Repurposing at The Regas Building

Conference Room 204 at The Regas Building is a bustling place for nonprofit tenants swirling in and out with stacks of papers, laptops, coffee cups and water bottles.

The room’s second-floor view of the city is framed by archways above what was once the original entrance to the Watauga Hotel, circa 1900, which pre-dates Regas restaurant. Architectural remnants and exposed brick walls were unearthed during construction. Knoxville Leadership Foundation (KLF) has been restoring and reclaiming as much of the original building as possible.They hit the salvage lottery downstairs when wood floor joists turned out to be exceptionally rare Heart Pine, aged from a tree that at the very least was rooted in the ground before the American Revolution.

KLF commissioned John McGilvray, owner of McGilvray Woodworks, to create a custom conference table for room 204 with the wood joists.

For ABN staff, it’s the perfect meeting space for designing programs and services that will help nonprofits take existing resources and create something even better. We can’t wait to open our doors to the nonprofit community in the fall. ABN members will have a special opportunity to book first-floor meeting rooms and training spaces at The Regas Building.

But, if you ever happen to meet in Conference Room 204, be sure to use a coaster.

Want to learn more about Alliance for Better Nonprofits? Contact Tiffani Mensch, Director of Membership by email, TMensch@betternonprofits.org or by phone, (865) 313-2077 ext. 204.