 According to "The Tennessean", both companies had agreed to join in the development after M. H. Hausman had begun to undergo negotiations with prospective tenants, since J. C. Penney had just begun a real estate development division and Shainberg had previously handled land acquisition and leasing for Belz's 100 Oaks Mall, also in Nashville.In 1978, Taubman Centers announced that it had replaced J. C. Penney as co-developer, but that the latter would still be building a store in the mall.The planning and zoning commission approved Taubman's conceptual site plan for the mall in late 1978, under which the mall would begin construction in early 1979 and open in 1981.