KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) – The Knoxville-Knox County, Tennessee Metropolitan Planning Commission met with the public at the University of Tennessee Law School on Tuesday evening to discus the future of the Midway Road interchange.

The MPC has accomplished a lot since it was established in 1956. Its chief responsibility since then has been to handle county-wide planning and administration of zoning and land subdivision regulations.

Officials with the commission say one of its biggest failures in that time has been the inability to approve a firm plan for the Midway Road interchange.

Over the years, the MPC has offered a number of plans for the relatively rural area of East Knox County along I-40. Past plans have included building an industrial park and building a commercial center similar to the Strawberry Plains interchange.

MPC officials say in recent years they’ve gained the support of about 90 percent of the property holders around Midway Road. The last 10 percent have remained firmly against rezoning.

"Midway has always been a bone of contention,” said Michael Carberry, comprehensive planning manager with the MPC. “That’s why we wanted to come out and UT Law faculty agreed to serve as facilitators."

Carberry said about 135 acres of the land around the interchange is already zoned commercial and could easily accommodate a “big box” store such as Walmart, however current plans also focus on trucking, industry and office space.

The Tennessee Valley Authority is also rumored to be interested in using land around the interchange for a new power transmission and switching station