Circling the block for parking − and sometimes risking a ticket − has become part of visiting Downtown North, the previously industrial Knoxville neighborhood just beyond the Old City where rapid growth and limited spaces are putting pressure on businesses, residents and visitors.
During peak business hours, cars often line Tyson Street bumper to bumper as customers crowd destinations such as Remedy Coffee and the neighboring Paysan Bread & Bagels. It's a similar sight on Jennings Avenue, where RCN Technologies has watched the neighborhood grow outside its windows.
Tyson Street has around 50 designated on-street spots, and Jennings Avenue has around 15.
RCN Technologies, which provides internet solutions, enjoyed a relatively smooth transition
to 200 Jennings Ave. in 2018, Vice President of Strategy and Finance Ben Moser told Knox News. Street parking wasn't an issue for the company's 30 employees near Central Street and Broadway, he said, until Axle Logistics opened its first building at 835 N. Central St. in 2021.
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Axle, which just inked a multimillion-dollar sponsorship patch deal with Tennessee basketball, can accommodate 1,250 employees between its original headquarters and the building it opened next door in 2025. With room to grow, the offices bring around 750 people to work each day, and most employees commute by car.
By the time RCN employees arrive to work, Moser said, most street parking spots are already occupied by vehicles displaying Axle tags. With a limited number of places to park legally, he said, RCN employees are being ticketed throughout the week.
Free parking + no time limit = no pressure to move your vehicle
As the new Axle building was under construction in 2023, the company met with the city to discuss parking and determined that instead of building a new garage, its employees would use a former Knox County Sheriff's Office impound lot on nearby Bernard Avenue.
Tres Markham, director of facilities and campus operations for Axle, told Knox News the company offers a shuttle service between the office and the 500-space parking lot. Combined with the parking spots directly in front of its buildings and lease agreements with the owners of private lots, the company has 760 parking spots at its disposal.
But when Axle employees arrive in the morning and see street parking closer to the office, Markham said, they take it. These on-street spots are free and don't have a time limit − a convenience for workers spending their days in the office, but a growing burden for neighbors and customers at other businesses.
A handful of parking spaces do have time limits, but District 4 Knoxville City Councilmember Matthew Debardelaben said those spots can be hard to enforce. He lives in the area and frequently fields calls from constituents about the parking shortage. It's a positive sign because it signals growth, he told Knox News, but the frustration is understandable.
Debardelaben has asked the office of Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon to conduct a city council workshop to address the parking pressures in the blocks north of downtown. As of Aug. 19, he said, the city has not scheduled one.
Seeking solutions amid Downtown North's growth
Moser is excited about growth in Downtown North, he said, but feels the city has been "short-sighted" and should have anticipated parking pressures years earlier. The historic neighborhood wasn't designed to support parking garages or designated lots for larger employers.
As Knoxville was booming in a post-Civil War industrial economy, streetcars ran down Broadway carrying workers who lived in neighboring suburbs. Today, the neighborhood is home not only to Axle, one of the region's most notable employers, but also to a thriving collection of businesses that draw visitors from across Knoxville.
Breweries such as Schulz Bräu and Yee-Haw anchor the district, while Knox News recently reported that a French restaurant and a barbecue spot are on the way. Coffee shops such as Jacks and Remedy have become neighborhood fixtures, along with bars like Marie's Olde Towne Tavern and the Corner Lounge.
As new businesses have moved into forgotten industrial-era buildings, companies like McCarty Holsaple McCarty Architects have been forced to get creative when repurposing their new homes. The firm recently moved into its headquarters at the Sanitary Laundry site, which has its own parking lot, and has cleaned up the former Bar Marley site to attract a new tenant.
Parking solutions also require creativity. The Sauna House, which opened last summer, reserves a few parking spaces in an alley near the front of its building on Jennings Avenue. If those are occupied, customers have to rely on street parking.
Debardelaben has thought about other options for the area, including short-term curbside parking for grab-and-go customers similar to designated spaces downtown. But as with many urban neighborhoods, he said, visitors may need to get used to parking a few blocks away and walking.
Sophia Tiedge is the growth and transformation reporter for Knox News. Email: sophia.tiedge@knoxnews.com
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville growth north of downtown is causing a parking problem | Exclusive
