After 57 years in the same building, the Tennessee Highway Patrol’s District 1 headquarters is leaving its Kingston Pike location across from West Town Mall and moving to a new $15 million facility in Strawberry Plains.

THP Capt. Stacey Heatherly, the new commander of District 1, says the staff will begin moving in on Jan. 27, 2022. Its address in Strawberry Plains is 1755 Neals Commerce Lane. The new headquarters facility was designed by Community Tectonics Architects of Knoxville.

Heatherly has 67 on-road troopers covering the 10-county district and an additional 17 others in support positions. The district covers Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Knox, Loudon, Monroe, Morgan, Roane, Scott, and Sevier counties.

The new 15,500 square foot headquarters houses administrative offices, evidence storage, public areas, a reinstatement courtroom and ancillary spaces. The site development includes a public parking area, a secure parking area, specialized parking for operational vehicles, an impound lot, and a helipad.

Heatherly says the THP will be scheduling an open house and dedication ceremonies for this spring.

The current location, at the intersection of Kingston Pike and Morrell Road, is prime real estate in West Knoxville and said to be the most expensive piece of real estate the state has or will have on the market.