The City of Knoxville today formally assumed control
of six properties on West Jackson Avenue, including the historic McClung
Warehouses, according to the latest spin job coming out of the Death Star.
Under an agreement signed by the bankruptcy trustee for the
properties, Knoxville paid $1.45 million to settle an outstanding lawsuit and
acquire the land and buildings.
The properties, on West Jackson between Gay Street and Broadway, were formerly
owned by Mark Saroff and have been in receivership since 2010. The total area
of the six lots is about 1.7 acres.
City Council approved the terms of the
agreement in July, and U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge Marcia Phillips Parsons
approved it on Oct. 25. The titles are now legally held by Knoxville’s
Community Development Corporation (KCDC), the City’s redevelopment authority.
“This day has been a long time coming,” said Mayor Madeline Rogero. “I am very happy
that the City can now move toward stabilizing these historic buildings, and
seek proposals from private developers to return these prime downtown
properties to productive use. The Jackson Avenue corridor is one of the
gateways to our downtown, and this gives us the opportunity to revitalize it.”
The City will soon issue a bid for short-term stabilization of the buildings, to
protect them from further water damage and trespassers. City officials will
also begin the process of developing a Request for Proposals from private
developers, with the goal of returning the properties to private ownership
sometime in 2014.
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