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Design Review Board

Level 2: Addition to an existing building/structure

8-A-14-DT

This case has been appealed

Staff Recommendation
APPROVE Certificate 8-A-14-DT with the following condition: 1) The parking lot must meet the dimensional standards in the zoning ordinance, obtain any necessary variances from those standards, and/or satisfy other parking lot layout requirements of the City Engineering Department.Case File
Location
312 S Gay St
Applicant Request
This proposal includes the renovation of the Century Building, and attaching a stair/elevator tower and pedestrian canopy to the north elevation of the building. The new tower and canopy will be built into the adjacent 2 story parking structure and extend into the lower level. The Century Building and adjacent parking structure have common ownership.

West elevation (front): Repair and refurbish the windows on floors 3 - 5 on the Gay Street elevation.

North elevation (facing the parking structure): Remove and fill one existing window (non-original) because of the installation of the canopy structure. Create two new door openings from the parking structure, one on the Gay Street level and one on the lower level. Create 12 new window openings and install wood casings and aluminum clad double hung windows to match the existing windows on this elevation (see the window detail on the last page of the attached plans). Create openings in the brick wall as necessary for access to the elevator and egress stair.

Elevator/stair tower addition:
Install a new elevator and stair tower into the adjacent parking structure and attached to the Century Building approximately in the center of the north elevation. The parking structure will be modified to accommodate the tower. The elevator can only be accessed from inside the Century Building, however, there are entry doors on both the lower and upper levels of the parking structure. The tower will be clad with a brick veneer from the base to the top of the parapet wall of the Century Building. The portion above the parapet will be clad with fiber cement panels, along with a thin strip between the brick veneer of the new elevator tower and the brick wall of the existing structure. The stairs will be made of metal. At the Gay Street level, a metal fence will surround the tower and will have a gate for egress. See the brick and fence details on the last page of the attached plans.

Canopy:
Install a canopy along the entire length of the north elevation, with a break at the elevator and stair tower. The canopy have a painted metal frame and columns, metal roofing, wood soffit, LED cove lighting, and skylights (see the "entry canopy detail"). There will be multiple skylights that will have fixed tempered glass tops and the inside lined with fiber cement vertical siding and LED cove lighting. A portion of the canopy will not have a roof and will have wood planter boxes installed below, creating a barrier between the parking lot and the pedestrian area under the canopy. The metal canopy will also cover the existing HVAC pad behind the new tower.

Sign:
There will be an internally lit sign attached to the elevator tower, below the new metal copy.

East elevation (rear):
On floors 3 - 5, remove the plywood infill from the window openings and install new wood window casings. Install 12 aluminum clad double-hung windows and 9 double balcony doors with metal guard rails, as shown on the attached plans.

South elevation (facing Mast General):
Create 12 new openings to match those on the north elevation. Install 9 new windows to match those on the north elevation. Install 3 balcony doors with metal guard rails.

General notes:
Repointing of mortar will be completed in accordance with Preservation Brief #2 from the National Park Service.
Install mechanical equipment pad approximately in the center of the roof.
Staff Comments
Section 1.C (Historic Resources) of the guidelines will apply for this proposal because the building is located in the Gay Street Commercial (National Register) Historic District.
Applicant

Century Building, LLC

Planning Staff
Mike Reynolds
Phone: 865-215-3827
Email: mike.reynolds@knoxplanning.org
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Case History