KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The University of Tennessee, Knoxville, has filed a court petition to begin the legal process to acquire the Tyson House Lutheran-Episcopal Campus Ministry building through eminent domain.
According to a UT spokesperson, the property at 824 Melrose Place is needed by the university for a new academic building. The university has sought to make a deal to buy it from St. John’s Cathedral for several years, but the two parties have been unable to agree on a price.
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The university filed a petition for condemnation earlier this month to determine a fair price for the property through the eminent domain process. A third-party appraisal referenced in the petition estimated its value at $1.74 million, but the spokesperson said that the university would accept the valuation determined through the legal proceedings.
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As outlined in the Campus Master Plan of 2023, the university is working to transform the Melrose Place area into a new hub anchored by a student success center and academic classrooms. Following the demolition of Melrose Hall, the 116,000-square-foot student success is expected to open during the Fall 2027 semester…