Spearheaded by businessman Keith Vaughn, the defunct St. Mary’s Chapel in the historic district of Knoxville could soon have new life breathed into it.
Vaughn says the 1880’s chapel needed a commercial aspect to keep it maintained in the coming years.
The first step is to make repairs on the chapel but soon after Vaughn hopes to build a 300 seat reception hall.
Plans are for the reception hall to also include a full commercial kitchen and three bridal suites that could potentially be used as a bed and breakfast with 400 sq. ft. per suite.
Vaughn tells WGIL that he envisions the suites as…
“…cabins and cottages that would blend in with the brick facade and we would make that available as far someone wanting to rent that whole chapel property out for an event,” says Vaughn.
He estimates renovating the chapel and constructing the business component should in total cost about $300,000.
Contingent on being approved by the Knoxville Board of Zoning Appeals and the City Council, Vaughn would buy the chapel from the family that owns it currently.
If everything goes to plan, Vaughn says the purchase should be finalized by April and chapel renovations will get started in May.
As far when he expects the chapels to be ready he says, “we could open back up by the time Scenic Drive comes around in 2016.”
The next step is for Vaughn to make a second presentation to Knoxville Planning Commission next month.
