MORRISTOWN, Tenn. — Morristown is experiencing a boom in development. Over the last five years, the city has seen an increase of about 500 jobs each year.
Some spaces in the area might look a little lonely right now, but developers said that likely won't remain that way for too long. One expanse of land that's part of Merchant's Greene will one day be filled with cars and hotel guests.
Morristown Landing is one of the newest developments. On one side, Covenant Health is bringing a new emergency treatment office. A Hilton Hotel is also in the works right across from the development.
Steve Neilson, Morristown's development director, said the city is booming commercially, residentially, and industrially.
"We have a new grocery store that will be underway soon, a retail center, that's about 15,000 square feet," Neilson said. "Right now, in the various stages of development, we probably have 1,200 units that are either starting construction or under review."
This expansion is also bringing hundreds of new jobs.
Morristown is seeing a growth in demand for service-oriented jobs, and the development director said they want more manufacturing and industrial jobs.
"Because they generally pay better and they also create additional jobs," Neilson said. "100 jobs here. 100 jobs there. Doesn't sound like a lot. But generally, 75 to 80% of industrial jobs are created from existing businesses expanding."
Morristown's mayor said there are many reasons for the boom. He said the city spent a lot of time on infrastructure, with streets, roads, and police and fire crews, alongside focusing on quality of life.
Morristown Landing opened three weeks ago, which includes an indoor Olympic competitive swimming pool and other swimming options, climbing walls, gymnasiums, and walking track fitness rooms.
In the meantime, Morristown's location is appealing for developers because it's between Bristol and Knoxville. This makes it accessible to thousands of people in the surrounding areas, especially with Interstate 81 connecting to the middle of town right near the I-40 split to Knoxville and Asheville.
"Morristown has been very successful with industrial recruiting industrial expansion," Mayor Gary Chesney said. "We are a hub of about eight rural counties that touch Hamblen County, we're pretty much a job center. Our population swells almost 18,000 people every morning from people driving here to go to work, go to school to shop to eat, go get health care."
But before any development begins, the city wants to make sure it makes sense through a planning process.
"We want to protect, you know, the neighborhoods surrounding it," Neilson said. "We want to protect the streets and make sure they have the capacities to handle the additional traffic."