5Central

For East Tennessee Community Design Center, we imagined a new use for a storied building in North Knoxville — the former Sears building, originally constructed in 1948. We studied the neighborhood to understand what was missing, ultimately designing a walkable development with five key parts, called 5Central.

First, a new linear park connects Central Street with the existing Baxter Avenue Park, providing new bus stops and market space. A new mixed-use building a the corner of Central and Baxter creates new places to shop, eat, work, and live. The former Sears building becomes a new place to play, with gyms, spas, pools, and childcare facilities. An event hall with a parking structure is a new place to have indoor community gatherings and a basketball court. A cottage-court-style arrangement of duplex units provides additional options for places to live. Ultimately, the proposed development aims to create a pedestrian-oriented zone with a carbon-friendly approach to adaptive reuse of the Sears building.