A proposed 18-story apartment building in downtown Knoxville received unanimous approval from the Design Review Board after three months of back-and-forth discussion and public criticism, mostly over how the blank back side of the building would benefit pedestrians.

The board, part of Knoxville-Knox County Planning, voted 8-0 on June 20 to approve the updated design by Atlanta-based Brock Hudgins Architects. The architects are working with South Carolina-based developer Woodfield Development on the project, named Hill & Locust.

The property is bordered by Locust Street to the east, West Hill Avenue to the north, Front Avenue to the south and the Henley Street Bridge to the west. If you’re having trouble picturing the site, Front Avenue runs parallel and is at the same height as Neyland Drive, which is just a few feet from the property line.

In the updated design, the project team has added a new interior space at the corner of the building near the intersection of Front Avenue and Locust Street to create a more pedestrian- and public-focused experience.

This interior area would be used as an artist studio, bike room and pet space until the neighborhood becomes more viable for retail on the Tennessee River.

At the meeting, the project team shared new renderings showing how trees would be incorporated and how developers plan to build new sidewalks along Locust Street and Front Avenue.

The board’s approval is dependent on the team submitting mechanical, landscaping and final site plans, as well as returning to the board with a separate application for exterior signs.

These are some of the latest updates from Woodfield Development:

• Reduced building size along Henley Street: The facade closest to the Henley Street bridge has been pushed back 10 feet from the bridge. A partial penthouse floor has been added after two stories were removed, making this portion of the building 15 stories.

• New penthouse floors: The West Hill Avenue building has increased to seven stories, with a new penthouse floor. The top floor on the Locust Street side of the high rise has been replaced with a penthouse, giving the whole project a new roofline with added dimension.

• New garage screening: The parking garage, a major point of criticism in the original design, now features white, vertical metal fins to hide the garage’s structure, keep natural ventilation and match the design of the off-white residential buildings above.

The back courtyard section remains at 16 stories high, with the highest point reaching 18 stories.

What’s next for the Hill & Locust project?

After passing the Design Review Board, there’s a seven-day period for neighbors to appeal the decision. An appeal would move the project to the Planning Commission to make its decision.

If no appeal is made, the developers will be approved to move forward as long as they submit final plans. Developers could then apply for permits.

Keenan Thomas reports for the Knox News business growth and development team. You can reach him by email at keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Downtown Knoxville high rise Hill & Locust apartment tower design approved