Support Us Button Widget

Adaptively reused buildings in Chattanooga, TN.

On the left, a photo of an old brick building. On the right, a photo of a new office space with a desk, a conference room, and a bar in the background.

A before + after shot of the Craftworks Building. | Photos for graphic via Morgan Construction.

Table of Contents

Some of Chattanooga’s most popular office spaces, restaurants, and business buildings were created through adaptive reusethe process of using + repurposing an old building for something that it wasn’t originally intended for.

The adaptive reuse trend began in Chattanooga in the 1980s, and many cool, local buildings are current examples of the increasingly popular development tactic.

CraftWorks Office Building, 201 W. Main St. | This building houses The Feed Co., Grain Craft, and several small businesses. The 100+ year old building was previously a storage facility for Chattanooga Feed Co.

Kenco Logistics, 2001 Riverside Dr. | Formerly a Quaker Oats milling facility, this 30-acre rivermill property was renovated in the early 2000s + now serves as the headquarters for Kenco Logistics.

Big River Grille, 222 Broad St. | Renovated by the same company that reconstructed Kenco Logistics + the CraftWorks building, downtown’s Big River Grille location was formerly a trolley barn.

Southern Saddlery Building, 3001 S. Broad St. | This 4-story building that is now full of small businesses was converted from its original role as a processor of the raw material for saddles.

Common House, 1517 Mitchell Ave. | This historic YMCA building built circa 1929 was restructured to become a modern social club with many of its original elements.

Urban Stack, 12 W. 13th St. | Built in 1870, Urban Stack is the oldest standing building in Chattanooga + formerly served as the Southern Railway Baggage Depot.

Market Street Lofts, 1301 Market St. | Now a Southside apartment complex, the 1301 Market St. building was originally the site of a passenger terminal + later an administration building for the Southern Railway.

King Street Station, 1208 King St. | This 100+ year old former cold storage warehouse was recently made into a new office and business space featuring Wanderlinger Brewing Co. + Goodfella’s Pizza.

More before + after photos

Photo of an old strip of brick buildings.

The former trolley barn that became Big River Grill | Photo via Morgan Construction

Photo of the inside of a restaurant

Big River grill after the building was adaptively reused | Photo via Morgan Construction

An old, unfinished-looking building with only one wall up.

A before picture of the Kenco Rivermill | Photo via Morgan Construction

A large yellow and grey building with cars in front.

An after photo of the Kenco Rivermill | Photo via Morgan Construction

Poll

More from NOOGAtoday
Thanksgiving season is here — fill your plate with community and gratitude.
Spoiler alert: It’s not great. We dove into the Texas A&M Transportation Institute’s congestion data so you don’t have to.
Check out some dine-in and carry-out options for Thanksgiving dinner this year.
New vehicle detection technology is expected to help traffic flow more smoothly and improve safety across the city.
Over the next 10 days, we’re launching a reader-driven campaign to sustain what we do best.
Whether you’re a retired service member or active-duty, these places are extending a “thank you” with special offers.
Run or walk for a cause this holiday season.
To help make your entire process at the Chattanooga Airport as smooth as possible, we’ve created a guide that covers everything from gates and parking to details on the airport’s nine nonstop flights.
Local food banks are seeing a surge in demand — here’s what you can do to help.
Nearly eight months into its 18-month closure, the iconic blue bridge is showing fresh color and steady progress toward reopening in 2026.