Posted: Sunday, July 25, 2010 2:07 am

With MTMC’s move to Medical Center Parkway, the city of Murfreesboro was left with decisions to make with what to do with the buildings left behind on North Highland Avenue.

“We have a question of how the offices left over there are going to survive and we’re looking at opening it up to a broader use,” Murfreesboro Planning Director Joseph Aydelott said.

Many of the property owners located along Highland Avenue, an area zoned for medical offices, are concerned about how the hospital’s move will affect their ability to rent space.

As of now, the city of Murfreesboro plans to adjust the medical office zoning to zoning for general office space. This should help give property owners flexibility to fill their space.

A suggestion was made to open zoning for use as restaurants as well, but at this time the planning committee has no zone for this use.

With no official word on what will be done with the building that MTMC leaves behind the city’s hands are tied.

The building may be handed over to MTSU, but until an official decision is made the city must wait on any zoning changes that need to be made.

“We’ve been working on this process for a long time,” Aydelott said.