A piece of Knoxville's history now stands more prominently as the city makes progress on redeveloping the old St. Mary's Hospital site into the new headquarters for police and fire rescue.
The city of Knoxville said it is admiring the stately grandeur of the original St. Mary's Hospital building after it demolished several obsolete add-on buildings connected to it.
Likening it to 'peeling back an onion,' the city said the marble-accented building dating back to 1929 now stands more prominently in North Knoxville as it works to complete masonry work on the exposed side.
"It's exciting to see the re-emergence of a historic building and increase its visibility," Chief Operating Officer David Brace said. "Hopefully, this will become the centerpiece of the redeveloped north campus."
The city is investing $40 million to transform the south end of the vacant hospital site into a new Public Safety Complex, bringing the Knoxville Police Department, Knoxville Fire Department leadership, City Court and Pension System offices under one roof.
Another $6 million is being invested on the north end of the site for private redevelopment. Lincoln Memorial University will also be moving onto the site in the Magdalen Clarke Tower to operate a satellite campus for nursing students.
The city said it did not want to see the property fall into blight after Physicians Regional Medical Center closed in late 2018.
"We want to be intentional about preserving and maintaining the history and integrity of St. Mary's," Community Empowerment Director Charles Lomax said. "This is an iconic piece of the city and the community. As we look to create something new, we are building on the foundation of what has been - and what so many hold near and dear."