The Knoxville City Council approved an ordinance for rezoning of five city owned properties at their meeting Monday night.

In January and February 2024, the Planning and Zoning Commission studied the city’s commercial zoning regulations, which led to recommendations that were ultimately adopted by City Council as amendments to the Knoxville Zoning Code. One included the addition of a new zoning district called “C-3 Central Business Frame,” intended to accommodate both commercial and residential land uses surrounding the C-4 Central Business District. 

The properties that will be rezoned are the library, the park next to it, city hall, the fire station and the municipal building parking lot. City Manager Heather Ussery says these were approved to make sure the city is in compliance with their own zoning code. 

“We wanted to take the initiative and be the first ones to rezone our properties, not only to take that step for the C3 business district, but also some time ago our public buildings were not identified as part of the zoning code so we wanted to make sure our own properties were in compliance with the zoning code.”

Hear more from Ussery on today’s Let’s Talk Knoxville.