Level II: Emporium Building
11-C-25-DT
Approve Subject To Conditions
Recommendation
Staff recommends approval of Certificate 11-C-25-DT, subject to 1 conditions:1) Submitting revised plans with deck height and details of the headers and sills of the door and windows, for review and approval by Planning staff.
Applicant Request
Level II: Addition and exterioir rehabilitation- Installation of a new rooftop deck of black aluminum framing and PVC decking, measuring 13' by 20', to be installed on top of existing wood beams under the roof. The deck will be attached to and accessed from the adjacent fourth-story unit to the south and recessed from the building edge by 7'-5". It will be enclosed by 6' tall privacy screens with matching PVC boards and black powder-coated frames on the east (rear) side and half of the north side, and 3'-6" tall black powder-coated cable railing along the west (front) side and half of the north side. Existing vents under the proposed deck will be relocated.
- Installation of a 3' wide by 6'-9" tall door and two 3' wide by 5'-6" tall windows (casement or fixed) on the abutting southern wall of the fourth-story unit. The black door and windows will include headers and sills.
Property Notes / Work to be Completed
- The Emporium Building is a contributing resource to the Southern Terminal and Warehouse District, so the Historic Resources section of the guidelines applies. Overall, the proposal adheres to the relevant sections of the design guidelines.
- Rooftop additions can be approved on historic buildings when "they are not seen from adjoining streets and sidewalks." The applicant has provided a line-of-sight drawing illustrating the proposed deck's lack of visibility from the sidewalk across the street. The railing of the deck will be recessed 7'-5" from the building edge. The proposed structure "will not alter, obscure or destroy significant features of historic resources." The height of the deck is not noted in the plans, but it should be included prior to permitting.
- The fourth-story wall facing the roof of the Emporium Building currently includes no openings except for an access door and a small window that are not visible from the street. Plans indicate that the proposed windows and doors will be partially visible from the street. The black doors and windows with headers and sills, mirroring a feature of the existing front windows, can be seen as an "use of complementary materials and elements." The scale of the openings are proportionate to the wall and they will "enhance pedestrian interest." The details of the headers and sills are not included in the plans and should be discussed by the Board.
Applicable Guidelines
Downtown Design Guidelines
See Guidelines- 3. Building Materials
- 3a. Use complimentary materials and elements, especially next to historic buildings.
- 4. Architectural Character
- 4b. Enhance pedestrian interest in commercial and office buildings by creating a largely transparent and consistent rhythm of entrances and windows.
- C. HISTORIC RESOURCES
- 1. Rooflines and Additions
- Alterations of the rooflines of historic buildings are not appropriate. A one-story rooftop addition, including railings, may be possible on taller buildings if it is inconspicuous from the public right-of-way. Additions should be set back from the primary elevation of the building, and should not damage character-defining features, including parapets and side walls. These walls are often topped by coping stones offering contrasting color or texture, or contain cornices, decorative grills, chimneys, corbelled brickwork and other architectural elements. Rooftop additions are almost never appropriate on buildings less than four stories in height.
- 1a. Preserve or restore historic roofline features, including parapet walls and cornices.
- 1b. Design rooftop additions to be complimentary to the historic building in terms of materials and color.
- 1c. Avoid construction that maintains only the historic façade.
- 1d. Do not alter, obscure or destroy significant features of historic resources when constructing additions.
- 1e. Design rooftop additions so that they are not seen from adjoining streets and sidewalks.
Meeting Date
November 19, 2025
Emporium Building
112 S. Gay St. 37902
DK-G (Downtown Knoxville, Grid Subdistrict)
