News Releases

Feb 05, 2007
Northshore Town Center Has Desired Approvals to Move Forward

Northshore Town Center developer, James Doran Company, is ready to move forward with the construction of the remaining phases of the $250 million mixed use development in West Knox County. “From the beginning, we were determined to build a quality town center just as we’ve done with Winter Springs Town Center in Winter Springs, Fla.; Downtown Daniel Island in Charleston, S.C.; and Winterfield Village in Richmond, Va. The people of Knoxville and its elected officials expect nothing less from us than what we promised,” said Shane J. Doran, president of the James Doran Company based in Charleston, S.C.

Although the cost to JDC was greater by waiting for certain approvals, the company was willing to wait. “We’re not willing to sacrifice the quality of this one-of-a-kind development in the region by throwing up retail and commercial structures without a comprehensive, cohesive land plan in place, including the slip ramp, that integrates all mixed use components in an urban setting” Doran said. Northshore was waiting to obtain necessary approvals from state and federal highway authorities to build the desired slip ramp from the Pellissippi Parkway into the project.

The south-bound ramp is intended to relieve some of the traffic congestion at the intersection of Pellissippi Parkway and Northshore Drive and will allow direct access into the Town Center. Since the project inception, JDC has been working with the Tennessee Department of Transportation and the Federal Highway Administration to secure the necessary slip ramp approvals. “This approval is extremely important to Northshore Town Center,” said Eric R. Smithers, executive vice president of operations and marketing for JDC. “Since we now know the exact location of the slip ramp, we can begin to accurately configure the layout of commercial and office components, as well as proceed with leasing and construction,” said Smithers. In public meetings held by JDC early on, traffic was a prominent concern of residents living in the area

The slip ramp and improvements on Northshore Drive planned by JDC are aimed at mitigating the traffic congestion already present in the area. Northshore Town Center is being developed as an upscale destination combining shopping, dining, entertainment, offices and residences in a true neighborhood environment. Pedestrian-friendly streets and sophisticated architecture will re-create the feel of a traditional urban downtown setting. In order to obtain the true essence of the town center feel, JDC has spent the better part of the past two years building infrastructure, including a comprehensive drainage system and moving approximately 1 million cubic yards of dirt to reshape the entire property from a series of steep hills into a pedestrian-centered environment that will be the town center’s signature

. Shaping the land into such an environment however, comes with a cost in terms of both money and time. “Certainly, we have had some significant delays in addition to waiting for approval of the slip ramp. We are developing an area that gets an average of 127 days of rain annually,” said John A. Henry, executive vice president of development, leasing and sales for JDC. “That is 254 days over the past two years where work has either slowed or completely stopped, not to mention days needed for drying out. Given the complexity of mixed use development in general, coupled with the weather conditions in Knoxville, we knew from the outset that this project would take several years to complete.”

In February last year, the company acquired an additional 15 acres of land adjacent to the main portion of the project and is currently developing The Village at Northshore Town Center as the first commercial phase of the project. “Configuring The Village was not dependent on approval of the slip ramp, so we were able to proceed with that phase of the town center once we acquired the property. It is no coincidence that the first phase of the project did not require significant earth work or federal approvals, ” Henry said. Founded in the late 1800’s in Charleston, S.C., James Doran Company is a privately-held real estate development and investment company that focuses on high-end, mixed-use developments throughout the Southeast. Today, the company creates thriving communities that incorporate retail, residential, office, leisure and entertainment venues in what is called the ‘new urban village’ style.