Walnut Street Holiday Inn Express

Historic Preservation Meets Modern HospitalityD&S Builders is proud to lead the transformation of the Walnut Building, a prominent nine-story structure originally constructed in 1955. Located at 706 Walnut Street, this project is a sophisticated adaptive reuse effort, converting former commercial and office space into a premier Holiday Inn Express in the heart of downtown Knoxville.

Architectural Evolution & Technical PrecisionThe conversion process involves a complete overhaul of the building’s exterior and interior while respecting its mid-century modern roots. D&S Builders is executing a design that features:

• Façade Modernization: Staining the original red brick an "opaque white" and replacing the recessed, curved storefront with a sleek, horizontal glass entrance to maximize street presence on Walnut Street.
• Complex Structural Retrofitting: Transforming eight floors of legacy office layouts into 91 modern hotel rooms, requiring precise updates to mechanical, plumbing, and fire safety systems within a historic 1950s frame.
• Strategic Accessibility: Integrating a new second-floor stair egress and an updated accessible entrance to meet current ADA and hospitality standards without compromising the building's footprint.

Community-Focused ConstructionA unique aspect of this project is the preservation of the ground-floor commercial space for Yassin’s Falafel House. D&S Builders has coordinated construction logistics to ensure this local community hub remains operational and safe during the renovation. This highlights our ability to manage high-impact urban projects while maintaining positive relationships with existing stakeholders and the surrounding downtown community.

The ResultThe Holiday Inn Express at the Walnut Building adds much-needed hospitality density to downtown Knoxville. By repurposing an underutilized mid-century office building, D&S Builders is contributing to the "organic development" of the city, blending historical character with the amenities required by modern travelers.

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