent and fees. Total cost per square footage is 53 cents. The lease was signed Oct. 17, 2020.
Combined, Bath & Body pays a combined $1.72 per square foot.
Middle TN Nursery Association has 550 square feet. Its rent is $675 per month, which is $1.23 per square foot. No additional fees. The lease was signed Nov. 27, 2024.
Koen’s Creamery Co has 999 square feet. Its rent is $750 per month, which is 75 cents per square foot. No additional fees. The lease was signed on July 1, 2026.
Valor Healthcare has 8,231 square feet. It pays $6,166.88 in rent and fees, which is 75 cents per square foot. That lease agreement was signed on Aug. 11, 2021.
TechHelp has 1,300 square feet. Its rent is $750 per month, which is 58 cents per square foot. No additional fees. The lease agreement was signed June 8, 2026.
Local Game Store has 1,900 square feet. Its rent and fees are $1,030 per month, which is 54 cents per square foot. That lease agreement was signed on Aug. 1, 2025.
Variety Wholesalers (Rose’s) has 55,552 square feet. It pays 3 percent of sales (12-month average of $4,521.44). The average breaks down to 8 cents per square foot. The lease was signed May 1, 2023.
Also located at the mall are Warren County Senior Center and Warren County Health Department. The senior center has16,000 square feet. It pays $1,250 per month, which is 8 cents per square foot. The health department has 28,000 square feet. That portion of the mall was purchased using a grant. No rent is charged.
Warren County Way decided to dig into the square footage charges at the mall after Finance Director Justin Cotten proposed 75 cents per square foot during a previous Building and Grounds Committee meeting and an additional 37 cents as a premium for an exclusivity clause that prevents competition. At the time, commissioners accepted that as reasonable and unanimously voted to make that their counteroffer. However, when J’s Corporation accepted 75 cents per square foot and offered to drop the exclusivity clause, the committee members met on Tuesday, Sept. 8, and voted to reject that. Committee members are now requesting $3,500 per month, which includes dumpster fees of $242 per month. That increases what J’s Restaurant is currently paying by $58.76.