Existing Land Use
Map 5: Existing Land Use

In terms of acreage, most of the sector is single family residential. Because of environmental constraints and a lack of vacant parcels, there are few opportunities for large-scale land development without consolidation of small lots. Emphasis in the residential areas is on achieving compatible infill housing, protecting the character of existing neighborhoods and making sure that community facilities and the transportation network will continue to meet the needs of an increasing diverse population.

Residential Trends
New residential development is taking place throughout the sector, although not at the accelerated pace that has occurred in the past as the original neighborhoods were forming. Most of the subdivisions are small in scale, many of them are condominium developments.

Office Trends
Most of the office space in the sector is concentrated along Weisgarber Road, Middlebrook Pike, and Clinton Highway. Dowell Springs, a large office/business park on the north side of Middlebrook, has recently been completed and has remaining land available. Office districts are also forming in some areas along the I-40 corridor.

Commercial Trends
Significant retail areas inside the sector include Clinton Highway/Callahan Drive, Clinton Highway/Merchant Drive and Western Avenue near Ed Shouse Drive. Northwest City Sector currently ranks third behind West City Sector and Southwest County Sector for having the largest number of shopping centers.

The largest concentration of retail space in Knox County occurs just outside the sector limits, south of I-40/75. This corridor runs along Kingston Pike, from Sequoyah Hills through Bearden and west past Gallaher View Road. As shopping centers build larger facilities and follow the population growth to the western reaches of Knox County, opportunities for redeveloping older shopping areas with a mix of uses should be explored.

Industrial Trends
The eastern portion of Middlebrook Pike contains the largest concentration of industrial uses in the sector. Approximately 100 buildings from this corridor are listed in MPC’s inventory, totally over 3,730,000 square foot of space. Vacancy rates are low, 4.4 percent in 2001, compared to 7.2 percent countywide.

Table 3: Existing Land Use Total-2003 (By Acres)

Figure 3: Existing Land Use

Figure 4: Residential Building Permits, 1998-2002