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Building from the 1920s and former home of a Sterchi brother could be demolished soon

The building is located at 2651 East Magnolia Ave. and may be replaced with a new one-story, high-security parole office.

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — In the late 1880s, two brothers founded a business that would fill the homes of people across Knoxville, and across the world, with all kinds of newly manufactured furniture. One of the brothers who founded that operation, W.H. Sterchi, had his home in the city.

Now, his former home faces demolition around a century after it was built. That home is located at 2651 E. Magnolia Ave. and Knox Heritage said a demolition permit application was filed with the city's Plans Review and Inspections Division on June 20. It would be demolished to build a new one-story, high-security parole office leased to the Tennessee Department of Correction.

The newly built structure would allow the department to relocate from its current location at 1426 Elm St., according to a release from Knox Heritage.

Originally, it said plans for the building called for its preservation and reuse. However, Knox Heritage said as work on those plans continued, a fire broke out at the building during the fall of 2022. 

Credit: KFD

"Though Knox Heritage has not been able to conduct a site visit, the damage does not appear to be catastrophic from the exterior. The property is also eligible for federal historic tax credits, a program that incentivizes adaptive reuse of underutilized historic buildings," Knox Heritage said in a release.

Instead of being preserved and reused, Knox Heritage said it now faces being demolished altogether. It said the building was highlighted in the Planning Commission's 2009 Magnolia Avenue Corridor Plan as a historic resource.

In that 2009 plan, it was also described as a "fine example of the Spanish Eclectic Style, nationally popularized between 1920 and 1940 but rare in Knoxville.” 

The furniture company Sterchi helped found built its original headquarters in downtown Knoxville, now known as the "Sterchi Building."

"As Knoxville continues to grow, it is of vital importance that we protect the architectural and cultural assets that make up our city’s historic fabric. The proposed demolition of this unique and culturally rich structure would be a loss to the Magnolia Avenue Corridor and the City of Knoxville," Knox Heritage said in a release.

Knox Heritage also said it spoke to local and state officials about the proposed demolition and also conducted outreach to community representatives in the Chilhowee Park and Parkridge neighborhoods.

The Parkridge neighborhood was also included in Knox Heritage's 2023 Fragile and Fading List, as part of the Park City Historic District. It said the demolition permit is subject to a 60-day demolition day, expiring Aug. 18.

Knoxville leaders also released a statement about the proposed demolition. That statement is available below.

"The City recognizes the historical significance of 2651 East Magnolia Avenue, the former home of W.H. Sterchi.

While the City does not have the ability to deny demolition permits for historic buildings, we have enacted our 60-Day Demolition Delay option in order to provide time for the owners to work with potential community partners to evaluate strategies to preserve the historic building or its components. The 60-day delay expires on August 21, 2023.

Mayor Kincannon and her team are in touch with leaders at Knox Heritage, as well as representatives of the property owner and the State of Tennessee, which intends to lease the property once redeveloped. 

We have requested a meeting with the property owner’s team to review the variety of incentives and other redevelopment tools available to support the preservation and redevelopment of other important historic structures in our community. We have also requested that the project team meet with Knox Heritage to discuss alternatives and opportunities for preservation.

Mayor Kincannon will share with State of Tennessee officials any concerns or other opinions submitted by residents to her office."

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