KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — What once sat in the place of an empty Amazon fulfillment warehouse in East Knox County was Knoxville Center Mall—formerly East Towne Mall.
The nearly one million square foot structure was a gathering place for old and young alike for 35 years.
In October 1978, the Metropolitan Planning Commission voted five to four in favor of rezoning 120 acres of land in the Millertown Pike and Love’s Creek area for the construction of a proposed “East Towne Mall.”
East Towne was slated to be larger than the West Town Mall, but came with a hefty price tag of more than $50 million. In 1981, developers revealed the initial plans.
The Mall would be anchored by Miller’s, Proffitt’s, and JCPenney and would bring 1,500 jobs to the area. The city would receive $1.5 million in taxes per year.
As with any project of this magnitude, there were naturally some delays, but East Town Mall was finally set to open in the summer of 1984.
The construction of the mall meant an influx of traffic that would be new to the once-rural area. Some residents sold their homes to avoid the rush.
“It's going to be hard to give up a place that we've worked for and, and really has become a part of us. Although when we begin to think about the disturbance of the traffic and so forth that we've undergone, it's not going to be too hard,” said one homeowner.
Around 95 of the 170 businesses in East Towne were ready to go for the pomp and circumstance of opening day.
Even Mickey Mouse was on hand to witness the opening.
Over 20,000 balloons fell from the ceiling, store shutters were lifted and on July 25, 1984, East Towne Mall officially opened.
Mall managers expected 20,000 shoppers on opening day, but by the end of business, over 100,000 people had visited.
The East Towne Mall name endured until 1997 when developers announced it would undergo a multimillion-dollar renovation and change its name to Knoxville Center.
Knoxville Center Mall’s grand re-opening came in November 1997. The renovation changed the look of the shopping space to reflect the culture of East Tennessee.
That change included the Cades Cookout food court and the newly-renamed east and west concourse—now called Trout Court and The University.
Shoppers were pleased, but as the years passed the amount of patrons dwindled and Knoxville Center had less than 50% store occupancy.
There were movements to help revive the failing mall like the hashtag: #SaveEastTowneMall
Despite the community’s efforts, Knoxville Center closed on Jan. 31, 2020, after more than 35 years in business.
As soon as Knoxville Center closed, people began to ask what would happen to the building. Suggestions ranged from an indoor skatepark to a baseball field to a waterpark and even reopening as another shopping mall.
After over 400 days, the city announced plans to turn the site into an Amazon fulfillment warehouse. Destruction of the mall began shortly thereafter.
Today, the Amazon facility is built but vacant. A spokesperson tells us final construction is happening inside the facility.
Still, the site of the old mall shows no trace of the shopping mecca that once stood there.