SEVIERVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A groundbreaking ceremony has marked the beginning of a major new development in Sevier County, set to transform the area with the addition of a luxury resort-style community. Named Smoky Summit, the project will feature a 162-room hotel, 90 short-term rental townhomes, a rooftop bar, and an event hall. Located just behind Tanger Outlets off the 441 Parkway, the development has been in the planning stages for nearly three years.
The project is spearheaded by a group of real estate, hotel, and design professionals, with the goal of boosting the local economy and accommodating the growing influx of tourists to the region. Smoky Summit president, Mohit Mankad, emphasized the effort and patience involved in such a large-scale project. “It does take a lot of effort and patience to come up with this large project,” Mankad said.
Mankad highlighted that the aim is to create a luxurious resort that not only attracts visitors but also benefits the surrounding community. “That was the whole purpose of it,” he explained. “We wanted to go with a luxurious resort so that with the project, our neighbors get benefited indirectly.”
However, the development’s location in a residential neighborhood, off Caton Road, has raised concerns among local residents. Seth Lafollette, a nearby resident, expressed apprehension about the project’s impact on the community. “Tourism is our livelihood, for most people here, and so growing is not necessarily a bad thing, but putting it in a residential neighborhood where there’s no access to the resort from the Parkway is really the big concern,” Lafollette said. He noted that the lack of direct access from the Parkway means resort visitors would need to pass through a residential area, a key issue for many in the neighborhood.
Before the development was approved, residents like Lafollette voiced concerns about the area’s infrastructure being ill-equipped to handle the influx of tourists. According to Mankad, the resort will accommodate approximately 500 vehicles. “I don’t really trust tourists who aren’t from here and aren’t familiar with the area,” Lafollette remarked. “I wouldn’t want to let my two-year-old son walk around on a busy road like this with that much traffic.”
In response to the concerns, Mankad assured that the development will include a city trolley stop, providing visitors with transportation directly to the resort, which would reduce the need for them to drive their own cars.
The townhomes, expected to be priced at approximately $750,000 each, are anticipated to raise property values in the surrounding area. Mankad indicated that the entire development, including the townhomes, is projected to be completed within two to two and a half years. The goal is to have the townhomes finished by fall of this year.
As the development progresses, local residents are calling for further infrastructure improvements to better accommodate the expected growth. Some are advocating for additional measures such as speed bumps to ensure the safety of residents as traffic in the area increases.
The Smoky Summit project is set to redefine the area’s landscape, but it continues to spark debates about balancing growth with the needs of the local community.
