University of Tennessee will open a dining hall in one of the new apartment towers on the Strip
Students living on Cumberland Avenue will soon have an off-campus dining hall, and the partnership will deepen the connection between the University of Tennessee at Knoxville and the Strip.
UT Knoxville will enter into a five-year lease with Core Spaces, the co-developer with Schenk Realty of four huge new student apartment buildings on the Strip. The university will lease a new, 387-seat dining hall that Aramark Educational Services, the university's food vendor, will operate inside Hub Knoxville at 1925 Cumberland Ave.
Core Spaces will build out the 14,662-square-foot space for $586,480. UT will pay over $2.85 million during the entire lease period, or $35,433.17 monthly, with a 3% annual increase. UT will have the option to extend the lease for another five years.
The lease will begin after the building is certified for occupancy.
Details on the Core Spaces lease:
UT approved to spend an additional $3.5 million to equip and furnish the space.
UT will cover part of the cost to operate Hub Knoxville and the retail space in the building.
UT will be responsible for utilities, water and gas.
Core Spaces will insure the building, and UT can self-insure.
UT will have access to 10 parking spaces in the building's parking garage along with one dedicated space.
Core Spaces will provide designs, design development services and construction plans for the build out. UT will work with Core Spaces to review and finalize plans. After UT approves the final plans, Core Spaces will design the space, obtain permits and construct the space.
Aramark will control the facility and operations while following the lease's rules. This will be a separate contract so Aramark can be in a better position to operate and manage the premises.
UT will control student-focused areas by and through Aramark, including student dining, marketing and signs.
If the space isn't ready on time, UT can adjust its payments. UT can terminate the lease if the space isn't delivered 360 days after agreed upon.
UT can terminate the lease anytime during the five years with a 120-day notice.
Knox News reached out to UT about the dining hall's functionality, and a UT spokesperson is working on acquiring the information.
The UT System Board of Trustees approved the lease at the annual meeting June 25 along with a reappointment for Randy Boyd, a historic renaming of a college, tuition increases and a lease for the Southern Railway Depot.
UT will seek approvals for the Southern Railway lease from the Tennessee State School Bond Authority and the State Building Commission, with plans to move into the smaller baggage building in spring 2025 and the larger terminal building in fall 2025.
Core Spaces moving full steam ahead on Cumberland Avenue development
The first phase of Hub Knoxville includes two buildings, with the dining facility planned for the first building. Juneau Construction has completed construction on the structure with just the interiors left. Core Spaces and Schenk Realty will open this phase in June 2025.
The first building will have a rooftop deck with a pool, a hot tub, a coffee shop, a basketball court and grilling spots, which will be open to every Hub Knoxville resident regardless of the building.
The third building will open in 2026 as phase two for Hub Knoxville.
The last phase of Hub Knoxville will be a fourth building that won't begin construction until spring 2025. It will be seven stories tall at 1801 Cumberland Ave.
Keenan Thomas is a higher education reporter. Email [email protected]. X, formerly known as Twitter @specialk2real.
Support strong local journalism by subscribing to knoxnews.com/subscribe.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: University of Tennessee will open dining hall inside Hub Knoxville
