KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Demolition at the former Knoxville Center Mall continued in May, as crews prepared it to be transformed into an Amazon delivery station.
In April, they began to dismantle the mall from the west side, where the JCPenney store used to be. Now, new drone footage is showing crews' progression on the project — demolishing the building that used to attract shoppers and businesses of all kinds.
You can watch the new footage here:
Crews gathered equipment for the deconstruction work in late March. A demolition permit was issued by the city on March 17. D.H. Griffin Wrecking Co. out of Greensboro, N.C., is doing the work — valued at $1.775 million.
According to a press release, the new delivery station will power Amazon’s delivery capabilities to speed up deliveries for customers in the Tennessee Valley.
They also said that the station will create hundreds of full-time and part-time jobs, paying a minimum of $15 per hour and offering a variety of benefits packages from day one, officials said.
Each new delivery station, including the one in Knoxville, is designed to meet the needs of Amazon's electric delivery vehicles. Officials said Amazon is working towards putting 10,000 electric delivery vehicles on the road in 2022.
The mall closed in January 2020. The delivery station is expected to open in 2022, officials said.
A look back at the old Knoxville Center Mall: