During initial public meetings, residents identified issues of importance to their community. They discussed the East City Sector’s major resources, along with constraints to development, changes taking place in the community, and adjacent sector land uses. Residents stressed that many of the issues influencing the sector are a result of property located slightly outside of the planning boundary, and MPC staff carefully reviewed the broader area when creating the land use plan.

Critical Issues

• Encroachment of commercial uses
• Need for neighborhood conservation
• Lack of parks and open space
• Deficiency of sidewalks
• Limited pedestrian access to commercial areas
• Need for greenway connections
• External influences (transition of properties contiguous to the East City Sector)
• Need for increased investment in neighborhood schools
• Redevelopment of vacant buildings and brownfields
• Need for adequate supply of office space in appropriate locations
• Need for stronger regulations
• Need for better enforcement of zoning and codes
• Slope and scenic vista preservation

External Factors

• Farmer’s Market
• Forks of the River Industrial Park
• Adjacent riverfronts and watersheds
• Knoxville Center Mall
• Downtown Knoxville redevelopment

Major Resources

• Proximity to I-75, I-40 and I-640
• Good arterial highway system, including Asheville Highway/ Magnolia Avenue and Rutledge Pike
• Municipal and private golf courses
• Knoxville Zoo and Chilhowee Park
• Well-established neighborhoods and active community groups
• Holston and Tennessee Riverfronts, Fort Loudoun Lake
• Scenic vistas
• Significant historic sites

Development Constraints

• Steep slopes, including Sharp’s Ridge, Marble Hill
• Flood prone areas, including First Creek, Williams Creek, Tennessee & Holston River Floodway
• Sinkholes
• Public transportation rights-of-way: rail and interstate
• Limited amount of undeveloped land, few large parcels remain

Significant Changes Since Last Update

• Increased pressure for residential areas to be rezoned to commercial
• Designation of Empowerment Zone
• Chilhowee Park/Zoo redevelopment
• Closure of important commercial and manufacturing facilities such as Levi Strauss
• Stabilization of the population count, reversing a 20-year trend of decline

Forks of the River Industrial Park is directly adjacent to the East City Sector. The park provides job opportunities for East City residents, but also adds traffic and is in need of upgrades, including better access to the interstate.

Many of the issues influencing the sector are a result of property located slightly outside of the planning boundary, such as the Knoxville Center Mall.

The East City Sector is rich in history and contains dramatic vistas, such as this one along the Tennessee River.

The East City Sector has good arterial highways and easy access to the interstate system.