Cornerstones

Endangered Properties:

• The Levin Brothers Building (listed on the National Register as part of the Market and Main Street Historic District) on Main Street has been privately purchased from bank foreclosure and is currently in the design process. It will be converted into mixed used, i.e. housing on the second and third floor and retail on the first floor. This historically significant building has been a long-term concern of Cornerstones. It appears that it will be saved, preserved and recycled back into productive use. Cornerstones Total Investment: $1,500.

• The Structural Engineering Report that Cornerstones provided to the property owner of the St. George Hotel (listed on the National Register as part of the Market and Main Street Historic District) defined and identified the areas of the building that are no longer safe. Both the property owner and the City of Chattanooga know of the buildings existing conditions. A partial demolition of the back of the structure is under serious consideration, due to the extreme instability of that section of the building. This is an on-going project and Cornerstones remains very concerned with the property owner’s ability to save the most visible portion of the hotel. Cornerstones Total Investment: $5,000.

• Cornerstones provided a Structural Engineering Report on the Davenport House, located at 941 McCallie Avenue. It verified that the building was structural sound.  Chattanooga Neighborhood Enterprises has “packaged” this property with adjacent vacant properties and awarded a development contract. The Davenport House will be renovated into multi-family housing, while new residential construction will be built on the adjacent lots. The intersection of McCallie and Central is significant in that it is the eastern gateway to downtown Chattanooga. Cornerstones Total Investment: $3,000.

• The Old Ross Hotel on Patten Parkway (listed on the National Register as part of the Patten Parkway Historic District) is currently undergoing a renovation and adaptive reuse. The first floor (that formerly housed Yesterday’s in the 1980s) was converted into a sports bar. This will bring vitality back to this area of the city. Cornerstones provided technical assistance to the property owners relative to utilizing historic tax credits. Total Investment: 0

• Engel Stadium remains a challenge for Cornerstones. While the history of the site, once called Andrews Field, dates back to the very beginnings of baseball and baseball greats, like Babe Ruth, the stadium was built later -- ca. 1930. Today the city and county jointly own the facility and Tennessee Temple manages the field (and uses it as their home ball field). Cornerstones is willing to financial assist with the cost of repairing the roof to save what remains of the original stadium seating. Cornerstones remains in the process of collecting cost estimates on the re-roofing. Cornerstones Total Investment: $40,000.

• Zahn’s Dry Good Store in St. Elmo was constructed in 1910 and is located in the commercial district of this Chattanooga neighborhood. It stands at the foot of the Lookout Mountain Incline Railroad. The Zahn family emigrated from Switzerland in the late 1900s and established the dry goods business known as Zahn & Slaton in 1899. Their business moved into this two-story frame building, upon its completion in 1910. While the business no longer exists, the building has remained in the Zahn family and has never been on the market until May 2005. Cornerstones is working with the family, the neighborhood and interested investors to encourage the preservation of the building – in spite of the now known compromised structural integrity due to a long term failing roof (or lack thereof). Total Investment: ?

• The former AME Patten Church Building in St. Elmo is not listed on the National Register but might be eligible if more historical research were done. This property is newly listed on the market and there has been much interested in converting the space into a private residence. Cornerstones continues to advocate for the building preservation by communicating the availability of the building to prospective buyers.

• The First Congressional Church at the intersection of MLK Boulevard and Lindsay Street is now on the market. This building is not listed on the national Register although it is within very close proximity to the MLK Historic District. Fisk University in Nashville has owned this building since 2001. Cornerstones will continue to provide historic tax credit information and historic information to interested buyers as well as assist with the communication of its availability to the local community.

• Park Place School has been saved. The adaptive reuse of this former elementary school into housing should be complete by the fall of 2005. The majority of the units have been pre-sold. Cornerstones hosted it’s first “Great Spaces”  event at this location in April 2005.  It gave our membership and historic preservationists the opportunity to see the adaptive reuse of the interior space before it became inaccessible as private space. Cornerstones provided the Existed Conditions Report that moved this project off center and renovation activity began in 2004. Total Investment: $3,000.

Development (Public Awareness and Education):

• Cornerstones co-sponsored the Tennessee Preservation Trust (TPT), the statewide preservation organization, annual fund-raiser “Toast of Tennessee,” held in Chattanooga in 2001 and 2002. In 2004, Cornerstones assisted with the visit of  Richard Moe, President of the National Trust of Historic Preservation. In 2005, Cornerstones sponsored the TPT annual conference held in Chattanooga. Cornerstones continues to be a committed partner and strong advocate for Tennessee historic preservation.

• Cornerstones continues its involvement with the “Tours of downtown Living."  The fifth annual tour was held in May 2005 and showcased both new construction and adaptive reuse of historic buildings along the newly revitalized waterfront – Chattanooga’s historic beginnings. The Tour of Downtown Living is a combined effort between RiverCity Company, the Chattanooga Downtown Partnership and Cornerstones and occurs annually.

• The “Great Spaces Series” was created this year and will be held two-three times a year to encouraging Cornerstones membership. It also provides an opportunity for those interested in learning about historic preservation and/ or seeing what Cornerstones does to tour one of our Endangered Properties. The first event was held at the Park Place School in April. The second event was held at the Industrial YMCA in July 2005.

• Wine Over Water , Cornerstones annual fund-raiser continues into its 11th year. This has become a destination event with patrons traveling from more than 13 different states. Cornerstones corporate sponsorships continue to grow and we are grateful for the support. The money collected at this event is earmarked for our revolving fund and invested into saving local Endangered Properties.