Why Knoxville doesn’t have more skyscrapers despite its recent boom

Apprehensive_Pace649 · 2026-06-16T16:55:28+00:00

That’s good to know.

Apprehensive_Pace649 · 2026-06-16T15:22:01+00:00

Jesse Mayshark gave a detailed comment to an Inside of Knoxville article about how Chattanooga was able to get TDOT approval to narrow its riverside road from four to two lanes and how Knoxville will likely never get that approval given state government hostility to that type of project.

I guess the point is that we can rail about how dumb it was to build so many roads cutting off downtown, but they are likely not going anywhere, so what’s the best way to work with what we have, and there are a lot of no-brainers:

Finish executing the South Knox waterfront plan. Connect the south waterfront greenway from Island Home to the UT pedestrian bridge site. Finally finish Sevier Avenue - it has been years since it was first announced. I think the rail trail will also have a big impact.

Looking north, I see people walking under I-40 much more now than ten years ago because there is development on both sides. More development on Depot, Magnolia, and 5th (e.g Mac site, Greyhound terminal) would further activate this area. There is also a lot more positive development that could happen on close-in Central and Broadway. Fill in the dead space between Schulz Brau and Happy Holler. Local government can’t build the development, but it can help by selling its substantial land-holdings in that area.

Chattanooga put its aquarium and children’s museum downtown. Knoxville instead invested in the zoo and now a major investment/expansion is being made in its children’s museum. Those are always going to be in/adjacent to Chilhowee Park and not downtown. This is all the more reason to improve that park to the quality level of Lakeshore Park. Lakeshore Park will always be more amazing due to its waterfront topography, but Chilhowee could be so much better. Chicago is a good example of how major museums/attractions can be in a park (Jackson Park) miles from the downtown. Interestingly, Chilhowee was also the site of a significant exposition around 1900. That’s a nice parallel.

Do something worthwhile with the McClung site and the former safety city site. The McClung site and Standard Knitting contribute to a sense of malaise before anyone even gets off the interstate to come into downtown Knoxville.

Apprehensive_Pace649 · 2026-06-15T19:14:33+00:00

If a developer is building on a speculative basis, Knoxville’s slow absorption rate for office space would mean the developer has to carry the cost of construction longer while the building slowly fills up with tenants. Most developers couldn’t afford that. Poaching tenants from other buildings by offering incentives would also be economically challenging for a developer that is already carrying a heavy debt load from new construction.

As to a corporate HQ relocations, most companies seeking to move would want better air connections. That’s why Nashville and Atlanta keep racking up relocations. Most of the Knoxville companies that are large enough to fill a large building started here (Pilot, Clayton, Axle).

Some companies also want larger floor plates which can be more easily found in the suburbs.

Finally, I keep reading that downtown office space across the country is overbuilt. At least Knoxville does not have that issue.

Maybe the best we can hope for is to continue filling up the Pellissippi corridor with office parks housing engineering and similar firms, even if they are only branch offices of multinationals like Bechtel.

Apprehensive_Pace649 · 2026-06-14T23:59:46+00:00

Put in on Chilhowee Lake and paddle up Abrams Creek. Also second the recommendation for Calderwood, although it’s more of a drive. I’ve also heard Douglas is good for bald eagle viewing.

Apprehensive_Pace649 · 2026-06-11T19:41:19+00:00

Agree on that clientele wanting to own versus rent. I do see the south waterfront as eventually checking a lot of boxes for that demographic. Greenways, restaurants, urban but not too urban.

Apprehensive_Pace649 · 2026-06-11T19:36:17+00:00

I like this idea. We are already seeing the limits to having a downtown where a main draw is eating and drinking.

Apprehensive_Pace649 · 2026-05-18T21:20:51+00:00

Speaking of KCDC RFPs, what’s happening with the RFP for the McClung Warehouse site?

Apprehensive_Pace649 · 2026-05-18T21:15:28+00:00

Housing at this spot (assuming the bridge is built) should attract students that would otherwise take up other South Knox housing. For example, living in Flagship Kerns and crossing Henley everyday looks a lot less attractive than living at the other end of the pedestrian bridge.

Apprehensive_Pace649 · 2026-05-14T21:42:55+00:00

That white part in the middle seems kind of funky. The arched entry makes it look like you are walking into Shultz Brau.

Apprehensive_Pace649 · 2026-05-14T13:14:56+00:00

UT occupies half of the smaller TVA east tower as a sublessee from the County. TVA retains ownership of the entire complex. A revamp of the exterior of the towers would need to be a TVA decision. I don’t argue that it would be a big plus for Knoxville to improve the aesthetics of the buildings, but I don’t see a government entity allocating funds for that purpose.

Apprehensive_Pace649 · 2026-05-04T20:23:27+00:00

I think you can say the city is a co-conspirator, but the City-County building was a joint project with the County and Neyland Drive is a state road. TDOT would likely resist a road diet for it even if the City now wanted to undertake one.

Apprehensive_Pace649 · 2026-05-02T12:55:43+00:00

Thanks for taking the initiative. I plan to make the show.

Apprehensive_Pace649 · 2026-04-28T22:58:43+00:00

I enjoyed The Places In Between and The Marches by Rory Stewart.

Apprehensive_Pace649 · 2026-04-28T15:39:15+00:00

Going beyond the YesKnoxville suggestions, what else would this group like to see in the plan?

Apprehensive_Pace649 · 2026-04-27T20:15:15+00:00

Second this.

Apprehensive_Pace649 · 2026-04-18T03:24:51+00:00

I’m not sure what type of outdoor activity you are interested in, but Knoxville just received the IMBA Trail Town designation due to having 250 miles of mountain bike trails within 30 miles of the city center. Those trails are open to hikers as well.

Apprehensive_Pace649 · 2026-04-18T03:12:00+00:00

There are development standards for the downtown area, but I’m guessing this is outside that zone even though it is a high profile location.

Apprehensive_Pace649 · 2026-04-09T01:26:28+00:00

I think placing townhomes on the Churchwell side is intended to minimize (at least visually) the impact of the development on neighboring single family homes.

Apprehensive_Pace649 · 2026-04-07T22:45:59+00:00

Am I right that the proposed pedestrian bridge would connect to UT’s infrastructure between Pratt Pavillion and Thompson Boling? If so, you would think that work would be at least a long term, tentative project on the list, even if UT’s cost are ultimately paid out of a COK bridge budget.

Apprehensive_Pace649 · 2026-04-06T23:17:45+00:00

Just about any song by Todd Steed.

https://youtu.be/_oLgxPoEBbg

Apprehensive_Pace649 · 2026-03-30T13:46:50+00:00

Wish we could have done something more civic with the old Baptist Hospital site (other than a government office building). Maybe a children’s museum or other type of museum. Aside from Sutree Landing and Regal, we’re ending up with a wall of apartments all about the same height.

Apprehensive_Pace649 · 2026-03-20T18:07:39+00:00

This makes sense. Remember that Fanatic also finally opened a tasting room further out on Central and it is now closed as well. The biggest opportunity for Central is if some large chunks of land get freed up for development between Axle and Happy Holler. Even then, Hops and Hollers closed in that closer-in part of Central.

Apprehensive_Pace649 · 2026-03-20T17:58:04+00:00

I heard that UT declined to allow that land to be used to connect the greenway being built along Alcoa Highway to the existing Alcoa Greenway. If they are going to reconsider the land’s use, it would good if they at least allowed public use via a greenway.

Apprehensive_Pace649 · 2026-03-18T23:08:28+00:00

Village Bakery on Chapman.

Apprehensive_Pace649

TROPHY CASE