Renovation is underway on this former King Street warehouse one block from the Chattanooga Choo Choo.FAST FACT
Some 80 new windows are to be added to the King Street Station building when it’s refurbished, according to the developer.
A 105-year-old Southside building that's been little more than a warehouse for decades is undergoing a makeover with new eateries, a brewery and an office user bringing 120 workers.
King Street Station will hold 70,000 square feet of office space, with 22,000 of that already leased up, said Jimmy White, president of Urban Story Ventures.
"It's in the heart of the Southside," said White about the six-story brick structure located adjacent to the planned Moxy boutique hotel at King and Market streets.
Together, the two projects mean a $30 million investment in the area, he said.
Also planned for the brick building is 14,000 square feet of retail space including a pair of restaurants and the brewery, he said. It's possible the top floor will hold condominiums, said White, who's redeveloping the King Street site with partner Hiren Desai of 3H Group Hotels.
"We like redeveloping and reimagining," White said.
He cited the group's work with the Edney Building at Market and East 11th streets, which is the hub of Chattanooga's Innovation District and is 90 percent leased.
Wanderlinger Brewey Co. President Mike Dial said he looked at locating at other sites, but he likes the pieces of the development and its close proximity to added entertainment.
"This whole area has a powerful vibe and a lot of energy," he said.
Jill Allen, Urban Story's chief operating officer, said King Street Station is to open in late fall. The Moxy, a four-story, 102-room hotel by 3H Group, also is scheduled for a fall debut.
Urban Story declined to identify the new office user at King Street. Allen said the company is currently operating in Chattanooga and relocating its offices.
The building, constructed in 1913 for cold storage, had only a few outside openings and is seeing 80 new windows as part of its restoration, according to Urban Story. Parking spots will be on site for tenants, residents and guests. Also, a rail line that runs through the site it will be incorporated into a 300-foot-long park.
"We know that people who want to live and work in an urban setting also want access to gathering places like parks which enhance quality of life," White said.
He said King Street Station will result in a place where people live, work and play.
The site straddles Chattanooga's central business district and the Chattanooga Choo Choo property, which is undergoing its own vast redevelopment.
The Passenger Flats apartment complex has opened a second phase on the Choo Choo site. Also, the Bluebird Row Apartments are under construction there.
When those apartments are leased up, between 700 and 800 people could be living at the Choo Choo site, officials have said.
In addition, new eateries and entertainment have been added to the historic hotel site and more are planned.
Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318. Follow him on Twitter @MikePareTFP.