Affordable housing through historic preservation : a case study of the Mechanicsville neighborhood

Recently, blighted and deteriorated neighborhoods throughout the country have attempted to revitalize themselves by using historic preservation. The primary concern in each of these neighborhoods is affordable housing. The Old Mechanicsville neighborhood in Knoxville, Tennessee has also voiced this concern and have attempted to use historic preservation as a tool in providing affordable housing. The Mechanicsville neighborhood has fought against blight and deterioration for fifteen to twenty years. Once a neighborhood of burnt out houses, trash filled alleys, vagrants, abandoned cars, vacant lots and absentee landlords, the neighborhood is revitalizing itself. Those responsible for the revitalization of the neighborhood are the City, the residents of the neighborhood and a host of other organizations and businesses. The area is now receiving the attention it deserves. The purpose of this study was to investigate the use of historic preservation as a tool in providing affordable housing in the Mechanicsville neighborhood historic district. The study uses the Mayor's Task Force Report to evaluate the success of this tool. Through investigation and research it can be concluded that historic preservation has been a useful tool in providing affordable housing in the Mechanicsville neighborhood historic district.