During 2009, the reopening of the S&W Cafeteria as the S& W Grand highlighted the rehabilitation efforts in downtown Knoxville. This preservation victory on the 500 block of Gay Street was made possible by a partnership between the City of Knoxville and Knox Heritage during the construction of the new Riviera Theater that resulted in the saving and ultimate restoration of the S&W and two adjacent buildings.

The Daylight Building, at 505 Union, is currently being restored as an apartment building and has been listed on the National Register of Historic Places in recognition of its historic associations with the early days of the Tennessee Valley Authority. Stratford (the Sterchi Mansion) at 809 Dry Gap Pike also received National Register listing in 2009. The Hotpoint House at 509 West Hills Drive , an innovative 1954 design by Bruce McCarty, was determined eligible at the state level in 2009 and, has since, received a National Register listing.

Reconstruction of Minvilla on North Broadway is underway and should be completed in Fall 2010. These row houses and nearby commercial spaces, which have been restored through Empowerment Zone activities, will help restore a critical link between downtown Knoxville and its surrounding residential neighborhoods.

Historic preservation standards have been adopted into the Downtown Knoxville Design Guidelines to guide the exterior rehabilitation of National Register listed or eligible downtown buildings, even though they may not be designated through an H-1 Historic Overlay.

The Knoxville Historic Zoning Commission processed 101 applications for Certificates of Appropriateness in 2009. Those certificates reflected an increased level of activity in the Fort Sanders Neighborhood Conservation Overlay and the Edgewood-Park City Historic Overlay.