The former Brookside Mills is being showcased on the Brownfields 2011 Redevelopment Forum web site. The property, at 523 West Baxter Avenue, is located less than one mile north of downtown Knoxville and the I-40 / I-275 interchange, and approximately two miles south of the I-75 / I-640 interchange. The 19.4-acre property is zoned for Industrial use, which has become a highly sought-after zoning in this urban setting, particularly for sites with immediate Interstate access and frontage such as 523 West Baxter Avenue. The area surrounding this site is a mix of mostly commercial, industrial, and some residential properties. The former Brookside Mills property was operated primarily as a fabric weaving mill from 1885 to 1969. Coal was stored and burned on the property as a fuel source for an extended period. After 1969, several of the buildings were leased to a department store and clothing sewing operations. Environmental assessment activities at the site have included a Phase I and Phase II ESA. The findings of the 2006 Phase II assessment indicate modest impacts are present, requiring modest corrective actions for redevelopment. As the current property owner, the Industrial Development Board of the City of Knoxville has negotiated a TDEC Voluntary Cleanup Oversight and Assistance Program (VOAP) Brownfield Voluntary Agreement. The Agreement can be readily transferred to the benefit of a qualified new owner. Upon completion of the obligations in the Brownfield Agreement by the Voluntary Party (i.e. the developer or new owner), the State will provide indemnification to the Voluntary Party from claims by the State and by third parties related to contamination at the property. All of the site buildings were demolished in 1996. The property is currently vacant; however, many of the foundations and concrete slabs on which buildings had been constructed are still visible. The site is partially wooded with a tributary of Second Creek running along the eastern edge of the property.
For more information, go to the Redevelopment Forum Web site -> LINK