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Plans advance for Kern's Bakery redevelopment

The developers want to preserve the building's historic detail and integrity, and provide an urban dwelling for retail, entertainment and food. The plan is to also have a beer garden, walking and biking trails near the train tracks, joint entrances to nearby parks and about 500 parking spaces.

Plans are advancing in the Kern's Bakery redevelopment project.

Renderings from the architect and developers show more details about what they have in store for the building and the surrounding property.

Oliver Smith Realty Auction and Company, Inc. as well as investment companies from Asheville and Atlanta bought the property last fall. In May 2017, the bakery was added to the list of National Historic Places.

The developers want to preserve the building's historic detail and integrity, and provide an urban dwelling for retail, entertainment and food.

"So you'll come in in the middle of the building, then there will be an open courtyard with lots of light, open seating, so you can go to different concepts, go get a beer, get a glass of wine, some food," said developer and sales director Peter Medlyn.

The plan is to also have a beer garden, walking and biking trails near the train tracks, joint entrances to nearby parks and about 500 parking spaces.

The 60,000 square foot building sits on 15 acres.

Behind the building, developers want to build loft apartments. And next to the building will be a restaurant that will have a similar facade to the historic bakery.

Developers can't reveal what tenants will occupy the spaces inside the building, but they say it's about 60 percent committed.

Developers have been working on the Kerns project for months. They are still in the architecture phase and the timeline is not finalized. But, they hope to start construction in a few months with a possible open date sometime in 2019.

The multi-million dollar project is yet another construction plan in South Knoxville, which along with the Riverfront, is experiencing a building boom.

"That's a real big thing for us for critical mass, all those people we can see walking over and using our space," Medlyn said.

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