Another story in the News Sentinels series on the Historic Fort Sanders Neighborhood: knoxnews/news/2013/nov/11/neighborhood-flashpoint-battling-over-4/ Neighborhood flashpoint: Battling over 4 shuttered buildings Official touts big win for neighborhood By Mike Blackerby Monday, November 11, 2013 It’s a clash of interests and visions between Covenant Health and nonprofit preservation group Knox Heritage about the future of Fort Sanders, with city officials working as intermediaries. How it plays out will shape the face of the historic Fort Sanders neighborhood — and dramatically impact the adjoining and ambitious $17 million Cumberland Avenue Corridor Project for years to come. The stakes are high, for all parties involved. The point of contention is a block of shuttered, woebegone buildings in Fort Sanders that include three vacant Victorian properties in the 1800 block of Highland Avenue and a historic grocery known as the 18th Street IGA. All four of the properties were on Knox Heritage’s 2013 “Fragile 15” list of the most endangered historic buildings and places in Knoxville. The properties, now vacant and boarded up, were purchased by Covenant in 2008 but have been protected under neighborhood conservation zoning (NC-1) for more than a decade. But what at first glance appears to be primarily a turf war over the future of a handful of historical structures also entails deep-rooted philosophical differences between Covenant and Knox Heritage, led by Executive Director Kim Trent, about the future of Fort Sanders. Jumping into the fray is the city, which is promoting a deal that calls for Covenant giving the city rights to build an 800- to 1,000-vehicle public parking garage on a tract it partially owns between 19th and 20 Streets, off White Avenue. Construction of a large garage is a key cog in the grand plan, in conjunction with the sweeping Cumberland Avenue Corridor Project, to alleviate the parking crunch in densely populated Fort Sanders and off Cumberland Avenue. In return, Covenant would be allowed to demolish three of the four historic buildings in the 1800 block of Highland, paving the way for a final expansion by Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center into a well-delineated growth zone. The fourth structure would be relocated, at the hospital’s expense, into a vacant lot across the street. Knox Heritage would pick which building it wants to save, and the nonprofit would manage the structure. Hospital officials said that demolition would allow them to “square off” the current Fort Sanders hospital campus in a way that is consistent with neighborhood preservation efforts. “We have agreed to a well-defined hospital zone beyond which we would not expand,” Covenant officials said in a prepared statement sent to the News Sentinel. Bill Lyons, chief policy officer and deputy to Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero, said that Covenant’s concession to cease expansion efforts beyond that point in Fort Sanders is the linchpin in the deal. “The key is the hospital has committed to a zone to stay within in the future,” Lyons said. “That’s a big win for the people in Fort Sanders. That was critical for us in this deal because it provides certain boundaries for the hospital.” As part of the proposed agreement, the hospital would build in accordance with the NC-1 guidelines, which regulate such things as rooftops and setbacks from the street. It would help ensure an aesthetic fit, backers say. But if ongoing negotiations ultimately lead to the demolition of the historic properties, Trent said it’s just another wrecking ball taken to the dwindling historical integrity of Fort Sanders. If the three buildings are demolished — and if the University of Tennessee also razes three Victorians on White Avenue to make room for a science building — then the Fort Sanders Historic District, listed in the National Register of Historic Places since 1980, will have lost a third of its significant properties, Trent said. Also, moving a house off its original site lessens its historical value, preservationists say. Despite assurances by Covenant that it will not look to expand in the future, Trent said the hospital has a track record that says otherwise. “Why the hospital chose to buy four historic structures inside the neighborhood conservation district and outside the expansion zone is something hard to understand,” she said. “I don’t know if they thought they would eventually be allowed to demolish them, or were just unaware of the zoning agreement they signed in 2000.” Trent also said that the hospital has other ways to expand its footprint in Fort Sanders without demolishing any of the Highland Avenue structures. “We are of the belief that the Fort Sanders neighborhood could be one of the most vibrant ones in the city,” she said. “It will take all of the stakeholders and city working together to make that happen.” Longtime Fort Sanders homeowner Rebecca Scarlett, who lives at 509 18th Street, near the old IGA, said Knox Heritage should draw a line in the sand. “It might be worthwhile if they fight the fight for the sake of other properties,” said Scarlett, who has lived in her Fort Sanders home for 30 years. “I don’t think they (Covenant) will stop (expansion) at all.” Covenant officials said they are making a major concession by giving up the prime parcel of land near White Avenue for future public parking. “We are working with the city and neighborhood to assure adequate parking to support the Cumberland Avenue Corridor Project and more orderly flow of traffic through the Fort Sanders neighborhood,” said Covenant officials. They also point out the longtime commitment to Fort Sanders by the hospital, which has been a vital part of the neighborhood since 1919, and the need to expand their campus to provide better services to patients. “With the closing of Baptist Hospital and the announced closing of the former St. Mary’s (Physicians Regional Medical Center), Fort Sanders Regional would be the only downtown hospital,” Covenant officials said. “Therefore, it is critically important that Fort Sanders remain viable and strong to assure the continuation of high-quality medical services in the downtown area.” The next move is up to Knox Heritage, which has a special-called meeting of its board of directors later this month. “It’s a difficult decision for them, and we understand it,” Lyons said. “Part of what we see our job at the city to do is to resolve these conflicts. This situation has been stalemated for years, but all of the pieces add up favorably for everyone.”
Posted on: Mon, 11 Nov 2013 15:53:15 +0000
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