Yesterday we looked at the new stadium construction, as well as the commercial buildings under construction beside it. We also looked at the completed demolition of the garage on State Street. Today we’ll look at two construction sites, a demolition just getting underway, and a very expensive base awaiting its crown jewel.
First up, Axle Logistics continues moving rapidly on their construction at 854 North Central Street, former home of Brown Appliance. The new building, projected to be completed early next year, will offer office space to 900 employees. Designed by DIA and with construction by Merit Construction, structures have started to come out of the ground, and we’ll see this four-story building moving upward soon. A recent ribbon cutting on the project seemed a bit late for this project that is well underway.
Switching over to demolition, the first signs of demolition are showing at the former Public Safety Building on Howard Baker Jr. Avenue. The Knoxville Police Department vacated the building in June of 2023 after being located there for about sixty years. Court functions served there have moved out earlier. The KPD are now housed at the Public Safety Complex on Huron Street, formerly the site of St. Mary’s Hospital.
The primary signs of demolition at the old site (across from the Civic Coliseum) are the piles of scrap which have been removed from the interior. The site is also fenced. Given that demolition is proceeding, and someone is paying for that, it appears the Science Museum proposed by Jim Clayton is moving forward. To that end, we hope to have an update soon.
From there, we move our gaze to the 200 block of Gay Street, long empty due to the construction of Summit Hill Drive and the choice of making the west side of the block into a parking lot. For many years, retail on the 100 block has struggled and one theory is the visible and spatial disconnect produced by Summit Hill Ave. and the missing two hundred block. Two projects look to bridge the gap and make visitors feel there is a reason to continue walking past the Visitor Center.
In the shorter term, that would be the pending sculpture to be placed on the eastern side of the block in The History of Country Music Park. While there had been a marker in the park before, and some years ago a small sculpture of a treble clef, there has been nothing there in recent years that would draw eyes and feet in that direction, moving them closer to the shops and restaurants on the 100 block of Gay Street.
The pedestal for the massive work, Pier 865, planned to anchor the spot is in place. While I seem to recall the installation was planned for December, it seems likely for spring. Landscaping will follow (the spot has taken a beating from all the large equipment), with a completed park likely for the summer.
The bigger project is underway on the western side of the block, where delays caused a long period of apparent inactivity. Now, Lone Tree Pass (originally called Caldonia Pass) is rising out of the ground. After extensive planning and construction below ground (major soil issues) delayed the project, the footers are now in place and a wall stands watch over the site. A small wall, but a wall, and a beginning.
The project, slated for a 2025 completion, will provide housing for forty-nine individuals or families. Additionally, 22,000 square feet of commercial space will front the 200 block of Gay Street and a commercial corridor through the center of the two planned buildings. When opened, it will represent the largest single infusion of new homes into the downtown market in three years — since the opening of Stockyard Lofts added 152 new units in March, 2022.