A $6 million renovation will proceed within 30 to 60 days at the Business Development Center on the North Shore, though some historic preservation groups have said the building’s facade should be left untouched, planners say.
The structure, which was built in 1926 as a furniture warehouse for the Sterchi Brothers and Fowler, was renovated and redesigned in 1940 with its now-iconic rounded corners and art deco glass block window design.
Unfortunately, the historic glass block stops light from entering the building instead of air, forcing the building operators to spend more on climate control than on helping small businesses become successful, said Chattanooga Area Chamber of Commerce spokesman J.Ed Marston.
“We have seen our costs related to utilities to go up so dramatically that it has impinged on the level of service we were allowed to do,” he said. “Our yearly utility bill is six figures.”
But groups opposing the renovation said at least the glass facade should be preserved for future generations.