Is Elon Musk making good on a 2018 tweet? Records show Tesla opening Knoxville location
Two years after Elon Musk name-dropped Knoxville in a tweet, records show Tesla is beginning work on a location at West Town Mall.
A February leasing document on West Town Mall's website shows Tesla as the tenant of the former Sears Auto Center, an outparcel located on the west side of the property across from the under-construction Dick's Sporting Goods.
In February, permits for the project were filed with the city of Knoxville for electrical, mechanical and plumbing work at the building, located at 216 Montvue Road.
The 24,400-square-foot building will become a Tesla "sales and service" center, according to permit records.
Neither West Town Mall nor Tesla responded to a request for comment.
In late 2018, Musk tweeted Tesla would open several "service centers next year, including Knoxville."
Tesla operates a showroom in Brentwood, a service center in Memphis and about a dozen Supercharger stations in Tennessee, including one at Turkey Creek.
After Knoxville recently completed an update of its rezoning codes, the mall property is zoned C-R-2, which allows for everything from grocers to hotels to auto dealerships.
In late 2017, the Simon Property-controlled West Town S&S LLC purchased the Sears Auto Center property for $10 million, according to Knox County property records. Sears Auto Center closed in 2018.
At the mall proper, crews are still working on Dick's Sporting Goods in the former home of Sears. The mall has not announced an opening date for the sporting goods store.
The Gatlinburg-based Tex-Mex restaurant Loco Burro is opening a location at the mall this summer. It is located in the former Forever 21 storefront next to The Cheesecake Factory and will include a rooftop bar.
Source: Knoxville News Sentinel, by Brenna McDermott
The East Tennessee Economic Development Agency markets and recruits business for the 15 counties in the greater Knoxville-Oak Ridge region of East Tennessee. Visit www.eteda.org
Published March 5, 2021