The City of Knoxville is now accepting proposals from owners of historic residential or commercial buildings seeking funding for property-improvement projects through the Historic Preservation Fund program. The request for proposals (RFP) for Funding for Preservation of Historic Buildings is available at http://KnoxvilleTN.gov/bids.

Qualifying properties must be located within H-1 or NC-1 historic overlay districts within Knoxville city limits or listed (or eligible for listing) on the National Register of Historic Places. Applicants must own the property, present a deed of trust and owe no City or County property taxes. Applicants must also attend a mandatory pre-proposal meeting held via Zoom; attendance details are included in the RFP document. 

Through the Historic Preservation Fund program, established in 2014, the City has contributed more than $2.7 million to projects that improve historic buildings. Recipient projects include home museums Blount Mansion and the Mabry-Hazen House; performance venues the Bijou and Tennessee theaters; and commercial buildings the Cal Johnson Building, Kerns Bakery and the Hull-Dobbs Building. This year’s program is funded with $300,000, which is intended to fund multiple projects.

            Important application deadlines: 

• Tuesday, Nov. 9, 2021, 9 a.m.: Mandatory pre-proposal meeting, via Zoom. 

• Wednesday, Dec. 1, 2021, 5 p.m.: Questions must be submitted in writing to Purchasing Agent Penny Owens by fax (865-215-2277), or email ([email protected]) or by letter mailed to:  

City of Knoxville, Office of the Purchasing Division
City/County Building, Room 667-674
400 Main Street
Knoxville, TN 37902

• 11 a.m. Friday, Dec. 20, 2021: Proposals are due in the Purchasing office, either mailed to the address above or submitted electronically via the City’s Procurement website at KnoxvilleTN.gov/bids. Instructions are outlined in the RFP.