The long-vacant Walmart at University Commons may finally trade bulk paper towels for barbells, as the University of Tennessee at Knoxville moves ahead with a plan to convert the empty big-box store into a student recreation center that would also house office and warehouse space. University leaders are slated to present the purchase and renovation proposal to the UT Board of Trustees at its Feb. 26–27 meeting, a crucial checkpoint before any final approvals. If the plan is cleared, the reuse would add room for more fitness equipment and courts while freeing older campus space for other needs.
As first detailed by Knoxville News Sentinel, agenda documents show the University of Tennessee Foundation recorded a December acquisition of the University Commons Walmart, and the university plans to lease roughly 120,000 square feet for student recreation and related functions. The paperwork describes a long-term lease structure in which the foundation holds title while UT would prepay rent and take responsibility for build-out and operations if trustees sign off.
Budget and approvals
State Building Commission materials list an estimated renovation budget of about $9.2 million and identify roughly $1.75 million of initial funding to move the project into design. As outlined by ConstructConnect, the commission cleared the university to proceed with designer selection, and the commission record indicates early funding for the effort per CitizenPortal.ai.
Board vote next week
The University of Tennessee System has posted a public notice that trustees will hold winter meetings Feb. 26–27, with finance and property items on the agenda that could determine whether the Commons plan moves forward. The meeting notice spells out committee times and how the public can view the webcast or request to address the board ahead of the vote, making next week a likely tipping point for the project.
Records and prior reporting also show the UT Financing Foundation has been buying nearby office assets as part of the campus expansion. Property records cited in coverage indicate a TUFF affiliate paid about $20.7 million for the Cherokee Mills complex in late 2024, and trustees will consider master-lease and purchase options for that building alongside the Commons renovation, according to Knoxville News Sentinel.
Where does this fit in campus growth
The Commons conversion is one piece of a broader push to add beds and student services as UT scales up enrollment; the university’s strategic plan targets 41,000 campus-based students by 2030 and calls for more housing and student support facilities. UT has already fast-tracked new residence halls and lists Torchbearer Hall and other projects on its facilities pages as part of that buildout, per UT’s strategic enrollment plan and UT Facilities…