Knoxville, Tenn. – Red Chair Architects, a recent merger of Knoxville-based Cockrill Design & Planning (CDP) and Community Tectonics (CT), announced today it will locate its offices at 220 W. Jackson Ave. in Downtown Knoxville, former location of CDP.
“Our merging firms own two very nice but very different offices,” said Red Chair Architects CEO David Cockrill. “Last month, with our merger launch approaching and needing to establish an address, we initially opted for the Pellissippi Parkway location at 10651 Coward Mill Road. This property was much larger, centrally located from a regional perspective and with parking at the front door.”
According to Cockrill, this decision was intended as an interim location with a near-term goal of returning to Downtown. The Coward Mill office is far larger than Red Chair Architects would ever need, Cockrill said, having also housed an architectural and engineering (AE) firm and general contractor for years. The firm’s strategy was to facilitate a “soft move” to the more spacious and accommodating location for the initial integration of the companies.
“With the Jan. 3 launch, we instantly had many more opinions and factors to consider,” Cockrill said. “In the buzz generated by our announcement, we received many well-wishes as well as regrets that we were leaving Downtown. We also considered that a majority of our newly merged family of employees live within and value the urban core, notwithstanding the spaciousness and convenient access of the Pellissippi location.”
After the launch, the new firm experienced a great deal of real estate “chatter” regarding the Pellissippi property and realized it was looking at the distinct possibility of moving twice within a few months, he said.
“With this fresh perspective, a goal of locating permanently downtown, wanting to avoid an unnecessary move, needing to cohabitate quickly as a new firm and the strong interest in the Coward Mill building, we reversed course and committed to our Fire Street Loft office as the new home of Red Chair Architects,” Cockrill said.
Completed in 2001, the 10651 Coward Mill Road building is 18,900 square feet and is offered at $3.1 million. The adjacent lot is also available for $285,000. Frank Weiskopf, CCIM, at Realty Executives holds the listing, 865/983-0011; http://www.kaarcie.com/listing/14958343
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