Dozens of people gathered last night at the Kerbela Shriners headquarters to share their thoughts about a proposed apartment complex which could replace the 60-year-old temple. Alabama-based developer CR Endeavors says it hopes to construct a roughly 220-unit apartment complex on a hill at the south end of the Gay Street Bridge, where the temple currently stands. In 2009, the Shriners began renting a part of the hill to Riley Foods, owner of the JFG Coffee brand, which put a historic billboard there advertising their product. The sign was a local landmark but was taken down in 2023 as the organization began fielding offers on their land.
While some residents expressed support for the proposal, others felt the area wouldn’t be able to sustain the traffic brought by such a large development. The Gay Street Bridge is currently only open to pedestrians after it closed to vehicles in 2024. The southern bank of the Tennessee River has become home to several housing developments in recent years, something that frustrates some locals.
“There's already too much on this corner with The Davy and 303 flats, it's too much for this site,” local resident Kathy Mahan said. “It’s a death trap.”
The proposed 367,000 square-foot development was set to be reviewed by the Knoxville-Knox County Planning Commission in early April. CR Endeavors agreed to delay that meeting by about a month to May 14 to hear from the community.
The developer says the complex would be designed for active adults ages 55 and up and include up to 25,000 square-feet of indoor amenities and about 47,0000 square-feet of outdoor amenities. Around 230 garage spaces will be built, along with a publicly accessible sidewalk that connects to a set of existing stairs along the hillside.
“We have seen in a lot of our developments the opportunity to create multi-generational aspects in certain nodes,” CEO Ryan Robertson said. “South Knoxville has a great presence of students and young families. We also think there's value in inserting 55+ older, active adults that can engage in the local community.”
If approved by the planning commission, the Kerbela Shriners international headquarters would be sold to CR Endeavors to make way for the project. Dennis Rose, the potentate of the Kerbela Shriners, said the firm approached them with their proposal. Rose said the project comes as the organization’s membership has declined.
“We have realized that we need to make a change,” Rose said. “They're not buying the property from us and showing us the street, they're buying the property from us and allowing us to continue our work as servants in this community.”
Robertson said the development would incorporate the history of the Kerbela Shriners.
“We want to figure out a way to honor their legacy and also do something special to continue to move forward in South Knoxville in the future,” he said.
The Kerbela Shriners have not announced the location of their new headquarters.
Local elected officials say they want to respect the input of the community. Knoxville City Council member Karyn Adams says it's important for the developers to gather input.
“The challenge, I think, is all the different perspectives that the community brings,” Adams said. “It's a really special site.”
Adams also notes the site sits on two form-based codes that are intended to guide the development of mixed-used, public-forward structures. Those codes, SW5 and SW6, envision structures and communal spaces that complement the view of the Tennessee river and downtown. Variations to those codes would need to be approved before the project starts.
“That's what I think is one of the biggest concerns that I'm hearing from the community,” she said. “When you see the view here, this is a view that should belong to everyone.”
CR Endeavors told WUOT news that they are taking all comments from the public into consideration.
