Knoxville Station sits within an area of Knoxville that experienced the redevelopment policies of the mid-20th century known as urban renewal.  As described by the Knoxville News-Sentinel in a 2020 article, “the city, largely through eminent domain, systematically tore down entire blocks of homes, churches and businesses in Black neighborhoods in the 1950s through 1970s for projects like the Knoxville Civic Auditorium and Coliseum and construction of new routes like James White Parkway and Interstate 40, among others.”  In December 2020, Knoxville City Council unanimously passed a resolution calling for making amends for decades of urban renewal which displaced and harmed the City’s Black communities.  According to the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, urban renewal displaced more than 2,500 families, more than 70% of whom were Black.

During the construction of Knoxville Station, an extensive archeological survey revealed much about the neighborhood that existed in this space before urban renewal.  Our lobby features a detailed exhibit showing the homes that existed prior to this project, along with artifacts excavated on the building site. Below are are details from the exhibit.