Knoxville Center Mall

Knoxville Center Mall
Knoxville Center Mall logo
Exterior view of Knoxville Center Mall, March 2018
Map
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

In 1984, East Towne Mall opened along Interstate 640 in a rapidly growing area [2][3] The mall featured anchors such as Miller's, JCPenney, Sears, Profitts, and Service Merchandise, along with a junior anchor, Regal Cinemas. In 1998, Sam's Club inaugurated its southeast corner location within the mall's outlot area.

In 1997, the mall underwent a significant renovation led by Simon Property Group. The exterior was retained, but a new entrance was introduced. The interior received upgrades with new tile, paint, trim, and a distinctive Tennessee mountain theme. Following the renovation, the mall was rebranded as Knoxville Center Mall.

Miller's transitioned to Hess's in 1988. However, after being acquired by Profitts, Hess's eventually closed down. Despite Profitts operating a store at the mall at that time, they chose not to maintain a dual anchor. In 1992, they sold the anchor to Dillard's, which opened a store in place of Hess's at the mall. Service Merchandise closed in 1999 and reopened as Rush Fitness, later becoming Gold's Gym.[4]

In 2005, Belk acquired Profiits, resulting in the store becoming Belk. On May 29, 2008, Dillard's, facing declining sales, announced closure, effective September 2008.[5] In 2016, the mall changed ownership to Knoxville Partners LLC, By August 2017,[6] 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.[7] JCPenney closed on September 17, 2017,[8] and Sears followed suit on September 2, 2018.[9] By October 2019, the mall had dwindled to 12 stores, a dentist's office, an event center, and two restaurants. Belk, the largest remaining store, closed on November 16, 2019.[10]

On October 31, 2019,[11] the owners declared the mall's complete closure, with all leases terminating on January 31, 2020. The Regal Cinema theater unexpectedly closed the same day as the closure announcement.[1] Despite plans to transform the mall into a mixed-use facility, including office space, retail, dining, and entertainment, the decline persisted. The mall ceased operations on January 31, 2020.[12][13][3][14]

As of September 2020, property ownership was shared among the corporate parents of Dillard's and Belk, along with TF Knoxville TN LLC and Millertown Pavilion LLC.  In September 2020, Hillwood Enterprises sought rezoning for the 78-acre mall site to construct an e-commerce fulfillment center for Amazon, with an estimated redevelopment cost of $70 million. The demolition of the mall began in April 2021 and was completed later that year. The Amazon Fulfillment Center, DNA6, opened for service on the former mall site in August 2024.[15][16][17][18][19]

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)
  • Miller's (closed in 1988, re-opened as Hess's)
  • Hess's (closed in 1992, became Dillards)
  • 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.[20]

References

  1. ^ a b "East Towne Mall's End: Knoxville Center closing at the end of January". WBIR-TV. October 31, 2019. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  2. ^ "Knoxville Center" (PDF). Simon Property Group. May 4, 2007. Archived from the original (PDF) on February 8, 2012. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  3. ^ a b "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. ^ J.t (January 26, 2011). "Sky City: Retail History: Knoxville Center/East Towne Mall: Knoxville, TN". Sky City. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  5. ^ Dillard's to close Knoxville Center store knoxnews.com [dead link‍]
  6. ^ "Knoxville Center Mall sold". Knoxville News Sentinel. August 19, 2016. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  7. ^ Gaines, Jim. "Changes planned at Knoxville Center mall". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  8. ^ "As JC Penney closes, Knoxville Center mall moves forward with revitalization plans". wbir.com. March 17, 2017. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  9. ^ Gaines, Jim. "Sears through the years, Kmart to depart: Faltering chain has long Knoxville ties". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  10. ^ Belk closing at Knoxville Center Mall in November wvlt.tv [dead link‍]
  11. ^ "Knox County commissioners discuss possible move to Knoxville Center Mall". WATE 6 On Your Side. December 13, 2019. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  12. ^ McDermott, Brenna. "Here's what happened on Knoxville Center Mall's last day in business". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved January 14, 2024.
  13. ^ 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.
  14. ^ 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.
  15. ^ 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.
  16. ^ McDermott, Brenna (April 8, 2021). "Goodbye, Knoxville Center Mall: Crews begin demolition for Amazon". Knoxville News Sentinel. Retrieved November 27, 2023.
  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. ^ 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 MeasuringWorth series.
  19. ^ Dennis, Angela (August 15, 2024). "How soon the new Knoxville Amazon warehouse – and its jobs – are coming". Retrieved October 17, 2024.
  20. ^ "Movie Showtimes & Movie Tickets | Regal Theatres". www.regmovies.com.

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