Northgate Development

Barber McMurry worked with the East Tennessee Community Design Center to develop a conceptual master plan for Northgate — reimagining a development along North Broadway.

The area is reimagined as a vibrant new neighborhood connected by a perimeter greenway, or in this case, a PINKway. The PINKway connects a walking path along the creek to a new bike lane along Broadway. Separated by a green median, the pink bike lane nestles against an enlarged sidewalk to protect pedestrians as they enjoy shopping and dining. The PINKway also connects to a proposed library and maker space within a proposed Maker District — which would give existing industrial buildings new life, providing artist spaces and resources for Knoxville’s creative community. 

The north end of the site introduces three mixed-use developments that provide inner public courtyards for restaurants and extend the proposed community plaza inside. The street-facing façade provides retail opportunities. By day, the courtyards act as urban greenspace, providing outdoor seating for restaurants and extending the Broadway Square inside. At night, these courtyards become available to the public as rental space for events.

The community plaza connects the adjacent new developments with a large open space, suitable for farmers’ markets, performances and community gatherings. The plaza also features a large pavilion with solar panels and cisterns to harvest rainwater and sunlight, as well as permeable pavers to help mitigate stormwater. First Creek Greenway is transformed into a community asset with parks, playgrounds and gardens.