KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — For more than a decade, the City of Knoxville tried to figure out how to spur redevelopment and new business in an underutilized portion of the city along the I-275 corridor.
Sometime around 2007, the city began studying ways to revamp the outdated infrastructure that makes it difficult for cars and trucks to navigate the I-275 Business Park along Second Creek.
"We want to protect our green spaces, but we have this land right here that's already zoned industrial that can create new jobs without having to expand outside the city," said Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon.
After around a decade-and-a-half, officials cut the ribbon on the new I-275 Business Park Access Improvements Project. They said it will help new businesses looking for a place to open up shop, and could also help existing businesses that want to expand.
In 2017, the $5.5 million project was eventually able to get off the ground as the city took bids from contractors to overhaul the corridor and promote business growth.
In July 2020, work began on building a 1,100-foot-long extension of Blackstock Avenue to connect West Fifth Avenue and Bernard Avenue. Crews also improved a 1,600-foot-long section of Marion Street between Bernard and Baxter avenues, as well as another 650-foot-long section of Baxter Avenue between I-275 and the railroad tracks that run along Second Creek.
The new section of Blackstock Avenue was also made into a two-lane road and includes a curb and gutter, sidewalks and a multipurpose trail from West Fifth Avenue to Bernard Avenue. Marion Street was also realigned from Dameron Avenue to Baxter Avenue.
The city said the goal is ultimately to bring the underused area back into full use, which would create new jobs and improve the community.
The city previously said it spent more than $1 million in tax dollars to commit to the project, with the rest coming out of a federal grant.