Emerald Youth Foundation to Purchase Five Points Property to Expand East Knoxville Ministry Impact
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. – Emerald Youth Foundation (Emerald Youth) has been serving thousands of city young people for 35 years through faith, learning and health programs, and specifically in East Knoxville since 1996. Now, Emerald Youth has entered into a purchase agreement with Eternal Life Harvest Center’s (ELHC) community outreach arm, Eternal Life’s Restoration Outreach (ELRO), to purchase ELRO’s property at Five Points, a site with a deep history of Christian community investment.
The announcement was shared at today’s Emerald Youth Prayer Breakfast with more than 1,800 guests from across the city in attendance.
Emerald Youth envisions Knoxville as a city where every child in every neighborhood can live the full life Christ intended. The location will allow Emerald Youth to expand its ministry presence in East Knoxville to raise up a large number of urban youth to love Jesus Christ and become effective leaders who help renew their communities.
The proposed property consists of five parcels located on Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, adjacent to Walter P. Taylor Homes and convenient for students at Austin-East Magnet High School, Vine Middle Magnet School, Green Magnet Academy and Sarah Moore Greene Elementary School.
“Having lived and served in East Knoxville for nearly 50 years, I am thrilled about this potential ministry opportunity for Emerald Youth to continue to provide children and families with faith, learning and health programs in the Five Points community and beyond,” said Rev. Dr. Harold Middlebrook, who chairs Emerald Youth’s East Area Community Engagement Committee.
“I am so grateful to the members of our East Area Community Engagement Committee, and Steve Diggs, for their hard work and commitment over the last few years. It is a privilege to serve alongside them,” he said.
The Emerald Youth East Area Community Engagement Committee, comprised of the following members, has continued to invest time and leadership in support of Emerald Youth’s ongoing ministry in East Knoxville and across the city:
Mayor Daniel Brown
Kaylin Chesney
Elvyn Davidson
Cynthia Finch
Cicely Henderson
Shantary Inniss
Andrew J. Jackson
Rev. Dr. Harold Middlebrook, Chair
Alvin Nance
Dennis Upton
Eric Washington
John Wright
After connecting with hundreds of neighborhood stakeholders and engaging with residents for the last several years, it became clear the East Knoxville community desired to see a youth development center in this part of the city similar to the Haslam-Sansom Ministry Complex in Lonsdale.
Moving forward, Emerald Youth will continue to engage with parents and young people in East Knoxville, including residents and neighbors in the Five Points community.
“Over the last several months, we have looked at properties that would allow us to deliver on the vision we believe God has given us for East Knoxville youth and families,” said Emerald Youth President and CEO Steve Diggs. “We are encouraged and excited about this opportunity, which brings us one step closer to seeing that vision become a reality.”
Renovations would need to be made to the existing buildings. While architectural renderings are still taking shape, the reimagined facility is set to feature dedicated space for Emerald Youth's after-school programming for elementary and middle schoolers, a dynamic college-style academic learning center for high school students, a full gymnasium, flexible meeting rooms and much more.
The first phase alone will represent up to a $25 million investment – one of the most significant private investments in East Knoxville proper in many decades.
Additionally, under the leadership of Governor Bill Lee, the State of Tennessee has approved a $9 million allocation toward the project.
For ELHC and ELRO, the potential sale represents the culmination of a long and faithful investment in the Five Points community. ELRO purchased the Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue property in 2007 with a vision to bring transformation to the neighborhood. Over the years, the site became a hub of service including hosting food pantries, clothing giveaways, a warming center, community crusades and youth events that drew thousands of East Knoxville families.
ELHC views the potential sale to Emerald Youth not as an ending, but as a handing of the torch – placing the property in the hands of an organization that shares its heart for serving young people, families and the broader East Knoxville community.
ELHC’s Bishop Evans Kariuki agrees the facility would continue to be a blessing for East Knoxville.
“Our vision at Eternal Life Harvest Center is to see people restored, made whole and empowered to go back and impact the lives of others,” Kariuki said.
“The growth and spiritual maturity of young people is critical to the well-being of our city. We see this opportunity in Five Points as a way to help children become ‘oaks of righteousness,’ as Scripture says in Isaiah 61. We firmly believe God has orchestrated this plan. While we have entered into a purchase agreement to sell the physical property to Emerald Youth, we remain committed to investing in this community moving forward,” he said.
The ministries share a conviction that this moment is a win for Eternal Life Harvest Center, a win for Emerald Youth Foundation and above all a win for the young people and families of East Knoxville.
Emerald Youth Foundation is thankful for the legacy Eternal Life Harvest Center built at Five Points and trusts that God has great things in store for city children and families in 2026 and beyond.
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About Emerald Youth Foundation
Emerald Youth Foundation (Emerald Youth) is a Christian, urban youth ministry serving more than 3,500 children, teens and young adults each year in the heart of Knoxville, Tennessee. Emerald Youth’s vision is expressed in John 10:10: “I came that they may have life and have it to the full.” This motivates Emerald Youth and gives shape to decisions about the ministry’s work in city neighborhoods. Emerald Youth’s mission is to raise up a large number of urban youth to love Jesus Christ and become effective leaders who help renew their communities. Since 1991, Emerald Youth has worked to support Knoxville’s young people and families and prepare generations of Godly community leaders. Emerald Youth aims to help young people develop along a trajectory that includes life-giving outcomes in faith, learning and health; developing into and becoming community leaders; and securing gainful employment in work that allows them to provide for themselves and their families. For more information, visit emeraldyouth.org.