Since 1972, the former Hyatt Regency has been one of the most prominent peculiar features of the city’s skyline. Part pyramid, part Contemporary Resort at Disney World (which opened the year before, interestingly enough), the concrete, trapezoidal structure has historically anchored the riverfront, although its use more recently has been uncertain.
For decades, it was a popular lodging choice for Scruffy City visitors and was lauded as a modern and architecturally-impressive destination. A special section in the Knoxville News-Sentinel the year it opened described the hotel at 501 E. Hill Ave. as “destined to become ‘The Next Great Meeting Place Between the North and South.'”
In 2017, it changed hands for the first time since 2002, launching a series of convoluted and uncertain steps forward.
What was the hotel like originally?
The hotel opened as the Hyatt Regency, holding six days of celebratory activities in May 1972, the News-Sentinel reported that year. With the Knoxville Civic Auditorium and Coliseum just across the street, the property was originally created as a convention center…