May 16 is moving day for the Facilities Services department.
That’s the day that workers will begin moving to the new Facilities Services Building, a renovated industrial complex at 2000 Sutherland Avenue, east of Concord Street. Construction at the site began in June 2014.
More than 200 employees will relocate to the new site. No services will be disrupted during the move, which is expected to be completed in June. In the short term, some of the department’s current space on UT Drive will be used for academic and administrative needs.
The 91,000-square-foot building will house offices, warehouse space, and workshops. It was formerly the site of Southeast Precast Corporation, and before that the Gray Knox Marble Company. The heavy steel frame has received a Big Orange facade. Its original forty-foot ceiling remains, along with elements including an exterior silo, overhead cranes, clerestory windows, and wooden decking. Original wood roofing materials have been used in the new decor.
The office portion of the central hall contains a minimally partitioned furniture concept to foster collaboration between employees.
The building also has been designed to be self-sufficient in the event of an emergency.
Visitors to the building can park in the paved lot near the building’s front entrance. An open house for the new facility will be held this fall.
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CONTACT:
Brooke Krempa (bsteve14@utk.edu)