Johnson City Development (Knoxville, Kingsport, Bristol: live in, train station, association)

[DubbleT]

I started working in JC some time ago and I find it odd that nobody ever mentions the smell there. I don't know how wide spread it is but very frequently in the late evening while driving in from Bristol, on Volunteer pkwy, there is an odd smell on approaching the outskirts of JC, along the car dealership areas. No idea what it is, but it is an unpleasant sort of a sewer smell. And Bristol often smells of oil from the potato chip plant near the downtown area too.

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by DubbleT

I started working in JC some time ago and I find it odd that nobody ever mentions the smell there. I don't know how wide spread it is but very frequently in the late evening while driving in from Bristol, on Volunteer pkwy, there is an odd smell on approaching the outskirts of JC, along the car dealership areas. No idea what it is, but it is an unpleasant sort of a sewer smell. And Bristol often smells of oil from the potato chip plant near the downtown area too.

The worst smell in JC IMO is on 26 between the Roan St. and Unaka exits. You sometimes get a whiff of sewage through there. Downtown has Yee-Haw and several other breweries and that also has a distinct odor on some days. I don't smell the oily deal from Shearer's unless I'm right there by them off exit 3.

Originally Posted by lagoon7

The smell certainly doesn’t help. We live outside of Kingsport and always go to JC when we “go out.”

Kingsport has issues, but what I haven't understood over the past year or two is why it's losing so much in the way of retail, things to do, and restaurants so quickly. There is probably much less "to do" in Kingsport now than twenty years ago. At the time, Kingsport and Johnson City were pretty close in terms of things to do with Bristol a distant third, but over the past ten years or so, Johnson City has blown past Kingsport and now Bristol and maybe even Greeneville have moved beyond Kingsport as well.

Southern Craft BBQ and Aubrey's both had spots in JC/Bristol, and both chose the other city for their second location. Kingsport was bypassed. City leaders have to figure out what is causing these kinds of problems and work to address them - it's a huge hole for the city.

[Rangerred]

Kingsport has issues, but what I haven't understood over the past year or two is why it's losing so much in the way of retail, things to do, and restaurants so quickly. There is probably much less "to do" in Kingsport now than twenty years ago. At the time, Kingsport and Johnson City were pretty close in terms of things to do with Bristol a distant third, but over the past ten years or so, Johnson City has blown past Kingsport and now Bristol and maybe even Greeneville have moved beyond Kingsport as well.

Plain and simple, demographics. This article about a new Colombian coffee shop on W. Market St. specifically points to that being a reason they bypassed Kingsport, even though the owners live in Gate City, VA. Kingsport is fast becoming a retiree community and the city is very open and proud of their drive to attract retirees to Kingsport. While this might be beneficial for population growth, it really doesn't do anything to help the retail/dining/entertainment sectors.

[jjbradleynyc]

Originally Posted by Rangerred

Plain and simple, demographics. This article about a new Colombian coffee shop on W. Market St. specifically points to that being a reason they bypassed Kingsport, even though the owners live in Gate City, VA. Kingsport is fast becoming a retiree community and the city is very open and proud of their drive to attract retirees to Kingsport. While this might be beneficial for population growth, it really doesn't do anything to help the retail/dining/entertainment sectors.

Good article--I'll go by that coffee shop today! Sounds incredible. I love coffee and will visit that one, as well as Bebette's also coming to JC.

Yeah, the state of Kingsport restaurant/retail is fascinating to watch, as businesses continue to bypass it, and go to Johnson City or Bristol, for the more dynamic, Gen X, Millennial or younger, demographic.

Kingsport's downtown bones and density are great, and it has the best downtown in the tri-cities, I think. So potential is there, but downtown is mostly stagnant with energy. Since the new luxury apartments have opened, only one new restaurant/cafe has opened, but it does look very cute/trendy.

Called Munch on Market: https://www.facebook.com/munchonmarket/?ref=py_c

If Kingsport could get more of these types of restaurants, it could keep up a bit with JC/Bristol.

[sprintuser2014]

Sadly new stats for the local GDP rates, jobs, and local economy are pretty bad. I've said it before and I will say it again the Tri-Cities, TN/VA is on a slow death spiral. All of the younger generation is moving to other areas to get jobs. We are only getting a larger older crowd and no real tourism.



https://www.wjhl.com/news/local/road...-a-grim-story/

[MetropolitanTN]

I wonder if it being remote plays a part at all. Its a distance from a significant, major metro area. (Charlotte, Atlanta, Nashville, etc)

[Rangerred]

Originally Posted by MetropolitanTN

I wonder if it being remote plays a part at all. Its a distance from a significant, major metro area. (Charlotte, Atlanta, Nashville, etc)

Maybe, but how do you explain the growth in a region like Northwest Arkansas which is even more remote? The region is close in population to the Tri-Cities and also consists of numerous small and mid-sized cities. There are many other similarities with the outdoor recreation opportunities (Ozarks/Appalachians), presence of a Fortune 500 company (Walmart/Eastman) and a major state university (U of A/ETSU). The difference is Northwest AR promotes itself as a cohesive region and has a unified economic development front. You don't see Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale, and Fayetteville all acting as if the others didn't exist.

