I know some people who just moved in there. I bet they're bummed.

The location is perfect for them since it is centrally located with sidewalks and easy access to grocery stores, drug stores, etc.

Not to mention being at the west end of the Third Creek Greenway, a bicycle boulevard to downtown.

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The Home

I would assume that people who live there sign a lease. That sets the terms of what you pay and for how long. The idea that someone would buy the building, spend millions improving it and then eat the expense and lose money is crazy. The world doesn't work that way.

I live in the area and while I could be wrong (and often am) I don't see a lot of elderly going in and out of that building. I see far more at Cagle Terrace.

Access to Third Creek is indeed wonderful. I park near the abandoned Bi-Lo and walk that trail a couple of times a week. Plus there's a new Mexican restaurant about to open in the center.

Plus there's a new Mexican restaurant about to open in the center.

Bet the rent's pretty good there.
~m.

Yes, it is essentially empty. Glad to see the new restaurant coming in. Bi-Lo tried to enter the market and failed. When they pulled out they sold to Food City, which had a well established store already nearby. While it seems a shame to have it sit empty, an abandoned grocery store is not an easy space to fill. Given that it is fairly new, it becomes too expensive to buy it, tear it down and start over...you spend a lot of money for something you tear down. Luckily most of the ex Bi-Lo stores (Deane Hill, KPike near Ebeneezer) were converted to Food Citys. It's a tough problem to solve.

There's also a big empty Bi-Lo in Halls, soon to be an abandoned Wal-Mart in Halls, and of course, we can't forget the abandoned Target in Fountain City and the abandoned Circuit City beside Knoxville Center Mall. These are just a few I'm familiar with, I'm sure others could list many more.

It's a real shame that we allow this to happen and worse, that it somehow gets spun as "economic development" when we let them move from one place to another with no consequences for leaving behind a big empty box.

As I've said before, both the Bearden Bi-Lo and Fountain City Target represent a real opportunity to do an anchor type development that will either establish a true "town center" or strengthen the historic one that currently exists. At one time, during the "Bearden Village" planning awhile back, there was talk of zoning changes similar to the form zoning approach being applied to the South Waterfront and Central/Broadway but the business community was lukewarm to the idea and it never gained traction. Which was too bad, if you ask me. In the interim, there have been several new developments and refurbs done in the area. And, while they certainly look better, they're still essentially strip malls behind those new brick veneers.

It's a problem, no doubt. You get some that are great re-uses: Nova in South Knoxville, Comcast on Asheville Highway. But there are more empty ones that re-filled and re-used ones, no doubt. I'm hopeful that the Bearden one has a big enough footprint to do some sort of mixed-use, but again..the cost of something recently built makes buying it and tearing it down very difficult economically. Lisa has some valid points...but in some cases, like Bi-Lo, someone just tried to enter the market and failed. No question as a community we need to try and find a better way to re-use these buildings. The Walgreens converted to a library is a great piece of design. It can be done.

The same thing has happened through the years in other places out west, the Raillery and others were redone and rents were raised. The Carlton has always been quite reasonable for a apt. bldg with a roof top pool. I sued to live near it and like the atmosphere. I guess its got to keep up with the downtown luxury rents.

We have a branch of El Mezcal in Farragut -- it’s my favorite Mexican after the one by Toys R Us. I used to go there once a week before I became more health and money focused. It's like a local pub. I always bumped into someone I know. At first they struggled, because most of the staff didn't speak English -- but everyone learned to communicate and business is always healhly. One of the few restaurants in Farragut that does well.

This discussion is very interesting about the big boxes. I am frustrated with seeing all these open spaces and new stuff being built -- and I am in commercial real estate. I would love to hear what the needs are for those communities with the big spaces. On the school overcrowding issue, we need to think out of the box and possible use some of the buildings as temporary classroom spaces -- before we decide to spend money to build new schools. I hear Halls is having an overcrowding problem. We need to convince the elected officals it is okay to lease. Many state government offices are leased and they don't have the expense of upkeep on the buildings.

I know that a health club looked at old Food City/Bilo space. Do you think that is a good spot for one?

Generally, if a grocery chain is still paying on the leases which is this case -- they will not allow a grocery store to come in. So you have to find another tenant who needs similar amount of space. It's costly to sub divide.

So much of the empty space you see is still paying rent to the owners until their leases run up which can be ten years or more. The tenant has the right to sublet. Since the money is coming in, the owner generally doesn't look for the replacement tenant. Most of the tenants don't want their competition in the area so they would rather pay the rent and leave the space vacant. That is way we need new uses like Comcast and Nova for these spaces.

I heard last week Target is not happening on the Sherril property by Cedar Bluff.

Pamela

Ever heard of Sprawl-Busters...

(link...)

In a 2000 article on (link...) ....

"Wal-Mart is one of the worst offenders. According to the latest tally from Sprawl-Busters, an organization that helps communities fight superstore sprawl, the United States is home to 380 empty Wal-Mart stores."

So I assume the number might be significantly larger now.

Also...

"Most abandoned stores remain vacant for many years. The buildings are unsuitable for much besides big-box retailing. National retailers generally prefer to maintain the lease rather than let the property fall into the hands of a competitor."

Bizgrrl, to answer your concern as the developer of The Carlton Towers we will be doing everything we can to accomodate any of the elderly folks (which there are actually only a few now, about 8-9% of the total population) that are there, even in providing assistance from a time and resource standpoint at our expense should they need to move to other housing. Your position that they will be put on the street in the name of gentrification is not true in the slightest, we plan to care for these folks in every way we possibly can.

Wow I lived there back in 1966 with my Family and rent for a
One bedroom unit was $200.00 a month and that was a hefty rent.
the pool on the roof of the building was big fun.