BLOUNT COUNTY, Tenn. — New businesses are in bloom in Blount County. From the revitalization of an anchor space at Foothills Mall to the reimagination of the Alcoa West Plant, things will soon look different.
In Maryville a Chase Bank location will be built in the parking lot that adjoins Harbor Freight Tools and Hobby Lobby, in the Foothills Plaza, said Jeff Muir, the Blount Partnership Director of Communications.
He also said crews are building a BJ's Wholesale store, which specializes in selling items in bulk, at the location of the former JC Penney store at Foothills Mall.
Hotel developer Devi Capital, based out of Morristown, will also break ground on a Holiday Inn Downtown hotel in downtown Maryville next week.
Sandip Patel, the owner of Devi Capital, said he's wanted to develop in Maryville for a while.
"I have lived in Morristown for so long, since 1995, so it's kind of like I grew up in the hotel industry," Patel said. "You kind of have a feeling of where to build, what to build. I've had my eyes on Maryville's downtown for a long time. I think it's a good time to build something."
In neighboring Alcoa, several businesses are either in the works or have finished up construction recently, said Emily Assenmacher, Alcoa's Public Information Officer.
"I would say that 2024 is going to be a pretty big year with us in terms of growth, which is super exciting. "Assenmacher said. "There are several businesses that have signed a preliminary letter of intent, but at this time we're not able to disclose any of those."
She also said Springbrook Farm, a multi-use property being built on the former Alcoa West Plant site, is also continuing to grow.
"(Alcoa's) got great amenities, our parks are fantastic and we are looking to increase the space of our parks with Centennial Park in Springbrook (Farm)," Assenmacher said.
Businesses in the works in Alcoa include the University of Tennessee Medical Cancer Center, several apartment complexes, a credit union, a Kickback Jack's restaurant and a nail salon.
Assenmacher said businesses in the Alcoa Marketplace property, like First Watch, The Joint Chiropractic and Chipotle have already opened.
Alcoa residents have asked for certain businesses in their community and Assenmacher said city leaders pay attention to the requests.
"Residents have been speaking about what they want and they need to know they're being heard," she said. "We've heard many times they want more breakfast options, so we are able to work with a business like First Watch to get that here."
Assenmacher said citizens can learn more about new developments in Alcoa by attending the city's Planning Commission meetings. Planning Commission meetings are scheduled for the third Thursday of every month.
She said its location in Blount County makes it attractive to people who want to start businesses in the area.
"Alcoa is perfectly situated with over 70,000 daily trips on both the Pellissippi Parkway and the Alcoa Highway," Assenmacher said. "So prime real estate is available for those 70,000 daily trips that are being made."