KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The city of Knoxville announced Tuesday it is receiving a $5.5 million grant from the BlueCross BlueShield of Tennessee Foundation to upgrade Morningside Park.
The grant will add a slew of new features to the 36-acre park near downtown. A multipurpose field with bleachers, more playgrounds, a challenge course, fitness area, walking trail and two new community pavilions are some of the new things being proposed.
The city said it applied for the BlueCross Healthy Place grant with help from the Legacy Park Foundation. $4.6 million will go toward the project, with the other $920,000 paying for maintenance and upkeep.
"Morningside Park is one of Knoxville's prettiest and biggest parks. I am so grateful that Blue Cross Blue Shield is donating $5.5 million to bring even more amenities to this beautiful 36-acre park," Mayor Indya Kincannon said.
Knoxville-based landscape architecture firm Ross/Fowler created conceptual designs of the space. BCBS said the goal of the project is to provide people with more spaces for healthy activity.
"This is absolutely a dream come true. We think the community will enjoy these assets for years to come, and use this space as a great place to come together," BCBS Director of Community Relations Chelsea Johnson said.
BCBS said there are similar projects underway in Chattanooga and Nashville, and the foundation plans to announced 10 more projects in 2021.