Knoxville Center

This morning, Knoxville Center Mall will close in the new year. The mall owners made that announcement earlier today and it comes after a decade of decline at the mall. It first opened in July of 1984 as East Town Mall and years later it saw its first anchor store, Dillard's, leave in 2008 during the recession. Today we counted just 12 stores or businesses operating inside. The bell is the last big box store at the mall. Last month it announced that it will close later this year along with signature diamonds. The mall will officially close January 31st of 2020. Of the 12 stores still open in the mall, many of them only cater to a niche market. The mall is full of abandoned storefronts. One of the only major businesses still open is Regal and it took down its sign earlier today. An employee tells us theater will be closing tomorrow. Now, though Knoxville Center may be closing the area around it, it seems to be booming. There are more than a dozen big name storefronts surrounding the East Town shopping area and customers are still walking through their doors. We're talking Target, Marshall's, Home Depot and Coals just to name a few. And just today, Knoxville's newest Aldi grocery store held its grand opening near that mall on Millertown Pike. And you can see people braving the rain to show up and shop. Their And even though Knoxville Center has been in decline for years along with other malls nationwide, there are other shopping centers in East Tennessee that are thriving. The business and activity at West Town Mall in Knoxville and Foothills Mall in Marival is a stark contrast to Knoxville Center. But Knoxville Center has had years of troubles as businesses leave. Ten years reporter Cole Sullivan has new information about the owner's debts. And what could be next for this soon to be vacant signed? The mall's owner paid half a million dollars in back taxes late last year. But now they're behind hundreds of thousands of dollars in 2018 taxes and 2019 is due just around the corner. Inside the practically empty Knoxville Center Mall, the last sales are over even before the doors close for good. Employees say today is the end for the Regal Theater. Belk's final closeout comes in a couple weeks. Foot traffic these days is a far cry from the mall's open 35 years ago and the bills are adding up for the mall's owner. Ten News has learned nearly a year after paying more than half a million in back taxes, the mall is behind again. It owes a quarter million to the city and another quarter million to the county. Two federal lawsuits seek a million dollars in unpaid security, maintenance and janitor bills. And records show it's been behind on electric bills too. Leaves falling at the old Morristown College property isn'the only sign the times are changing. This isn'the first time owner Brent Enderley has faced trouble with a property. In 2016 the city of Morristown bought this abandoned school site of his that had fallen into disrepair. Were disturbed by a lack of progress that was being made with the previous owners. Now the candidates for Knoxville Mayor are trying to find a path forward for the mall. Maybe there's room for a retail store or two, but more As the mall itself goes out of business. There's a huge demand in the community to have that be a prosperous place to go. We reached out to the mall's owner. A colleague told me he's out of the country and not taking any phone calls. Back to you. Thank you Cole. And as Cole reported many people are already talking about the future of that mall property. Here's what some of you had to say through our WBIR Facebook page. Laura suggests a multi-purpose space with shops, restaurants on street level and housing on the floors above. Janie says she thinks the building a homeless shelter there would be a wonderful idea. And Greg says the area would be a great location for a hospital or tra You can continue to share your ideas for the property's future. Just And we return to folks voting in the poll about what the future should be and whether it'sad to see it go. Most of you saying yes. It's a little sad to see it go now. You can continue to vote more than a hundred of you have right now. And right now in the WBIR app you can read more about the full history of the Easttown Mall. Including the timeline of the decline of the mall. Check out more about the potential future for Easttown. And watch the grand opening video of the mall back from the 80s.