(WBIR - Knoxville) The next few weeks could go a long way towards determining the future of the Knoxville Civic Auditorium and Coliseum.
The city could spend more than $200,000 combined for a couple of studies that may influence whether the old facility is refurbished or razed.
The first study is more of a "big picture" examination of the Civic Auditorium and Coliseum along with three other sites on the periphery of downtown's core. The $125,000 contract with the Urban Land Institute will give the city a fresh set of eyes to examine possible redevelopment and ways to maximize the coliseum, the McClung Warehouse site, World's Fair Park, and the abandoned Supreme Court building. The study's aim is to help sites along the edge of downtown tap in on the action that has revitalized the center of downtown.
Related (July 17, 2014): Knoxville eyes property with potential for downtown redevelopment
The second study will focus specifically on the nuts and bolts of the Civic Auditorium and Coliseum. Knoxville City Council approved up to $98,500 for a feasibility study that will recommend whether to rehab what is already in place or if money would be better-spent to tear the coliseum down and rebuild from scratch.
Whether it's elephants on the march during the circus, cartoon characters skating at Disney on Ice, or concerts the coliseum, many have a great deal of nostalgia for the old building because it has not changed a bit through the years. On the downside, the facility has not changed a bit. You could say it looks just like new, because there's not much difference between today and when it was brand new in 1961.
The Coliseum's old bones do not put an adequate roof over the heads of many concerts.
"When this thing was designed in the 1950s, everybody stacked their speakers on the floor. Now they hang them from the trusses. Our trusses aren't strong enough for a modern show," said Knoxville director of public assembly facilities Greg Mackay in an April 2014 interview.
Related (April 8, 2014): Rehab or Raze? Study planned for future of Civic Auditorium & Coliseum
The City of Knoxville is negotiating the contract for the feasibility study with a consulting group called Conventions Sports and Leisure International (CSL). The consultants have a major league resume that includes work on multiple professional baseball, football, and soccer arenas around the world.
A panel of consultants from the Urban Land Institute arrives in Knoxville on October 5 and will conduct its study over the course of five days. The panel will deliver a community report about its findings on October 10 and then provide a more detailed written assessment a few months later.
When all is said and done, Knoxville should have plenty of advice on how to maximize the Civic Auditorium and Coliseum as a downtown destination.
