With the construction of the Covenant Health Park and its surrounding development, attention has turned to east Knoxville. In the past I’ve lightly covered the area, from the Parkridge Home Tours to Magnolia Streetscapes, and the Knoxville Botanical Gardens to Open Streets on Magnolia. While I’m not extending my coverage area to every business out Magnolia, there are significant development projects which I think merit coverage as they are minutes from downtown and will expand residential and commercial activity in the area.
One such development is Park City Village, which has announced new condos in a previously derelict set of three buildings at 2724 – 2736, Magnolia Avenue. The development by Courtland Group extends their development footprint further to the east. The group, headed by Jeffrey Nash, has an extensive, decades-long development record. The group developed the historic Keystone Building (209 West Church Avenue) in 1999. Since, they have completed numerous projects, many of which I’ve covered over the last fifteen years, including The Mews, Mews II, the Hubris Building on the 100 block of Gay, The Fifth Avenue Plaza, and most recently, the development at 1201 North Central in Happy Holler.
Less than ten minutes from downtown and the new stadium, the project includes three consecutive buildings which were built, starting in the 1920s, as a residential community. When purchased by the Courtland Group, in 2022, the buildings were mostly empty and seriously deteriorated. Built as apartments 100 years ago, the interior exterior footprint of each of the units will be preserved as they are converted to condos for purchase. The internal arrangement of the walls was reconfigured for modern convenience.
The project will be completed in three phases, and each building represents a phase. The first building includes four floors with six units per floor, for a total of twenty-four. The second building will have twenty-two new homes, and the final building will include ten. The first phase will include completion of the homes inside 2724 Magnolia, with an anticipated pre-sale date in March and opening for first residents in June of this year. They hope to offer the second building for purchase this fall, with move-in dates in early 2026 and phase three to be move-in ready by the end of 2026.
The project will culminate with the completion of the third building and then a fitness and storage facility for all residents, anticipated in early 2026. The first phase includes eight two bedrooms/two-bathroom homes and sixteen two bedrooms/one baths. They range in size from 738 square feet to around 800 square feet, precisely the footprint they were built with a hundred years ago as middle-class housing. Anticipated prices for the initial phase range from $290,000 – $330,000.
The original purchase included these three buildings and a fourth across the street. The fourth is an eight-unit apartment building and all units in that apartment building is rented at a work-force housing rate.
External walls and hardwood flooring have been preserved, while some original architectural touches which had been lost, such as stairwell banisters and interior hallway arches, are being returned based on old photographs. The floors were completely refurbished. Each new home will be furnished with LG appliances, including washer and dryer. The kitchens include farmhouse sinks, quartz countertops, and custom hardwood cabinetry. All heating, cooling, and plumbing systems are completely new.
All windows have been replaced, and the large windows deliver a significant amount of light to each new home. The corner units have “six-to-seven” windows, while the center units have as many as five. Nash pointed out that in the 1920s construction the demising walls (external and those between units and the hallways) were built with cement blocks, meaning very little sound will move between units. He added, “Code required double layers of drywall above each unit . . . what we have done is insulate above the double layers.”
Remnants of original gates in front of each building could be found along Magnolia and those gates are being restored and connected with iron fencing for form a secure environment with keyless entry. The fence will encase the parking lots, providing secure parking. The lengthy frontage between the building and the fence will include dog parks on each end with landscaped trees, seating and grilling areas in between open to all residents. Vehicles for all three buildings will enter via South Hembree Street. Each unit will include a deeded parking spot with the option of installing charging stations for EVs at each spot, as the infrastructure will be in place.
Hedstrom Landscape Architecture (led on this project by Sarah and Lucas) provided the site work and Benefield Richters (Led on this project by Amy and Shane) did the interiors. Benefield Richters also coordinated the project with Hedstrom and the City of Knoxville. Interior design work was completed by Lauderdale Design. Nash said the city had been very cooperative and worked with them to make the project become a reality.
For more information go to the Courtland Group website which will soon have a link to the website for Park City Condos. If you’re interested in talking in more detail about the possibility of purchase, contact Jeffrey DeAlejandro (jeffrey@courtlandgroup.com, 865-387-5067).