Knoxville Center Mall
Knoxville Center Mall logo
Exterior view of Knoxville Center Mall, March 2018
Location3001 Knoxville Center Drive, near exit 8 on Interstate 640, Knoxville, Tennessee, United States
Opening dateJuly 1984
Closing dateJanuary 31, 2020
ManagementKnoxville Partners LLC
OwnerKnoxville Partners LLC
No. of stores and services0
No. of anchor tenants5 (all vacant)
Total retail floor area964,000 sq ft (89,600 m2)
(GLA)
No. of floors2

Knoxville Center Mall, 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.

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. Signage at the mall remained unchanged, and the mall was still marketed as Knoxville Center Mall. 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, that 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 two 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 theater location closed without any prior warning the same day as the mall's planned closure was announced.[1]

Anchors

  • Vacant Anchor Space; September 2008 – January 31, 2020; former Dillard's (opened as Miller's, later Hess's); 123,601 sq ft or 11,482.9 m2)
  • Vacant Anchor Space; September 17, 2017 – January 31, 2020; former JCPenney; 133,431 sq ft or 12,396.1 m2)
  • Vacant Anchor Space; September 2, 2018 – January 31, 2020; former Sears; 179,628 sq ft or 16,688.0 m2)
  • Vacant Anchor Space; November 16, 2019 – January 31, 2020; former Belk (opened as Proffitt's); 108,048 sq ft or 10,038.0 m2)

Former anchors

  • Dillard's (closed in September, 2008)
  • JCPenney (closed on September 17, 2017)
  • Proffitt's (closed due to corporate realignment, reopened as Belk)
  • Service Merchandise (two-story store near Sears which closed to become The Rush Fitness Complex; 54,000 sq ft or 5,000 m2)
  • The Rush Fitness Complex (rebranded as Gold's Gym)
  • Gold's Gym (former The Rush Fitness Complex, two level store; 54,000 sq ft or 5,000 m2; closed on May 16, 2018)
  • Sears (closed on September 2, 2018)
  • Regal Cinemas (closed on October 31, 2019; original anchor)
  • Belk (closed on November 16, 2019)

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 Cinemas 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 Mall 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 January 31, 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 (equivalent to $78.4 million in 2022[16]).[17] The demolition of the mall began in April 2021.[18]

References

  1. 1 2 "East Towne Mall's End: Knoxville Center closing at the end of January". WBIR-TV. October 31, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  2. ↑ http://www.simon.com/Mall/LeasingSheet/0906_KnoxvilleCenter_SCO2033MasterOverview.pdf
  3. 1 2 "Our History". East Towne Mall. Archived from the original on September 15, 2019. Retrieved July 21, 2020.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  4. ↑ "Knoxville Center" (PDF). Simon Property Group. May 4, 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 8, 2012. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  5. ↑ http://archive.knoxnews.com/business/dillards-to-close-knoxville-center-store-ep-411582636-359883131
  6. ↑ Marcum, Ed (February 19, 2016). "Knoxville Center Mall up for sale again". Knoxville News Sentinel. Archived from the original on February 22, 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  7. ↑ News Sentinel Staff (August 19, 2016). "Knoxville Center Mall sold". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  8. ↑ USA TODAY Network - Tennessee (March 17, 2017). "J.C. Penney at Knoxville Center mall to close". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  9. ↑ Roark, Cortney (May 31, 2018). "Sears at Knoxville Center Mall to close, along with 71 other stores". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  10. ↑ https://www.wvlt.tv/content/news/Belk-closing-at-Knoxville-Center-Mall-in-November--549596781/
  11. ↑ "Movie Showtimes & Movie Tickets | Regal Theatres". www.regmovies.com.
  12. ↑ Krebs, Kelli; McDermott, Brenna (October 31, 2019). "Knoxville Center Mall will close in 2020 to make way for a redevelopment". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  13. ↑ McDermott, Brenna (January 29, 2020). "As Knoxville Center Mall closes, a new chapter opens for its 35-year tenant". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  14. ↑ McDermott, Brenna (September 23, 2020). "Knoxville Center Mall is up for rezoning. Do signs point to an Amazon fulfillment center?". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  15. ↑ McDermott, Brenna (March 12, 2021). "It's official! Amazon opening delivery station at Knoxville Center Mall property". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  16. ↑ Johnston, Louis; Williamson, Samuel H. (2023). "What Was the U.S. GDP Then?". MeasuringWorth. Retrieved November 30, 2023. United States Gross Domestic Product deflator figures follow the Measuring Worth series.
  17. ↑ McDermott, Brenna (September 24, 2020). "Developer unveils plans for proposed $70M e-commerce warehouse at Knoxville Center Mall". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  18. ↑ McDermott, Brenna (April 8, 2021). "Goodbye, Knoxville Center Mall: Crews begin demolition for Amazon". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved November 27, 2023.

36°01′58″N 83°52′36″W / 36.03284°N 83.87662°W / 36.03284; -83.87662

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