In the near future, a 6,033-square-foot vacant building on McCalla Avenue in East Knoxville will be transformed into a robust Maker space.

Knoxville City Council on Tuesday (Nov. 19) authorized Mayor Madeline Rogero to execute documents to sell the City-owned property at 1200 McCalla Avenue for redevelopment for small-scale manufacturing and artist-Maker spaces. The Office of Redevelopment and the Community Development Department partnered to initiate the project.

According to the agreement, Dewhirst Properties will purchase the property for $100,000 and renovate the building to include approximately 19 studio and co-working spaces. The building will also include a gallery, lounge area, kitchen and restrooms. Per the agreement, Dewhirst Properties must continue the use of the property as Maker space for 10 years.

In July 2017, the City received a grant from Smart Growth America to examine small-scale manufacturing with a special focus on the Magnolia Avenue Warehouse District. The goal was to help the City make strategic land-use decisions that will support the Maker community and improve economic revitalization.

“The success of this new Maker space will promote the renovation of this abandoned building and create new opportunities for a new Maker district,” Redevelopment Director Dawn Michelle Foster said.

The transformation of the building will augment the efforts by the City and the Knoxville Entrepreneur Center (KEC) to successfully brand Knoxville as “The Maker City” and build on the revitalization of the Magnolia corridor. 

Mayor Rogero formed the Mayor’s Maker Council, which supports Makers and artisans and fosters entrepreneurial growth through its activities. Activities include a Makers directory and a Maker City Summit, which draws together several hundred people annually. 

For more information on Knoxville’s Maker movement, see http://themakercity.org/about.

In addition, the City is investing $7.5 million in streetscape renovations along nearby Magnolia Avenue. Visit www.magnoliaavenuestreetscapes.com for more details, or text “MAGNOLIA” to 313131 to receive project updates.