Knoxville is about to look a lot different. I went through the planning files, county agendas and city announcements so you don't have to. Here's what's actually on the way: thousands of new homes, a major road project, a world rally coming to downtown, and new restaurants in your part of town.
If you live here, or you're thinking about moving here, this is what's going up near you and what it means for your home's value and your commute.
The Big Picture
The numbers: About $2.4 billion in construction and roughly 5,985 housing units are in the pipeline around Knoxville and Knox County.
What's changing: Approvals for multi-unit housing (townhomes, apartments, duplexes) are now running more than 2 to 1 over single-family lots. The county rezoned about 463 acres this year, compared with about 1,023 acres in 2021, so fewer acres are being rezoned, but more homes are going on each one.
Lots are getting smaller: New lots average about half an acre outside the city and about a third of an acre inside it.
My take: If you want a big yard on a new build, that's getting harder to find. An older home on an established lot is starting to look like a better deal.
1. Hardin Valley
The project: A rezoning request (case 10-B-26-RZ) on about 108 acres for up to 434 homes, next to The Haven's 372 homes already planned.
The impact: Planning estimates about 159 new students and roughly 3,900 car trips a day.
What's next: It's scheduled to go to Knox County Commission on November 9.
Hardin Valley schools are already some of the most in-demand in the county. More homes means more pressure on those schools and on Hardin Valley Road at rush hour.
2. Turkey Creek and West Knoxville
Union at Smoky Mountains: 100 income-restricted apartments at 360 Lovell Road, about a $38 million project. The city approved $750,000 toward it on October 27.
I-40/I-75: The state is studying about 17 miles of the interstate through West Knoxville. If you sit in traffic at Lovell Road or Pellissippi, this is the study to watch.
3. Halls
The project: 109 homes on about 40 acres near Norris Freeway and Pelleaux Road.
The concern: More than 1,000 new car trips a day with one entrance. The road currently sees about 1,460 cars a day, and a left-turn lane has been suggested.
What's next: It's scheduled for Knoxville-Knox County Planning on November 12.
Thinking about buying in Halls? See which schools go with which neighborhoods in our Halls High School Zone guide.
4. Powell
The project: Up to 87 homes on 29 acres at 7741 Heiskell Road.
Status: Planning approved it on September 10, with conditions: Granville Conner Road gets widened and a traffic study is required. Knox County Commission still has to vote.
More on the area in our Powell neighborhood guide.
5. East Knoxville: Millertown Pike
About 123 homes on 45 acres off Millertown Pike. East Knoxville is still one of the more affordable parts of the county, and projects like this show builders are betting on it.
6. Transforming Western
This is the big one for the area around Western Avenue and Beaumont, a roughly $300 million project:
About 479 homes in total
Gallery at Beaumont: 52 apartments with a UT Medical Center clinic and an arts center
A 2-acre park with a splash pad and a stage, started in July
A culinary kitchen and a Junior Achievement center, due in 2027
The whole project wraps up around 2029
7. Downtown
100 W. Depot: About 270 apartments, an $83.2 million project.
Chilhowee Park: $10 million in upgrades over five years.
The Muse: A $50 million children's museum project, set to start in January 2027.
Covenant Health Park opened downtown in 2025, and the apartments and restaurants around it keep coming.
8. Rally USA Comes to Knoxville
The World Rally Championship is coming to East Tennessee August 26–29, 2027. It's the first U.S. round since 1988, based around World's Fair Park and the Convention Center, with stages across 15+ counties. Visit Knoxville expects about $75 million in visitor spending.
If you own a home near downtown, expect a busy week, and a lot of short-term rental demand.
9. Oak Ridge and the Jobs Coming With It
Kairos Power: Its advanced reactor project with Google and TVA is aimed to be operating by 2030.
Orano: 300+ jobs.
LIS Technologies: A $1.38 billion project with 203 jobs.
Those jobs land in Oak Ridge, but a lot of those people will buy in Karns, Hardin Valley, Powell and Clinton.
10. Roads
The Alcoa Highway widening is expected to run until spring 2030. If you commute to the airport or Maryville, plan for it.
11. New Spots Opening Near You
Lakeshore Park: The new Hilltop Pavilion.
Biddle Farms: Paris Baguette and Country Burrito, plus 47 new townhomes.
North Central Street: Scruffy Pig at 937 N. Central, and Wells Station at 1617 N. Central, aiming for 2027.
Moonshine Mountain Cookies: Opening its 10th location.
How to Check What's Going Up Near You
KGIS: Look up any address at kgis.org to see zoning and parcels around it.
Knoxville-Knox County Planning: Search open cases and agendas at knoxplanning.org. Signs on the property list the case number.
Share your opinion: You can comment on a case at knoxplanning.org/share before the meeting.
Property records: Check who owns the land next door and when it last sold. A recent sale to a builder is a tell.
How I Decide If an Area Is About to Take Off
Three questions I ask before I'd buy anywhere:
Is there open land nearby that's zoned, or being rezoned, for more homes?
Are the roads and schools already full?
Are jobs, parks or restaurants coming in, not just rooftops?
New restaurants and parks usually push values up. A big subdivision on a two-lane road usually means more traffic before it means anything else.
Want to Know What's Coming Near a Home You're Looking At?
Text me the address at 865-548-7676 and I'll tell you what's planned around it, which schools it's zoned for and what the taxes look like.
Want to browse first? Search Knoxville homes here, or check our Knox County School Zones guide and Best Places to Live in East Tennessee.
Dates and project details come from Knoxville-Knox County Planning, Knox County and City of Knoxville announcements, Visit Knoxville, the U.S. Department of Energy and local news reports as of November 2026. Projects and meeting dates can change.