UPDATE, FRIDAY 9:15 A.M.: With cleanup and repairs wrapping up ahead of schedule, the Knox County Parks and Recreation Department will reopen the entire Cove at Concord Park at 4 p.m. Friday.
The parks department had planned to reopen half of the Cove Friday afternoon, and the rest of it next week.
The department announced the accelerated opening plan on Twitter Friday morning, saying they only had a few small repairs left to finish during the day.
Taking care of the small things. That's all we have left. The entire Cove - not just half - will open at 4 today. pic.twitter.com/g60oqkSu9E
— Knox Co. Parks & Rec (@knoxcountyparks) June 9, 2017
River Sports Outfitters, which rents paddleboards and kayaks at the Cove, will also reopen there at 4 p.m. Friday.
“Safety was our main priority and now that the trees were hauled off and the power lines fixed we want to welcome everyone back to The Cove,” said Parks and Recreation Director Doug Bataille. “There is still some work to do and that will be ongoing. But, since we’ve got some of the hardest workers in the area, it shouldn’t take long.”
UPDATE: A portion of the Cove at Concord Park, which has been closed since a Memorial Day weekend storm caused $150,000 dollars in damage, will reopen to the public on Friday at 4 p.m.
The section that's reopening includes the beach to the point.
On Thursday, crews put new sand on beaches, at the volleyball court, and repaired the playgrounds. Picnic benches have been ordered and will be installed as they come in, according to Deputy Director of Parks Chuck James.
Cove volleyball area up and running pic.twitter.com/9dLD5goRJe
— Knox Co. Parks & Rec (@knoxcountyparks) June 8, 2017
The Knox County Parks and Recreation Department hopes to open the rest of the Cove by June 16 but says it could be opened sooner.
By the time the western side of the park opens Friday at 4 p.m., the Knox County Parks and Recreation Department says cleanup will be 100 percent complete.
The rest of Concord Park has remained open.
Original story
Dozens of fallen trees have been reduced to firewood and sawdust at the Cove in Concord Park.
Over Memorial Day weekend, a wind storm called a derecho toppled huge trees into power lines and equipment. The damage was estimated at about $150 thousand dollars.
Work to clear the park of the trees and debris started on Wednesday. Mencer's Tree Service was selected by the county to do the work, which is almost complete. Workers just need to clear some remaining logs and clean up the saw dust, which has to to be dry to be removed.
PHOTOS: Storm damage at The Cove at Concord Park
LCUB will bring in a contractor this week to remove the remaining power poles and replace them with underground utilities.
The Knox County Parts and Recreation Department hopes to have half of the Cove, from the beach to the point, opened by the end of the week
There is a chance the western part of the park, which includes the loops, could also open by then as well, but officials aren't sure yet. The latest that section is scheduled to open is June 16, the day before the scheduled dragon boat races.