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Starbucks, hotels and more opening on Gay Street

Three hotels, two chocolate stores, a Starbucks and an office space are all working toward opening downtown.

Several new businesses are opening soon in downtown Knoxville, including a Starbucks, two chocolatiers and three new hotels.

These new openings come on the heels of Bliss and Tori Mason Shoes moving from Market Square to Gay Street. The businesses opened their 8,000-square-foot retail space on Saturday, more than doubling the floor space the two businesses had on Market Square.

Bliss and Tori Mason Shoes are now open at 445 S. Gay St. Photo courtesy city of Knoxville. 

The city of Knoxville said a Starbucks will also soon open on Gay Street.

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Two chocolate shops are opening soon downtown. According to the city, a chocolatier named Kilwins will open soon at 408 Gay. St., in the building where Cruze Farm Milk Bar had its pop-up shop this summer.

Knoxville Chocolate Co. will open in mid-December at 29 Market Square, in the building where Tori Mason Shoes was previously located. The business is also opening a location at 141 N. Peters Road.

City officials said the Tombras Group expects to move into the former KUB building at Gay Street and Church Avenue in January. The 50,000-square-foot building has stood empty for more than 16 years, and is undergoing a $10 million restoration.

Renovations are underway to covert the former KUB building into the new Tombras Group headquarters. Photo courtesy city of Knoxville.

Three new hotels are planned within a four-block area of downtown, according to the city. A Hyatt Place is expected to open soon in the former Farragut Hotel building at 503 S. Gay St.

VIDEO: Sneak peek inside new Farragut Hotel

A dual-branded Courtyard by Marriott and Residence Inn is under construction at the intersection of Church Avenue and State Street where the News Sentinel and Journal used to be published. The land has been empty for almost two decades, according to the city.

Construction on the dual-branded Courtyard by Marriot and Residence Inn is underway at the intersection of Church Avenue and State Street. Photo courtesy city of Knoxville.

The final hotel project underway downtown is converting a former bank building in the 500 block of Gay Street into an Embassy Suites. The hotel is expected to open in spring 2019.

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