KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The Knoxville City Council is meeting on Tuesday and will discuss an agenda that proposes spending millions of dollars on infrastructure projects. The agenda also proposes the city work with the Knoxville Community Development Corporation on a plan to encourage the revitalization of old structures along Magnolia Avenue.
A resolution was proposed to spend around $8.9 million with a firm for the Sevier Avenue Streetscapes Project, and another resolution would involve spending around $5.3 million on the Sevier Avenue Utility Conduit and Duct Bank Project. The city would also consider approving around $850,000 to inspect the Gay Street Bridge, taking steps to repair it.
Additional information about the different proposals is available below.
Knoxville City Council will consider a proposal that would ask KCDC to start working on a redevelopment plan for an area of Magnolia Avenue. The city said it would designate the redevelopment area to include areas of Chilhowee Park, Burlington and the southern side of the I-40 and Cherry Street interchange.
KCDC would work to encourage developers to revitalize and reuse vacant and blighted areas of the corridor, hoping to "foster economic development through public private partnerships." The city said according to state law, KCDC would need to conduct a public hearing to determine whether a redevelopment plan is necessary for the area.
The city said in April, there was a City Council Dinner presentation about the possibility of establishing a redevelopment area in the corridor. It also said since the city already provides funding to KCDC for planning and redevelopment services, it would not need to provide additional funding for the plan.
The city will consider approving changes to two budgets on the second reading. If approved on second reading, the changes will go into effect.
As part of the proposals, a few of the city's funds would increase by a total of around $4.5 million. The proposal said the Capital Budget would increase by around $3.3 million and the General Fund Operating Budget would increase by around $1 million. Its Enterprise Funds 504 and 503 would increase by a total of $262,440.
Increases in the Capital Fund would help pay for steps to make repairs to the Gay Street Bridge. It has been closed for more than two months after the Tennessee Department of Transportation said it was not safe following a routine inspection. The department said it found a distorted steel truss on the bridge and identified other issues.
The council suggested allocating $850,000 to hire an engineering firm to "provide professional analysis and design services specific to future repairs for the Gay Street Bridge."
It would also pay for infrastructure improvements at the Knoxville Coliseum and Auditorium. That project would take around $1.5 million and would install a new electrical vault at the coliseum.
Another $642,750 from the new Capital Budget funds would go to the Urban Wilderness Gateway Park Project, helping pay for its final phase. The city said the funds were originally appropriated in the 2016-2017 fiscal year, but the "cost of the build-out of the James White Pavilion and other planned amenities has recently come in over the remaining project balance."
A resolution was proposed that could result in construction starting on a project that the council has worked on for more than a decade. If approved, the city said construction would start in late 2024 and be completed within 18 months.
The Sevier Avenue Streetscapes Project would result in improvements like bike lanes, improved sidewalks, street lighting, on-street parking and a new roundabout at the intersection of Sevier Avenue, Island Home Avenue and Foggy Bottom Street.
Knoxville leaders said the engineering department has worked with the Tennessee Department of Transportation to start improvements along Sevier Avenue, extending from Davenport Road to the new roundabout. Construction could also include a new railroad crossing and drainage improvements.
The city said different parts of the project would be covered under different contracts. For example, the city proposed spending around $1 million more for CDM Smith, Inc. to provide construction engineering and inspection services for the project.
The $8.9 million contract, with Whaley Construction, would cover the majority of the work. The city said it also approved making payments to reimburse Comcast, KUB and AT&T for relocation efforts.
The city said the project is a "TDOT Locally Managed Project. It said 80% would be paid for with federal funds and 20% would be paid for with a local match.
Another component of work along Sevier Avenue is the development of underground infrastructure, allowing the city to relocate overhead utilities underground. Effectively, the project would move utility lines owned by KUB, AT&T and Comcast — allowing other improvements like the new roundabout and street lighting to be safely installed.
The resolution said moving the utilities underground would meet the requirements of the South Waterfront Form-Based Code.
"This infrastructure must be in place before the City can coordinate with the utility owners to relocate their overhead utilities," the city said in the resolution.
The contract would be Southern Contractors, Inc. which would be responsible for installing the infrastructure, allowing the utilities to be moved underground. The city said construction is anticipated to start in late 2024 and the entire project could take 18 months. However, the process to move utilities underground should be complete with 270 calendar days.
The city also said this portion of the Sevier Avenue project would be funded with 100% local monies.
