KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (Story courtesy of WVLT) – Knox County property records have revealed a few more details about who purchased the property beloved book store McKay’s sits on.
According to the Knox County Register of Deeds office, Papermill Place LLC purchased the McKay’s property on Feb. 23 for $4.25 million. Papermill Place LLC shares much of the same information, like a principal address and registered agent, with Turkey Creek Hospitality, according to the state’s secretary of state office. Turkey Creek Hospitality developed several hotels across East Tennessee.
Included in Turkey Creek Hospitality’s portfolio is the Holiday Inn Express and Suites located on Papermill Drive, just down the road from where McKay’s sits.
The existing hotel and McKay’s plot aren’t Turkey Creek Hospitality’s only interests in the area, however. Property records also show that the lot nextdoor to McKay’s, the site of the American Car Center building, is owned by Nick Patel, Turkey Creek Hospitality’s president. He bought that space in 2023 for $2.4 million, according to the county.
McKay’s announced Wednesday it would be closing the Knoxville location’s doors after 40 years in business. That said, McKay’s didn’t completely shut down the idea of another Knoxville location, saying the team was “taking time to evaluate our next steps.”
Some have speculated the Union problems could be a reason for the closure.
Just over six months before announcing its closure, the Knoxville McKay’s faced several federal complaints surrounding its relatively recently-formed union.
In August of 2025, the National Labor Relations Board filed complaints against the company for violating federal labor law and union employee rights. Those complaints were first filed by the location’s union, represented by Communications Workers of America. In August, the union announced the complaints had stuck and warranted an investigation from the board.
As of February, several of those allegations are still open, according to the National Labor Relations Board, including:
8(a)(1) Coercive Statements (Threats, Promises of Benefits, etc.)
8(a)(5) Repudiation/Modification of Contract [Sec 8(d)/Unilateral Changes]
8(a)(5) Refusal to Bargain/Bad Faith Bargaining (incl’g surface bargaining/direct dealing)
8(a)(3) Discharge (Including Layoff and Refusal to Hire (not salting))
Specifically, the union accused McKay’s of firing a union bargaining committee member without cause, refusing to bargain with the union at reasonable times and discriminating against unionized employees.
Throughout its existence, unionized McKay’s workers have often been spotted on Papermill arguing that the used book store has refused to help reach an acceptable agreement.
That said, McKay’s announcement came with an explanation saying the store was simply closing because the property’s owner had sold the space. Knox County property records have since revealed Turkey Creek Hospitality bought the space for $4.2 million.
