KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The City of Knoxville began the demolition of Fort Kid on Monday, April 6, just one day short of its 29th birthday.
The well-known community playground near the Sunsphere was temporarily closed in November 2018 when a Knox County Health Department inspection revealed a number of structural issues and safety hazards, such as exposed nails, trip hazards, splintered wooden components, and a decayed retaining wall supporting the play area.
The city moved forward with improvement plans to dismantle the original structure and rebuild Fort Kid at the same location in February. It accepted a $200,000 donation to renovate the structure on March 10.
After releasing a community survey roughly a month ago, city crews began the demolition project on Monday, April 6.
The Fort Kid Committee, which had been advocating for Fort Kid's preservation, said it is recovering and will donate the fence, benches, picnic tables, and reusable play equipment installed in 2014 to the Emerald Youth Foundation.
The city's plans for Fort Kid can be found on its website.
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