Closure of popular restaurant marks latest change to South Knoxville's Sevier Avenue area
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A South Knoxville staple announced Monday that it will be closing its doors next month after eight years. One of the owners of Landing House on Sevier Avenue made the announcement on social media, saying 'shabby little neighborhood we once knew is unrecognizable.'
One South Knoxville resident spoke with 6 News about seeing all the changes.
'I think it's good having people move down here but having some apartments built on in some spaces by the waterway, it's been a little frustrating,' resident Eric Thompson said. 'The prices of the apartments are expensive, really driving out and I think gentrifying the area and also polluting the river by destroying the trees over there.'
South Knoxville business fears for survival amid bridge closure, Sevier Avenue project
Like much of Knox County, the growth of South Knoxville has created rising demand for more housing and infrastructure improvements. One of those changes is happening right in front of the restaurant with a roundabout being built to as part of the Sevier Avenue Streetscape Project that began in January.
Thompson said that seeing that business go is sad.
'I've definitely gone there several times, their Pho was amazing,' Thompson said. 'I think one of the things that excited me as a business was they were very queer-friendly and they got a lot of backlash for that. Just seeing a group of people leaving that space and wondering what is going to take its place.'
Thompson said he is excited to see what the future of Sevier Avenue looks like once all the construction is complete.
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'I think even back to transportation and what this is going to look like, it excites me that there is going to be a roundabout I feel like that would be traffic calming,' Thompson added. 'Hopefully when they reopen the Gay Street bridge it will open up a higher density population to be able to walk downtown. I think what is hopeful for me is that we start treating more of Knoxville like a higher density city that isn't car centric.'
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