Knoxville (Jan. 11, 2012) —  On a rainy Wednesday morning, Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett stood outside of the run-down Oakwood Elementary School to announce that he wasn’t quite ready to give up on seeing something done with the property.  (Photos below)

The building, located at 232 E. Churchwell Ave., has been a concern for residents in the Oakwood community and others in North Knoxville for quite some time.  Last year, Knox County acquired the property from the Knox County Schools and issued a request for proposal (RFP) to see if someone could develop the property for private use.  There was only one proposal made, but it didn’t work out, so the mayor wants to give it another shot.

“This property is an important part of this community, and I know the neighbors here are tired of seeing the building in the shape it is in,” Knox County Mayor Tim Burchett said.  “Public safety is always a concern with properties like this, and there are no illusions that making something happen here will be easy.”

The RFP will be released next week, and all proposals are due to Knox County Purchasing no later than 2 p.m. on Feb. 28, 2012.  Once the RFP process is complete, the final proposal would require commission approval.