Knoxville

The Gallery at Beaumont Opens in Western Heights: 52 Mixed-Income Units, a UT Clinic and an Arts Center

Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation cut the ribbon Oct. 21 on The Gallery at Beaumont. The W. Oak Hill Avenue building is KCDC’s first mixed-use project, with 52 mixed-income apartments above a UT Medical Center clinic and a relocated city arts center. It is the second new housing phase of

Tracy King

22 Oct 2026 • 5 min read

New mixed-use housing is rising in Knoxville’s Western Heights and Beaumont neighborhoods. Illustrative photo.

Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation cut the ribbon Wednesday, Oct. 21, on The Gallery at Beaumont, a 52-unit building on W. Oak Hill Avenue in the Western Heights area. It is KCDC’s first mixed-use development. The apartments sit above street-level space for a University of Tennessee Medical Center health clinic and a city arts center that is moving into the neighborhood.

The Gallery is the second new housing development completed under Transforming Western. That is the multi-phase plan, built around a federal grant, to rebuild Western Heights and Beaumont with mixed-income housing, parks and services. The first, The Overlook at Beaumont, opened on Jan. 14.

What is inside The Gallery at Beaumont

According to KCDC, the building has 52 one- to four-bedroom units. The main floor of one building holds 15,000 square feet of mixed-use space for the UT Medical Center health center and the arts center. WVLT reported the street-level space will also include an office for the UT College of Education, Health, and Human Sciences.

The clinic will offer primary care, prenatal services and other preventive care, KCDC said. KCDC CEO Ben Bentley tied the clinic to transportation. Many residents in the neighborhood do not have cars, so “to be able to walk and receive that care is a huge deal,” he told WVLT.

Who the apartments are for

Bentley described the income range at the ribbon cutting: “This is mixed-use, so we have 52 units, mixed-income, meaning that anybody from making $10,000 a year all the way to $100,000 a year, there is a place for you in this community.”

The arts center move

The sources name the arts tenant differently. KCDC’s release calls it the Knoxville Arts Center and says it is relocating from its North Broadway location. WBIR describes it as the city of Knoxville’s Fine Arts and Crafts Center, relocating from Broadway. Both describe the same move from Broadway into Western Heights. KCDC said the center will offer visual arts, crafts and dance classes for preschoolers through seniors.

Bentley said the move came from resident listening sessions in 2022 and 2023, where people asked for more access to arts and entrepreneurship.

Transforming Western by the numbers

Item	Figure	Source
The Gallery at Beaumont	52 one- to four-bedroom units, 15,000 sq. ft. mixed-use space	KCDC
The Overlook at Beaumont (opened on Jan. 14)	76 units: 31 subsidized replacement, 30 affordable, 15 market rate	KCDC
Total new housing at full build-out	479 units	KCDC
Total new housing at full build-out	“A little less than 500” new units, plus 232 rehabbed units	Bentley, via WVLT
HUD Choice Neighborhoods grant	$40 million, announced 2022	KCDC
City of Knoxville investment	$26.5 million over multiple budgets	KCDC
Total investment in the neighborhood	About $300 million	Bentley, via WVLT
Expected full completion	2029	KCDC, WVLT, WBIR

There are two small differences between the sources. KCDC’s release says Western Heights was established in 1939, while WVLT refers to “the original 1938 Western Heights buildings.” KCDC gives 479 total new units, while Bentley told WVLT “a little less than 500” newly built units. Those two figures fit together. Bentley’s 232 rehabbed units in the original buildings would come on top of either one.

Who is paying for it

The main funding is a competitive $40 million HUD Choice Neighborhoods grant announced in 2022. The program helps cities replace distressed public housing with new mixed-income housing. The City of Knoxville has committed $26.5 million over several budgets, including major infrastructure upgrades in Western Heights and Beaumont.

For the Gallery phase, KCDC listed Shapiro & Company Architects as architect, J.A. Fielden as general contractor, U.S. Bank as equity partner and J.P. Morgan as lender. Brinshore Development and KCDC are the developers.

For background on the plan’s earlier funding, see Knoxville Adds $4.5 Million to Transforming Western.

What comes next in Western Heights

The next phase is across the street. KCDC said two large parks will include a hillside climbing park, a playground and a splash pad, plus a neighborhood economic center with food service and an entrepreneurial kitchen. KCDC broke ground on that phase July 8. WVLT reported that phase will also host entrepreneurship programs and a Junior Achievement program for Knox County eighth graders.

The plan has three parts. KCDC and Brinshore lead the housing. The City of Knoxville leads the neighborhood work, covering safety, transportation, parks, arts and community cohesion. The Knoxville-Knox County Community Action Committee leads the “people” work, which includes education, internet access, healthcare, youth programs and jobs.

Mayor Indya Kincannon said Western Heights residents “wanted a safe, walkable, vibrant neighborhood with more opportunities to connect with jobs and activities.” WBIR reported she said the city has helped build and permit 10,000 new homes since she took office, including 4,000 affordable homes.

Bentley described the work as a series of steps. “The intent is to transform these neighborhoods based on community input, and the Choice Neighborhoods grant provided the impetus to make it happen,” he said in KCDC’s release. “We continue to break ground and celebrate as the vision takes shape.” The ribbon cutting brought together the City of Knoxville, HUD, the Tennessee Housing Development Agency, the lenders and the building team.

Key dates

2022 — $40 million HUD Choice Neighborhoods grant announced.
Jan. 14, 2026 — The Overlook at Beaumont opens with 76 units.
July 8, 2026 — KCDC breaks ground on the parks and economic center phase.
Oct. 21, 2026 — The Gallery at Beaumont ribbon cutting.
2029 — Expected full completion of Transforming Western.

Why it matters for Knoxville homeowners

Large public investments like this one, with new housing, parks, a clinic and an arts center, change how a part of town looks and works over several years. If you own a home near Western Avenue, Western Heights or Beaumont, keep track of each phase as it opens. Buyers notice walkable services and new parks.

KCDC is also busy elsewhere in the city. See KCDC Board Sets Oct. 29 Vote on Loans, Tax Credits and PILOT for 170 Homes at the Former St. Mary’s Hospital for the St. Mary’s plans, and Knox Planning’s Nov. 12 Rezoning Docket: 12 Units an Acre on South Northshore Drive, a Wooddale Downzoning and a Karns Cluster for the next Knoxville-Knox County Planning docket.

Curious what your Knoxville home is worth with all this change nearby? Get a free home valuation, or request a cash offer if you want to sell on your own schedule.

What is The Gallery at Beaumont?

It is KCDC’s first mixed-use development, on W. Oak Hill Avenue in Knoxville. It has 52 one- to four-bedroom mixed-income apartments above space for a UT Medical Center clinic and a city arts center. It opened on Oct. 21, 2026.

Who can live at The Gallery at Beaumont?

KCDC CEO Ben Bentley said the 52 units are mixed-income, for households making anywhere from about $10,000 a year to $100,000 a year.

What health services will the clinic offer?

KCDC said the UT Medical Center health center will offer primary care, prenatal services and other preventive care, within walking distance for residents.

How many homes will Transforming Western build?

KCDC expects 479 new housing units at full completion in 2029. Bentley told WVLT it will be a little less than 500 new units, plus 232 rehabbed units in the original Western Heights buildings.

How is Transforming Western funded?

The main source is a $40 million HUD Choice Neighborhoods grant announced in 2022. The City of Knoxville is investing $26.5 million, and Bentley put total neighborhood investment at about $300 million.