Knox Co. issues RFI for AJ Building

Andrew Johnson Building

Knox County leaders want to see if anyone is interested in buying and re-developing the Andrew Johnson Building in downtown Knoxville.

The county purchasing department issued a request for information, or RFI, for letters of interest in purchasing the building. Submissions must be received by 2 p.m. on July 15.

The 18-story building sits at 912 South Gay Street and currently houses Knox County Schools' central offices. It was built in 1927-28 and is listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

The Knox County Board of Education discussed a possible move for the central offices at its work session earlier this month. Superintendent Jim McIntyre sought approval to ask for letters of interest from property owners or developers interested in providing administrative office space to the school system.

This isn't the first time the possibility of selling the building and moving Knox County School's offices has come up for discussion.

Back in 2013, McIntyre talked to the owners of the former Standard Knitting Mill about the possibility of renovating the building and moving the offices there, but those plans didn't come to fruition.

Mayor Tim Burchett has expressed interest in the past in selling the building so it can be returned to the tax rolls and generate income for the county.

Anyone interested in buying and redeveloping the Andrew Johnson Building can download the specific RFI instructions on Knox County's website.