KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — City leaders hope to wrap up soon a major step in the construction of Knoxville's "Cradle of Country Music Park."
The city said it hopes to install a curvy metal canopy by early fall. The canopy would be installed over a newly built concrete pier, which has already been installed at the park located near the intersection of Gay Street and West Summit Hill Drive. The completed project would give visitors a shaded platform over a green space near downtown Knoxville.
Leaders previously said the "Pier 865" canopy sculpture would sit atop the concrete foundation. It features a wavy and fluid type of design, Once completed, it is expected to become the city's largest and most expensive piece of public art. It cost $560,000 and was designed by a Brooklyn, New York, firm named THEVERYMANY.
The green space where it will be installed spans a little more than half an acre. For decades prior, small pieces of art have filled the location and decorated the park. More recently, the park grew sparse and the Knoxville City Council decided to begin building the pier and canopy to spruce it up, making it a more active and dynamic public area.
In total, the Cradle of Country Music Park installations will cost around $1.2 million, including sidewalk improvements and landscaping work.
After the canopy is installed, the city said it also plans to plant nine new trees.
