Fri
Jul 9 2010
06:56 pm
Minvilla is back
By: michael kaplan

Sort of. I'm not convinced that spray painting brick - rather than exposing and repointing it - is historic preservation. Maybe it's just stabilization. Those porticos, though, are serious pieces of furniture.
michael kaplan's picture

there are some great pictures

Submitted by michael kaplan on Fri, 2010/07/09 - 10:09pm.

there are some great pictures of this building when it was the 5th avenue motel.

here's the text that goes with the pictures:

This is the 5th Avenue Motel. It was built in 1913, but I think the signs are later. They have been an icon in Knoxville for a long time. The hotel is in an unfortunate location. One block from two homeless shelters. It has been a bad place for a long time. A hive of bad people. The city just condemned the property and it's future is uncertain. Most likely, the property will be bought by the shelter and demolished. We are hoping there is some way to buy some of the signs.

i do wonder what has happened to those spectacular neon signs.

bizgrrl's picture

Is it going to be white or

Submitted by bizgrrl on Sat, 2010/07/10 - 6:08am.

Is it going to be white or the red brick color? I always rememeber that building as white. I like the red brick color better, right now anyway.

michael kaplan's picture

it's going to be red-brick

Submitted by michael kaplan on Sat, 2010/07/10 - 7:48am.

it's going to be red-brick color. i don't know if there's insulation in those walls, but the white definitely seems more appropriate to this climate, and would likely have the effect of lowering air-conditioning costs.

michael kaplan's picture

it's hard to tell, but i

Submitted by michael kaplan on Sat, 2010/07/10 - 11:22am.

it's hard to tell, but i assume this building will have a built-up roof. for this climate, such roofs should have a reflective coating.

rocketsquirrel's picture

it's not red. It's currently

Submitted by rocketsquirrel on Mon, 2010/07/12 - 9:08am.

it's not red. It's currently some horrible fuschia or scarlet, according to my wife.

whooshe65's picture

I wonder what the long term

Submitted by whooshe65 on Sat, 2010/07/10 - 12:09pm.

I wonder what the long term cost of Maintenance will be for the Painted Brick vs. the Blasted and re-pointed brick exterior.

Anybody know what the plan originally called for?

edens's picture

http://www.nps.gov/hps/tps/st

Submitted by edens on Sat, 2010/07/10 - 1:14pm.

(link...)

michael kaplan's picture

that's a good resource. i

Submitted by michael kaplan on Sat, 2010/07/10 - 1:34pm.

that's a good resource. i personally liked the white paint. and i really hope someone had the good sense to save those neon signs.

Tess's picture

I hate to ask

Submitted by Tess on Sat, 2010/07/10 - 5:41pm.

But, who is paying for all of this?

Not that I don't think the homeless should have a place to live, but this has gone on forever, and as someone said, the old hotel is butt up on a very busy street, so is not a really nice relaxing place to call home.

I am just not sure what is behind some of the "homeless initiative" here in K.

And, before you jump me, I have volunteered for FISH and have donated to other orgs that help the homeless.

Pam Strickland's picture

I don't know off the top of

Submitted by Pam Strickland on Sat, 2010/07/10 - 6:10pm.

I don't know off the top of my head, but it's being paid for with various grants. As for taking a long time, it's my understanding that they ran in to some problems that contributed to the delay. Not uncommon in rehabbing an old building.

And as for being on a busy street, different strokes for different folks. Not everyone likes living in a buccollic area. One of the plusses to the location is that it's right across from VMC. Other sites will be less urban.

BTW, FISH isn't for the homeless. As a matter of fact, I think you have to have an address to get food from them. It is a very good mission, and I do commend the good work it does.

Tess's picture

BTW, FISH isn't for the

Submitted by Tess on Sat, 2010/07/10 - 9:17pm.

BTW, FISH isn't for the homeless. As a matter of fact, I think you have to have an address to get food from them. It is a very good mission, and I do commend the good work it does.

Thanks, it has been a while since I volunteered, but of course, at the time, I delivered to an address. Thanks for the correction.

vernon's picture

7.5 million just doesn't go

Submitted by vernon on Mon, 2010/07/12 - 8:26am.

7.5 million just doesn't go as far as it used to.

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