With help from a property tax break, Marble Alley will move ahead on a long-anticipated mixed-use apartment development that’s a companion to Marble Alley Lofts, which itself was a transformative community when it opened in 2016.

Vintage Cal at State Street and Union Avenue is a $47 million project with 167 apartments and the same number of on-site parking spaces.

Fifteen of the apartments will be reserved for income and rent-restricted residents who earn 80% of the area median income.

The complex is an example of mixed-use zoning city officials hope will make a dent in the housing crunch and make full use of a space that’s currently a surface parking lot. The ground level will house retail space and residents who live above will enjoy the convenience of shops and restaurants within walking distance.

In 2022, Marble Alley bought the land from Knox County for $1.07 million after commissioners applied pressure to close the deal by the end of that year.

Construction should begin by the end of 2024, and apartments are expected to be ready by the end of 2026.
The development is named Vintage Cal after Knoxville business icon Cal Johnson.