With the opening of West Town Mall in 1974, business began to drain out of the downtown Knoxville area. The city began to look for redevelopment opportunities, and at the request of the Downtown Knoxville Association, Testerman appointed an advisory committee to conduct a study on the possibility of hosting the 1982 World's Fair. The committee found it to be feasible, but Testerman was not able to oversee the project as mayor, as he was voted out of office in favor of Randy Tyree in 1975.20th Anniversary of the 1982 World’s Fair., accessed on 10 June 2006.
