Blog: City Blog

Keeping Up with the South Waterfront Development, Part II

Last month, we looked at development on the western end of the South Waterfront. (Click HERE to view that blog post.) Here’s a quick breakdown of what's going on along the eastern half of the South Waterfront:

Eastern End of the South Waterfront Development

Eastern End of the South Waterfront Development

1 – SUTTREE LANDING PAVILION | 1001 Waterfront Drive

The Public Building Authority is currently working with the City on the Suttree Landing Pavilion and Kayak Launch, which will include accessible public restrooms. At this point, officials are negotiating project terms with Blaine Construction, the company contracted to begin construction in 2019.

The project is the third phase for Suttree Landing Park, which opened in 2016 as Knoxville’s first major park in more than a decade.

Phase 1 was a $3.4 million investment in construction and included a 2,000-foot-long riverwalk, a large festival lawn, river overlooks and an accessible playground. The new eight-acre park was named after Cormac McCarthy’s novel about river life in Knoxville.

Phase 2 was the construction of the $3.2 million Waterfront Drive. The road development is a two-lane tree-lined street that offers on-street parking in addition to the park’s parking lot.

Knoxville Utilities Board is currently making significant upgrades to an outdated sewer system along the waterfront park. Those $2.2 million improvements are scheduled to be completed in late spring/early summer of 2019.

2 – OLD SEVIER COMMUNITY FAÇADE IMPROVEMENTS | Sevier Avenue/Davenport Road/Blount Avenue

700 Sevier Avenue before and after a City facade improvement project

700 Sevier Avenue before and after a City facade improvement project

700 Sevier Ave. – This vacant building experienced a transformation, including the façade improvement, and now houses Honeybee Coffee and Echelon Bicycles.

The City’s Community Development Department has invested an estimated $252,000 along the South Waterfront through the Commercial Façade Improvement Program. Through the program, building owners in targeted redevelopment areas can apply for matching funding to repair and renovate their buildings' exteriors. In many cases, these are vacant buildings being brought back into productive use. The City funding helps new businesses come to the area, along with associated job creation, by supporting owner investment in older structures.

The investment in the Old Sevier neighborhood has stimulated economic growth along Sevier Avenue and helped transform several properties, including:

700 Sevier Ave. - Honeybee Coffee is now frequently buzzing with visitors who seek out the cafe on the south side of the river. Echelon Bicycles operates out of the property’s smaller side structure, offering bike repairs and rentals for Urban Wilderness enthusiasts.
605 Sevier Ave. - Computer Systems Plus is a longstanding anchor on Sevier Avenue, and the façade improvement has enhanced the business front and added to the charm of the South Knoxville street.
2018 Davenport Road - Advance Metals, a custom metalwork shop, is a long-time South Knoxville business and renovated the front of its building with façade program assistance.

1120 Sevier Ave. - A once-vacant building is now home of Alliance Brewing Co. and soon-to-be Simpl Restaurant. Outdoor patio dining and on-street parking are two new amenities that replace an unused concrete drive.
1147 Sevier Ave. - The Landing House offers a cozy dining experience and a large, open patio lawn that had previously been surrounded with a chain-linked fence topped with barbed wire. The outdoor fire pit has become a local social hangout.

The City is currently working with two properties, one on Sevier Avenue and the other Blount Avenue, that are expected to be under contract soon for façade improvements. If all goes as planned, there will be a local grocery store, a restaurant and bar, and a sound production studio suite in South Knoxville’s near future!

3 – SEVIER AVENUE STREETSCAPES PROJECT | Sevier Avenue/Island Home Avenue/Foggy Bottoms Street intersection

A rendering of the proposed roundabout for the Sevier Avenue Streetscapes Project

This project is currently in the right-of-way acquisition phase with construction expected to being in fall 2019. The goal of the streetscapes improvement is to enhance the Old Sevier community with upgraded streetscape amenities including wider sidewalks, bike lanes, and street- and pedestrian-scaled lighting.

Utility upgrades will include overhead electric and telecommunications to go underground as part of the South Waterfront Form Based Code requirements.

A roundabout is proposed at the intersection of Sevier Avenue, Island Home Avenue, and Foggy Bottoms Street to improve traffic circulation at these intersections.

4 – ISLAND HOME AVENUE SIDEWALK IMPROVEMENTS | 1650 – 1215 Island Home Ave.

Island Home Avenue Sidewalk Improvements

The improved section of sidewalk along Island Home Avenue offers a riverfront view along the way as it links residences and River’s Edge Apartments to dining and other businesses.

This past summer, the City completed 2,700 feet of sidewalk improvements along Island Home Avenue between the end point of the riverwalk at River’s Edge Apartments, 1650 Island Home Ave., and Trailhead Beer Market, 1215 Island Home Ave.

The $200,000 project widened existing sidewalks to a consistent 6.5-foot width and installed ADA curb cuts.

More than anything, the sidewalk improvements provide connectivity for the developing community, as it creates pedestrian links between the new apartments, Island Home neighborhood, businesses along Sevier Avenue, and access to Suttree Landing Park.

The upcoming streetscapes work along Sevier Avenue will complete the sidewalk connection to McCormick Avenue.

5 – RIVER’S EDGE APARTMENTS | 1701 Island Home Ave.

This riverwalk was an amenity added as part of the River’s Edge Apartments development.

River's Edge Apartments is a 134-unit Class A luxury style apartment complex located along Island Home Avenue. Residents moved into the completed complex in 2017.

The development included a realignment of Island Home Avenue to construct 800 linear feet of public riverwalk along the Tennessee River.

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For more information, visit www.knoxvilletn.gov/southwaterfront.

Posted by On 26 December, 2018 at 5:11 PM