KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A region in Northwest Knoxville is getting some new stores, and Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs appeared at the grand opening of one of them alongside another familiar face — Smokey.
They appeared at the grand opening of a newly built Food City in a new shopping center on Wednesday. Smokey, the University of Tennessee mascot, joined Mayor Jacobs to get some grocery shopping done. The shopping center is located at the corner of Schaad Road and Oak Ridge Highway.
The grocery store is part of the new Grassy Creek shopping area. It is being built by Maddox Property Management and is expected to include a restaurant, storage facility and a dozen other retailers.
Developers said that the project costs around $45 million and is partly supported with a $2.5 million tax package from county officials.
Officials with Maddox also said that the shopping center will link West Knoxville and I-40 with North Knoxville and I-75. They said it is expected to be around 30 acres large after construction is complete.
