KCDC Opens RFQ Process to Redevelop Key South Waterfront Site

Knoxville's Community Development Corporation (KCDC), in partnership with the City of Knoxville, has launched a Request for Qualifications (RFQ) process seeking qualified development teams to transform approximately 15 acres along the South Knoxville waterfront, considered one of Knoxville's most significant remaining riverfront sites.

Located directly across the river from the University of Tennessee campus, the site includes 1,400 linear feet of riverfront and comprises six parcels, including 2323 W. Blount Ave., 2547 Scottish Pike and 0 Scottish Pike.

The vision for the site is based on extensive community input emphasizing goals of a walkable, mixed-use development that strengthens connections between South Knoxville neighborhoods, the Tennessee River and downtown Knoxville while offering public amenities like green space and river access. Additional information about the South Waterfront Redevelopment RFQ can be found at kcdc.org/southwaterfront.

"We're excited to move forward to redevelop this site and realize goals shaped by South Knoxville residents and the overall community," said Ben Bentley, CEO and executive director for KCDC. "We're seeking a qualified master developer with experience in urban, mixed-use waterfront developments, ideally multi-story residential with ground-floor opportunities."

Planning began in 2005 when the City of Knoxville initiated a 20-year plan for the revitalization and preservation of the South Waterfront. Since then, the plan has been revised based on community feedback. In 2023, the City and KCDC assisted in the formation of the South Waterfront Advisory and Advocacy Group (SWAAG), made up of nearly 40 residents, business owners and community leaders. Over the past three years, SWAAG has helped guide the project through a series of meetings, roundtable discussions, online surveys and community events. A "Down River" master plan was developed in 2025 and approved by Knoxville City Council in 2026.

"The South Waterfront represents an exciting opportunity to help shape our city's future development," said Mayor Indya Kincannon. "This 15-acre site along the Tennessee River has the potential to become a landmark destination that reflects who we are as a city and where we're headed. We're proud to partner with KCDC to bring this community-driven vision to life."

Public engagement informed the guiding principles laid out in the RFQ, which include celebrating and preserving South Knoxville's unique character, integrating new mixed-use and mixed-income development, expanding public infrastructure to safely accommodate population growth, maintaining the intent of the form-based code and expanding public spaces with opportunities for community gathering, neighborhood amenities and equitable access to resources.

In recent years, the site has supported light industrial uses with a long history tied to textile manufacturing, including Jefferson Woolen Mills. The 1948 Jefferson Mills Addition building remains on the site, and KCDC envisions the preservation and reuse of the building as an integral part of the redevelopment.

Developer selection is a two-step process, beginning with the RFQ, for which responses are due by 11 a.m. on Aug. 7. Submissions will be reviewed and top-ranking developers will be invited to submit detailed development proposals, including land purchase terms, project teams, timeline and other key considerations.

As the redevelopment agency for the City of Knoxville, KCDC works to implement redevelopment initiatives, with a focus on significant and complex sites. KCDC has a long history of successful redevelopment projects including Historic Market Square, Gay Street, World's Fair Park and Jackson Depot.

Redevelopment of the historic St. Mary's Hospital site is underway as is a request for proposal (RFP) process for the McClung Warehouse site on Jackson Avenue. More information about KCDC redevelopment initiatives can be found at kcdc.org/redevelopment.