Tesla Boulevard in Alcoa opened up to the public on Wednesday in a ceremony held by the City of Alcoa, RESIGHT of Denver, CO, and former land owner, Arconic Inc. This marks the end of a 16-month construction project that paved the way for an urban development named Springbrook Farm, according to a news release from the City of Alcoa.
The boulevard opened on the site of the former Aluminum Company of America Inc. West Plant, which had served as an aluminum fabrication mill from 1920 until it closed in 1989. The site is made up by about 300 acres between Mills Street, Pistol Creek, Hall Road and Alcoa Highway.
The construction included site grading, road construction, utility infrastructure installation and landscaping to get ready for Springbrook Farm, which will have a mix of commercial, office and residential uses.
The boulevard runs for 1.25 miles and connects Hunt Road with the intersection of Hall Road and Associates Boulevard.
It was named in keeping with the City's founding fathers naming of streets in the area for famous scientists for Nikola Tesla, known for creating the design of the modern alternating current (AC) electricity supply system.
Tesla was also a street found on a 1921 city plat and was located near where the current city schools are situated.
"This is an exciting day for the City of Alcoa and Blount County, and it's certainly a landmark occasion for our company," RESIGHT Principal Partner Mikk Anderson said in the release.
"The West Plant site has always been an exciting opportunity for RESIGHT because it plays to so many of our strengths: managing iconic properties, working with public-sector partners and, in particular, transforming environmentally challenged sites into flourishing assets," he said. "But what sealed the deal for us was the chance to invest in a place like Alcoa with a strong sense of community, great municipal leadership and a vibrant economy."
In the news release, Mayor of Alcoa Don Mull touched on the history behind the land and how it had once provided jobs for many and will now do so again.
"After decades of lying dormant, today we cut the ribbon on Tesla Boulevard and officially announce its rebirth as Springbrook Farm, a new urbanist, mixed use community which will continue the heritage of this site as an equally valuable economic engine for both the City of Alcoa and Blount County."
The boulevard is expected to open to regular traffic on Thursday. The current temporary traffic pattern will change to the new permanent intersection of Tesla Boulevard and the northbound off-ramp to Hunt Road and at the 4-way intersection.