Fort Kid supporters, city debate future of downtown playground

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Questions remain about the future of a well-known Downtown Knoxville playground.

Knoxville City Council recently authorized $300,000 to renovate Fort Kid.

But a parent who helped build it said that renovation calls for demolishing the popular kids area, with no city funds to help rebuild.

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The history of Fort Kid goes back to 1991. 

Parents built it and then gave it to the city as a gift. 

Though it's been 28 years, Fort Kid's charm isn't lost on Beth Waters.

"Children still enjoy playing on it," Waters said.

In 1991, she was one of the hundreds of volunteers who raised thousands of dollars to give Knoxville's children another place to play.

The Fort Kid Committee, made up of parents like Waters, paid nearly $55,000 to spruce it up in 2014.

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But Knoxville Chief Operating Officer David Brace said the playground is not ADA compliant, and a retaining wall beneath it is falling apart.

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The wall faces the Knoxville Art Museum on World's Fair Park Drive.

"After discussions with the museum and with Beth Waters and folks, we decided that sloping it would be the best option to create a long-term piece of real estate for Fort Kid," Brace said.

Brace said removal of the aging wall means the playground goes away just to be able to physically do the work, costing the city $300,000.

"In meetings that we've had with the city, they're like oh, after we take out Fort Kid, could the Fort Kid committee raise money and let us purchase a ready-made playground for this space?" Waters said.

Brace said the city would support those potential fundraising efforts.

"Fundraising and working with the Museum of Art and creating a real connection between the museum and that play space and integrating art into that I think we think is a project Beth and others can fundraise around," Brace said.

But Waters said that's not enough. 

"Pause this, ask the citizens of Knoxville what they think," Waters said. "Don't bring in the bulldozers yet. We're not waving the white flag."

For now, the playground is open to the public.