A team of local developers joined together to take on renovations to three separate buildings originally constructed in 1898 which were once the home of the JC Penney Department store. The buildings had been vacant since the 1980’s and were in deep disrepair. However, the buildings offered an exciting opportunity for mixed-use development on the primary street Downtown.
The street level contains restaurants with patio seating, while the remaining upper floors were renovated into seventeen luxury condos offering views of Gay Street from the front and the Smoky Mountains from the rear. The two and three bedroom condos highlight existing, exposed brick walls and heavy timber columns. The condo designs are unique to one another as they were designed around the existing characteristics of the building. Historic photographs were referenced to restore the original architectural details of the façade.
The basement space, large and windowless, was a good match for the future home of Maple Hall Bowling Alley.
Although it had long been an eyesore, the JC Penney building now proudly displays its unique character offering welcoming living, dining, and entertainment opportunities in the heart of downtown Knoxville.
The work shown represents a collaboration with Dewhirst Properties and Hatcher-Hill Properties, Knoxville, Tennessee.