East Towne Mall (Tennessee)

Last updated
Knoxville Center
East Towne Mall Knox logo.png
East Town Mall (Knoxville Center) Knoxville, TN March 2018 (40584807152).jpg
Exterior view of Knoxville Center, March 2018
East Towne Mall (Tennessee)
Location3001 Knoxville Center Drive, near Exit 8 on Interstate 640, Knoxville, United States
Opening dateJuly 1984
Closing dateJanuary 31, 2020
ManagementKnoxville Partners LLC
OwnerKnoxville Partners LLC
No. of stores and services0
No. of anchor tenants 5 (all vacant)
Total retail floor area 964,000 square feet (89,600 m2)
(GLA)
No. of floors2

Knoxville Center, originally known as East Towne Mall, was a shopping mall located in North Knoxville, Tennessee. It was in operation from 1984 to January 2020, [1] and was demolished in 2021.

Contents

History

The mall opened in 1984. [2] [3] It was located along Interstate 640, which was a fast growing area during the mall's heyday. [4] In 1998, Sam’s Club opened its doors for the first time on the southeast corner in the mall’s outlot area. The mall was sold to Simon Property Group spin off Washington Prime Group (now under the name WP Glimcher) On May 29, 2008, Dillard's announced their plans to close due to declining sales. The store closed in September 2008. [5] On February 18, 2016 it was announced that the mall had been placed up for sale once again. [6] The mall was sold in August 2016 to Knoxville Partners LLC. [7] By August 2017, Knoxville Partners LLC had changed the name of the mall back to East Towne Mall.[ citation needed ] Signage at the mall remained unchanged, and the mall was still marketed as Knoxville Center. JCPenney announced on March 17, 2017 that they would be closing as a plan to close 138 stores nationwide. The store closed on September 17, 2017. [8] Sears announced on May 31, 2018 they would also be closing as part of a plan to close 72 stores nationwide. The store closed September 2, 2018. [9] As of October 2019, the mall had only 12 stores, a dentist's office, an event center and 2 restaurants. The largest of those stores, Belk, announced that they would be closing in mid-November, leaving the mall with no remaining anchor department stores. The store closed on November 16, 2019. [10] On October 31, 2019, Knoxville Center Mall's owners announced that the entire mall would close and all tenants' leases would end on January 31, 2020. The Regal Cinema theatre location closed without any prior warning the same day as the mall's planned closure was announced. [1]

Anchors

Former anchors

Services

East Towne Mall opened with a food court in the center of the mall located on the upper level of the Center Court. By October 2019, the food court only had one restaurant, which was a Chinese takeout. There was also a Chinese buffet on the lower level. The food court was located directly next to the 10-screen Regal Stadium Cinema location. [11]

Renovation and name change

East Towne Mall received a major renovation by its owner Simon Property Group in 1997. The outside was left unchanged aside from a new entrance. The inside was renovated with new tile, paint, trim, and other features. The mall adopted a Tennessee mountain theme. Once the renovation was completed, the name Knoxville Center was adopted.

Closing

With the mall in decline, its owner had hopes of turning the mall into a mixed-use facility with added office space, retail, dining, and entertainment. [3] By late 2019 this plan had failed and the mall closed completely on 31 January 2020. [12] [13] As of September 2020, the property ownership was reported to be divided between the corporate parents of the Dillard's and Belk stores and a pair of companies named TF Knoxville TN LLC and Millertown Pavillion LLC. [14]

Redevelopment plans

In September 2020, real estate development company Hillwood Enterprises filed a rezoning request for the 78-acre (32 ha) mall site with the intention of demolishing the mall and replacing it with an e-commerce fulfillment center for Amazon. [15] The total cost of the redevelopment project was estimated as $70 million. [16] The demolition of the mall began in April 2021. [17]

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References

  1. 1 2 "East Towne Mall's End: Knoxville Center closing at the end of January". wbir.com. 31 October 2019.
  2. ↑ http://www.simon.com/Mall/LeasingSheet/0906_KnoxvilleCenter_SCO2033MasterOverview.pdf [ permanent dead link ]
  3. 1 2 "Our History". East Towne Mall. Archived from the original on September 15, 2019. Retrieved July 21, 2020.
  4. ↑ http://www.simon.com/mall/LeasingSheet/Knoxville.pdf Archived 2012-02-08 at the Wayback Machine Market Target
  5. ↑ http://archive.knoxnews.com/business/dillards-to-close-knoxville-center-store-ep-411582636-359883131 [ bare URL ]
  6. ↑ "Knoxville Center Mall up for sale again". www.knoxnews.com.
  7. ↑ Staff, News Sentinel. "Knoxville Center Mall sold". Knoxville News Sentinel.
  8. ↑ Tennessee, USA TODAY Network-. "J.C. Penney at Knoxville Center mall to close". Knoxville News Sentinel.
  9. ↑ Roark, Cortney. "Sears at Knoxville Center Mall to close, along with 71 other stores". Knoxville News Sentinel.
  10. ↑ https://www.wvlt.tv/content/news/Belk-closing-at-Knoxville-Center-Mall-in-November--549596781/ [ dead link ]
  11. ↑ "Movie Showtimes & Movie Tickets | Regal Theatres". www.regmovies.com.
  12. ↑ Krebs, Kelli; McDermott, Brenna (31 October 2019). "Knoxville Center Mall will close in 2020 to make way for a redevelopment". KnoxNews.com.
  13. ↑ McDermott, Brenna (29 January 2020). "As Knoxville Center Mall closes, a new chapter opens for its 35-year tenant". KnoxNews.com.
  14. ↑ McDermott, Brenna (23 September 2020). "Knoxville Center Mall is up for rezoning. Do signs point to an Amazon fulfillment center?". KnoxNews.com.
  15. ↑ "It's official! Amazon opening delivery station at Knoxville Center Mall property".
  16. ↑ McDermott, Brenna (24 September 2020). "Developer unveils plans for proposed $70M e-commerce warehouse at Knoxville Center Mall". KnoxNews.com.
  17. ↑ McDermott, Brenna. "Goodbye, Knoxville Center Mall: Crews begin demolition for Amazon". Knoxville News Sentinel.

36°01′58″N83°52′36″W / 36.03284°N 83.87662°W / 36.03284; -83.87662

  1. ↑ Staff (March 14, 2013). "Dumplin Creek development sold; project may move forward". WBIR-TV . Retrieved December 22, 2021.
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