Urban Knoxville: Gay Street or Gap Street? There's a big hole that needs to be filled
This week's Urban Knoxville newsletter comes to you from Ryan Wilusz, downtown reporter and urban explorer at knoxnews.com.
Every block matters in a condensed city like downtown Knoxville, where geographical barriers can prohibit outward growth.
One of the most notable barriers is the Tennessee River on downtown's southern edge. The iconic Gay Street Bridge serves as a gateway to Sevier Avenue, which has done just fine on its own in recent years and continues to grow (keep your eyes peeled for 1970s-inspired bar Fly By Night, opening soon).
But entering downtown from the Gay Street Bridge is underwhelming to say the least. There are skyscrapers but little activity and, at the heart of this dead zone, is the underutilized 700 block of Gay Street.
The businesses there don't do much aesthetically to pull people toward what I call the "brick block."
Dazzo's Pizzeria has been a constant at 710 S. Gay St. The pizza is legendary, but it should have been a candidate for "The Scruffy Stuff" episode exploring downtown business logos and signs that could use some work.
Hello Tea House has taken a chance on the block, with bubble tea and "bomb cakes," while Knoxville Soap, Candle & Gifts continues to sell local maker goods. The latest addition is legal THC "dab bar" The Holistic Connection (THC, for short), which could become a downtown destination with the right approach.
But it's not enough in a condensed town where you're competing against entire destination blocks, where popular dining, drinking and shopping take place within steps of each other.
Some people cheered in September when it seemed like the vacant Pryor Brown Garage was at risk of toppling. This historic structure is, perhaps, the biggest cry for help in downtown Knoxville, and the nearby surface lot fronting Gay Street has potential for something much bigger and better.
The good news is there's hope. The buildings at 716 and 718 S. Gay St. were purchased in October 2021 by Manki Investments, the same group now working to reimagine former Old City nightclub buildings as a destination for dining and living near the forthcoming multiuse stadium.
Other buildings on the 700 block are owned by Hatcher-Hill Properties, a prominent Knoxville real estate developer and the same group behind the major mixed-use development planned for the 200 block of Gay Street, long considered one of downtown's most notorious missing teeth.
These two groups have what it takes to make this underutilized part of town something special, but only time will tell – and it could take a lot of it.
While the Old City continues to get the most attention as the stadium project progresses, don't sleep on growth toward South Knoxville, which deserves a better connection from downtown. The 700 block could be the gateway to the gateway – the last big stop before crossing the bridge.
Signing off and staying scruffy, I'm Ryan Wilusz. Cheers to the weekend! You can follow Ryan on Instagram @KnoxScruff and read his latest work by clicking here.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Downtown Knoxville: Gay Street or Gap Street? A big hole needs filling
