A developer is planning to turn a vacant church building near the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga into about 30 apartments as the school this month posted record enrollment.
“We’ll use the existing structure and keep the brick and use all the stained glass we can,” Dave Fidati of Wise Construction said about the former Thompkin Metropolitan AME Zion Church structure at 811 Palmetto St.
UTC recorded the largest student body in history in September, buoyed by enrolling a record number of freshmen for the second year in a row, according to the university. Total headcount at UTC is 11,834, the university reported.
(READ MORE: UTC welcomes its largest student body in school history)
Fidati, project manager of the Chattanooga construction company, said by phone that the exterior of the 103-year-old church building won’t see much change except for the front wall that includes large white columns.