KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — A Knoxville building thought to be one of the oldest parking structures in American history could soon be slated for demolition.

An application submitted to the City of Knoxville by the owner of the Pryor Brown Garage has requested permission to demolish the nearly 100-year-old building.

Since the building qualifies as a historic structure, the application is subject to a 60-day waiting period before city officials approve or deny the application. The application states the estimated cost of demolition at $450,000.

According to the historical nonprofit Knox Heritage, the building is thought to be one of the oldest parking garage buildings in the United States. The four-story building was built in 1929 at the previous site of a livery stable on Church Avenue in downtown Knoxville.

Knox Heritage Executive Director Todd Morgan told WATE it is also one of the oldest examples of mixed-use development, with retail at the bottom and parking on top. It was used as a public parking garage until 2013.

The Pryor Brown Garage has deteriorated over the years. A large portion of the roof collapsed in 2015 and the city temporarily closed two roads near the building in 2021 over structural concerns.

City officials in 2016 announced plans to partner with the building’s owners to convert it into residential and retail space, but the project never materialized.