Recommendation
Recommend approval of Certificate of Appropriateness 8-A-26-DT subject to the following condition.1) Meeting all applicable requirements of the Article 13 (Signs) of the City of Knoxville Zoning Code, with the exception of allowing the red neon text as proposed.
Applicant Request
Level I - Board Review: New signc. 1870, Jackson Terminal Building
- New 20.45" x 48" neon sign with red letters. The sign will be hung inside the building from the ceiling, behind the arched storefront transom window.
Property Notes / Work to be Completed
- The Jackson Terminal building is in the Jackson Avenue Warehouse (National Register) Historic District, so the historic resources section of the design guidelines apply. The requested sign is most similar to a wall sign, as it is hung parallel to the buildings façade and W Jackson Avenue. The Jackson Terminal building does not have a traditional storefront with a signboard between the transom and second story. The proposed sign location, above the main entrance, meets the general recommendations of the guidelines. While the sign will be behind the transom window and will partially block the "transparency" into the commercial space, it is not at eye level, so it does not impact sightlines. If the sign were to be placed on the outside of the structure, it would likely have to be attached to the brick façade and to the right of the brick pilaster.
- The zoning standards for sign (Article 13) prohibit using red, green, yellow, amber, or blue lights. However, the Design Review Board can approve these colors when it is determined appropriate. Staff recommends approval of the red neon because the sign is located away from the public road and will not pose a safety hazard.
Applicable Guidelines
Downtown Design Guidelines
See Guidelines- Section 1. General Principles
- C. Historic Resources
- 7. Recommended Signs -- Commercial establishments need to advertise. However, advertising signs should be effective and appropriate to historic areas without contributing to visual clutter. Primary concerns are a sign's location, size, material, and illumination.
- 7a. Locate signs above storefront windows, below second-story windows on the sign board, or on the storefront windows themselves (30% is maximum coverage), or off the front of the building as a projecting sign (maximum size: 9 square feet).
- 7b. Create signs that are proportional to the building where they are located.
- 7c. Do not light signs internally.
- 7d. Allow painted signs on building walls in the warehouse area along Jackson Avenue, and in some other locations along Gay Street.
- 7e. Preserve signs that are historic elements of buildings.
- Section 1. General Principles
Meeting Date
August 19, 2026
House of Strays
205 W. Jackson Ave. 37902
DK-W (Downtown Knoxville, Warehouse Subdistrict)
