Voicemail (May 15, 2008)

Your March 20, 2008, issue carried a commentary, “Buildings and Blocks: Three Beauties.” The Rich’s department store building was featured and retains a prominent place in Knoxville, post-WWII history.

While Miller’s department store and Proffitt’s were the predominant full-line retailers in the area, Rich’s made an aggressive incursion and significantly upset the retail market, garnering market share from the local retailers. This predates expansion into the suburbs of Knoxville, and the larger retail building was one of the last big retail stores to go into the downtown area. The Rich’s building was very much “cookie-cutter” inside, and the layout was used in other Rich’s buildings. This was an era when department stores were full-line carrying: appliances, clothing, food services, books and furniture; true departments. Miller’s eventually acquired the building, and it became the last vestige of downtown retailing until it closed (ironically similar to the main Rich’s store in Atlanta), as retail moved to the suburbs and malls became dominant.

Knoxville has been fortunate to retain the old building. A walk through the building today reveals reconfigured layout. However, around the various corridors, a trained eye can pick out features, such as covered escalator shafts, high ceilings and other leftovers from its prior use. Hopefully, the building can be remodeled and retained as part of Knoxville’s downtown history. The building is not alone in conversion from retail to other uses; in the Atlanta area, several older retail buildings have become lofts and condominiums and, in another, a university office and classroom space.

I just wanted to thank you for publishing the April 17 article on pages 22 and 23 that features locally grown food. I found it extremely helpful, and I wasn’t aware that there were so many local farmers and markets to get fresh food! I have been looking for a healthier, fresher alternative to Wal-Mart for some time now, and this helped tremen-
dously. Thanks again.