[Serious Conversation]

Originally Posted by MetropolitanTN

I wonder if it being remote plays a part at all. Its a distance from a significant, major metro area. (Charlotte, Atlanta, Nashville, etc)

It can't help.

One of the biggest irritants I've been dealing with recently is that it's 1.5-2 hour drive to anything. It's very easy to talk yourself out of a weekend activity or something. If you're used to leaving in a more centralized area, it's a problem.

[Blue Ridge]

Originally Posted by Rangerred

Maybe, but how do you explain the growth in a region like Northwest Arkansas which is even more remote? The region is close in population to the Tri-Cities and also consists of numerous small and mid-sized cities. There are many other similarities with the outdoor recreation opportunities (Ozarks/Appalachians), presence of a Fortune 500 company (Walmart/Eastman) and a major state university (U of A/ETSU). The difference is Northwest AR promotes itself as a cohesive region and has a unified economic development front. You don't see Bentonville, Rogers, Springdale, and Fayetteville all acting as if the others didn't exist.

I will caution that more differences exist than are immediately apparent.

NW Arkansas has:
- Walmart [#1 F500; $514 bil in revenue]
- Tyson Foods [#80 F500; $40 bil in revenue]
- JB Hunt [#354 F500; $8.6 bil in revenue]
- University of Arkansas [$1.19 bil endowment; 27K student body; ~4500 staff]

Appalachian Highlands:
- Eastman [#313 F500; $10.2 bil in revenue]
- Contura Energy [#977 F500; $2 bil in revenue]
- ETSU [$122.8 mil endowment; 14.5K student body; ~2200 staff]

To serve NW Arkansas industries, three of the "Big Four" accounting firms - KPMG, PwC, and EY - have offices in NW Arkansas. The Appalachian Highlands has only one; Deloitte maintains a small (~50 employees) presence in Downtown Bristol. Additionally, several major consulting firms dot the landscape of NW Arkansas.

I say none of this to downplay the area. I grew up in the Appalachian Highlands, I'm relatively young, and I'm a professional. I haven't left. I don't want to live or work anywhere else. I want to see the area grow, and I want to be an active participant and advocate. I'm also a realist. We have a lot of work to do, and those pushing regionalism had best gear up for one hell of a marketing/PR struggle. The "old guard" are going to fight this tooth and nail. But, to your point, anyone with even a modicum of insight agrees that a cohesive approach and united front are crucial.

[jjbradleynyc]

Originally Posted by Blue Ridge

I say none of this to downplay the area. I grew up in the Appalachian Highlands, I'm relatively young, and I'm a professional. I haven't left. I don't want to live or work anywhere else. I want to see the area grow, and I want to be an active participant and advocate. I'm also a realist. We have a lot of work to do, and those pushing regionalism had best gear up for one hell of a marketing/PR struggle. The "old guard" are going to fight this tooth and nail. But, to your point, anyone with even a modicum of insight agrees that a cohesive approach and united front are crucial.

I think Kingsport fights the regionalism idea with everything they have, and in some of the older leader's minds, Kingsport is "the #1 city in Northeast Tennessee." I believe they have a 1970s/80s mindset for this region.

A side note, but I thought it was telling, is Kingsport's illustrated map. This map is currently displayed downtown on the street side of old vacant (such a shame) theater.

You can view the map here:

https://www.kingsportmaps.com/

This map, as it cuts off to point people to where the highways lead, for I-81 north, reads "Roanoke 164," and I-26 east reads "Asheville 82" and I-81 south reads "Knoxville 99."

This is all well and good, and factual, of course, however, it strikes me as very odd that neither Bristol nor Johnson City are indicated anywhere on the map. Wouldn't the sign make mention of JC and Bristol, and have it read: Johnson City/Asheville, or Bristol/Roanoke, or at least indicate those cities are next, beyond the map cutoff? I think this is how Kingsport sees itself--as THE city in the tri-cities, and JC and Bristol are just secondary and not as important.

The tri-cities airport is depicted as "airport" -- leading one to believe it is only Kingsport's, too. LOL

I think it is very telling.