KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — A new golf-themed entertainment center, ShotClub Social, may soon come to the North Knoxville area. It is expected to include 60 hitting bays, duckpin bowling, an arcade and mini-golf.
The planned facility will be 40,000 square feet, two stories and will have a capacity of around 500 people with around 300 parking spots said Spike McCamy, ShotClub Social's Chief Manager.
The facility, Shot Club Social Knoxville, is being developed by McCamy, a Knoxville contractor, and OnCore Golf, a golf technology company based in Buffalo, New York. OnCore plans on building a similar facility in Buffalo.
The $30 million project has some local businesses and city council members excited for development in a mostly vacant, once-industrial area.
On Tuesday, the Knoxville City Council will vote to approve or deny a PILOT program, which would freeze the property tax on the lot for developers for nine years.
"It's a win-win for this community, this district, as well as for the developer," said Gwen McKenzie a councilwoman. "To me, I'd rather see something here that's going to be productive and that's gonna provide a space for families and individuals to come for recreation and entertainment, rather than have it to be blighted and an unsafe space."
Magpies Bakery on Central Street has had a front-row seat to the growing area.
"It's just wild to me how much this is growing," said Katie Hopper, General Manager of Magpie's Bakery. "Twenty years ago, there was nothing here."
The business said it's benefiting from the booming area. They said they saw an increase of people coming in to buy sweets when Yee-Haw Brewing opened behind their brick-and-mortar. Now, they're hoping a new golf center would do the same.
"As a local business here on this street, we love the opportunity to get more people in this neighborhood than would normally visit this area," Hopper said.
McCamy says if the PILOT gets the green light from the city council, they'll be able to fund the project easier. They hope to be up and running before 2026.