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“Meet me at the clock tower at Franklin Square.”

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“Meet me at the clock tower at Franklin Square.”

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Written by Zach England

Wednesday, 27 August 2008

The headlines from the twenty-three year old newspapers are funny. “Retail centers drift further west on Kingston Pike,” one reads. If they had only known! When it opened, twenty-two years ago, the shops at Franklin Square were trendsetters. Lovell Road and Campbell Station were still two lane roads. Grigsby Chapel Road was not paved yet and no one had ever heard of Hardin Valley.

With 50,000 square feet of space, the shops were the latest in shopping for West Knoxville. They were designed by Bill Hodges Construction Company with “a Williamsburg Flair” in mind, and built with brick, dormered windows and wood shingle roofs. Hodges knew the shops were unique, as he believed there was a place for shops without an anchor; a large supermarket or department store. For twenty plus years, he’s been right. To this day there is still no dominant tenant.

The Franklin Square shops are full of small and unique businesses, each catering to the wants and needs of a West Knoxville community that has always been appreciative. Traveling eastbound on Kingston Pike, one is likely to see the trademark forty-foot clock tower first. A minute later and they’re next to The Chop House; a staple of West Knoxville dining for years.

Once inside Franklin Square, the services become quite clear. AlphaGraphics is ready to print for you or your business on a moment’s notice. The Stovall Collection can help you with all of your party invitations and other unique gifts. Closet Solutions specializes in imaginative and yet practical organizing solutions. Renfro Interiors is there to help fill the space in your home or office with elegant furniture, lighting and other fine decorations. In addition, there’s Franklin Gallery for all of your custom framework and art needs.

State Farm Insurance takes care of all of your needs with regard to your home or property. If it’s election season, Sign-A-Rama could be your go-to location for election signs, among many others!

To fit the man for the home, office, or golf course, there is Coachman Clothiers. Coachman Clothiers has been dressing Knoxville’s gentlemen for twenty-six years. If it’s women’s clothing you’re looking for, then visit JP Coffin’s.

Another staple of Franklin Square for over twenty years has been Smart Toys and Books. At 6,000 square feet, it is one of the largest privately held toy stores in the south. Also catering to kids is The Rabbit’s Foot Children’s Shoes and Accessories which is the only local children’s shoe store in the West Knoxville area that sells Stride Rite shoes.

If it’s a little glam, beauty, or pampering that’s on your schedule, there are several locations. Trendz Salon, Salone Divino and Spa 9700 are ready to top every expectation! If it’s jewelry you’re looking for, then visit Eckel and Co. Jewelers.

For the finest services of their kind in Knoxville, Miracle-Ear of Knoxville and The Eye Studio provide the latest in both hearing aids and eyewear. Gene and Belinda Weaver and Dr. Sharon Meikle are the best in town at dealing with hearing loss and vision correction, respectively.

The most unique location in Franklin Square might be Mathnasium. They specialize in making mathematics fun by providing a friendly, interactive environment where the staff customizes each curriculum to the child, from “Pre-K to Pre-Calculus.”

To help one pay for all of this is UT Federal Credit Union. Located closer to Kingston Pike than the bulk of the stores, UTFCU offers a variety of services including online banking, “Green Automobile Loans” and financial educating. Owned by its members, it is one of many locations that were originally chartered nearly forty years ago.

It seems almost unfathomable that Franklin Square has been with West Knoxville for over twenty years, but it has. Between its shops, office space and landscaping, Franklin Square was the first of many imitators in the West Knoxville area. Here’s to twenty more years!