New Mountain Mile Mall

For decades, one of Pigeon Forge's claims to fame was being an outlet center shopper's paradise in the Southeast with quite a few outlet shops, strips and malls. One of those malls that was a favorite for visitors and locals alike was the Belz Mall on Teaster Lane with its unique look, design and memorable selection of stores. Writing on it is somewhat like writing a thesis on consumer nostalgia with Kay*Bee Toys, Foozles Books, Vitamin World, Movies 4 Sale, Music 4 Less, TCBY Yogurt and more that occupied it in its heyday. Sadly, all good things must come to an end and the Belz Mall, let's come right out and say it, had been in decline for more than 10 YEARS. Probably the slowest attraction decline we'd seen in the area for a generation.

And just as all good things come to an end, all things are eventually reborn new into the world with great potential ahead of it. Enter the Mountain Mile Mall in Pigeon Forge, a new development and undertaking that will replace the previous property from the ground up. From their website:

"The Mountain Mile & Tower Shops is an unprecedented development project which will completely reshape the retail, restaurant, lodging, and attraction scene of Pigeon Forge and the region. With over 1 mile of road frontage and 174+ acres in total, this will be a project of national significance. It is located along Teaster Lane and Jake Thomas Blvd in the heart of Pigeon Forge, surrounded by the $22.5 million Cal Ripken Experience baseball tournament park, the $42 million Leconte (convention) Center, and “The Island”, a 300,000 sq. ft. hotel/restaurant/retail destination including Jimmy Buffet’s Margaritaville and Paula Deen’s Kitchen…all just minutes from Dollywood!"

Indeed, this will be an impressive project that will further conglomerate and link together several noteworthy attractions together - Mountain Mile, The Island, LeConte Conference Center, the Old Mill, The Track and the Cal Ripken Baseball Field among potentially some others.

Construction is only yet beginning (which is tearing down the old mall building), but we have much to expect already. This includes:

* Shops, obviously.

* Sports bar.

* Gastropub.

* Arcade.

* Bowling Alley.

And the big item being touted currently is the "Mountain Monster", which will be a 200-foot tall tower that will occupy several rides of some form. Not much is known or said about it beyond that, but with recent excellent developments that have taken place in the county over the last few years, we have great confidence it will be something to truly behold!

Keep up to date on Mountain Mile news CLICK HERE