KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The first people to move into Knoxville's new Public Safety Complex will be administrative staff from the Knoxville Fire Department, according to a release from city leaders.
They said Fire Chief Stan Sharp and his staff will soon be the first new tenants in the 200,000-square-foot North Knoxville complex. They won't be the only ones in the complex for long. Soon after KFD moves in, several others will join them over a three-month staggered move-in period.
A list of the agencies and departments that will move into the Public Safety Complex is available below. The city said they should all be moved in by the end of spring 2023.
- Knoxville Fire Department
- City Court
- Knoxville Police Department
- Backup E-911 Center
- Knoxville-Knox County Emergency Management Agency
- City Pension System office
The city said they should all be moved in by the end of spring 2023. The Public Safety Complex is located near Fulton High School and was built out of the old St. Mary's Hospital site.
Currently, KFD's administrative staff operates over several locations scattered throughout Knoxville, including some rented space in the CityScape office park off East Hill Avenue.
"But there also is going to be a huge benefit in having multiple emergency service providers together in the same complex," said Sharp in a release.
City Court is next up on the move-in schedule, and they are expected to be in their new offices by early February. After they move in, Court sessions will be held in the Public Safety Complex.
Then, KPD will move the largest group of employees into the new complex. According to the release, their move-in period will span February and March so they can continue police operations 24 hours a day. In March, the EMA offices and the backup E-911 system will also move in.
They said that by late March or early April 2023, the complex will be fully occupied. They also said repairs still need to be completed, such as exterior facade repairs to the former Professional Office Building. That repair is expected to be completed in May.
During winter and spring, the city will work on landscaping, sodding and concrete sidewalk projects.