No brewery?
Despite drawing on door, no such venue planned for business center in Norris
The owners of this strip shopping center along Andersonville Highway at Norris Freeway (U.S. 441) are looking for tenants for much of the property, including the space of the former Hensley’s IGA grocery at the far end. But despite this drawing taped on the door, no brewery is planned for the center. (photo:G Chambers Williams III )
The center, which once housed a supermarket that closed several years ago, now has just two tenants – an Anderson County tax office and a hair salon.
But an artist’s rendering posted on the door at the front of the building showing “D’s Brewery” taking up the space where the IGA market once operated was “just an idea” and not a real tenant, one of the building’s owners said last week.
“Our interior decorator drew that rendering, and our painter taped it on the door,” co-owner Ken W. Seaman said. “We actually haven’t heard anything from a brewery.
“We are going on the market officially,” he said. “There are spaces available from 1,000 square feet up.”
There have been some inquiries from potential tenants, even though the building hadn’t been officially listed until now, Seaman said.
“We have gotten some interest from some gyms,” he said. “They would use the space for workout facilities. Two different ones have inquired, and we haven’t even advertised yet.”
The strip center still has enough space for a supermarket or a variety of smaller businesses, Seaman said.
He and his business partner Dave Moore bought the 3.99-acre property for $1.2 million on Jan. 12 under their business name, 3310 Real Estate Partnership.
The former supermarket space in the unnamed center most recently served as a location for the Tennessee College of Applied Technology, which had been allowed to use the former grocery’s space free of charge.
Still housed in the center is a satellite Anderson County government office that collects real estate taxes and processes motor vehicle registrations and renewals. Next door is The Cuttin’ Corner salon.
Seaman had earlier told the Norris City Council that he and Moore planned to put a secure, climate-controlled indoor storage facility in the approximately 20,000 square feet of space formerly used by the grocery store.
Norris changed its zoning ordinance in March to accommodate such indoor storage in the C-2 commercial zone in which the building lies.
But Seaman told The Courier News last month that he and Moore have decided against opening a storage facility.
He said there is about 20,500 square feet of space where the grocery store was, and an additional 4,000 square feet that had recently been used by the Anderson County High School wrestling team as a training facility.
“Our intention is to find some tenants without going down the storage [facility] path,” Seaman said. “That’s not our preference. We decided we didn’t want to go into business for ourselves.”
Seaman and Moore have made some renovations and performed some maintenance on the building.
He said he hopes to keep the county office and the hair salon in the center, adding, “We’re not pushing anyone out.”
Seaman had earlier released an artist’s conception of a convenience store that he was proposing for the front of the parking lot on the west end, but he said no one so far has expressed interest in building that.
Last year, Seaman had posted several ideas on Facebook for the property.
The post said that “some possible retail options include grocery, auto parts, hardware, cellular service, banking/lending, fitness, coffee shop, pastry/donut/bakery, pet store, entertainment, or outdoorsman store (hunting, fishing, camping and or marine).
“Medical options include chiropractic, health and wellness, walk-in clinic or dentist office.
“The open corner has the potential for a nice sit-down restaurant, a drive-through or possibly a combination thereof. Other options could be a [convenience store] with combo gas and restaurant with drive-through or hospitality.”
Seaman said earlier that the site could be perfect for businesses that could tap into the pool of people driving by on their way to and from Norris Lake, especially those pulling boats.
“It’s a numbers thing,” he said of the financial viability of the revamped center, saying the project depends on whether “we can get the tenants to justify the numbers. We have to have a grocery store, restaurant, or gas station to make it work.”
One key to success, he said earlier, would be to gain approval of Norris, Anderson County and the Tennessee Department of Transportation to open an entrance for vehicles to the property off Norris Freeway, just south of Andersonville Highway.
The only access now is off Andersonville Highway or from the adjacent Anderson Crossing center, which houses a variety of businesses, including a pharmacy, Dollar General store, Mexican restaurant, a pizza restaurant and a sports bar.
Seaman, of Powell, is a longtime executive with REA, Inc., in Knoxville, a heating and air-conditioning company.
Moore is a real-estate agent with Realty Executives in Knoxville.