Federal Grant will Give City of Knoxville Almost $25 Million Dollars for Pedestrian Bridge Project to Connect UT Campus to South Knoxville
WVLT

Federal Grant will Give City of Knoxville Almost $25 Million Dollars for Pedestrian Bridge Project to Connect UT Campus to South Knoxville

Posted on January 8, 2025

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (courtesy of WVLT) – The City of Knoxville will receive almost $25 million in federal dollars to kickstart an ongoing downtown Knoxville pedestrian bridge project. Millions of federal money to fund South Knoxville — UT pedestrian bridge project

In total, $24.7 million is going to the city from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE)project, a grant the city applied for and been denied in the past.

The bridge will span the Tennessee River, connecting the South Waterfront to UT’s Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. It’ll be limited to just pedestrians and cyclists, and the city said it will “provide efficient, sustainable access to jobs, services, work and school while maximizing pedestrian and bicycle safety across the river.”

So far, the city and its partners (Knox County and the university) have made some progress in getting the project off the ground. UT’s Board of Trustees, with input from Knoxville’s Community Development Corp, agreed in March of 2022 to buy a portion of land on the south bank where the bridge would connect to the campus proper.

That RAISE grant will be paired with more money from the state.

“We are so excited to have secured the next round of funding to make the South Knoxville Pedestrian Bridge a reality,” said Mayor Indya Kincannon. “The federal RAISE grant, coupled with the $20 million from the state, will now propel this project to the next stage. I am grateful to the key partners who have committed to seeing this project through.”

This latest news came in the form of a news conference from Kincannon. She also brought on UT Chancellor Donde Plowman to speak on the bridge project.

“I am stunned at where we are today. I want to thank you and your team for the persistence,” Plowman said to the mayor. “It will provide a valuable connection between our vibrant campus, downtown and South Knoxville, benefiting our community and further enhancing the South Waterfront as an active place to live, work and play.“

That being said, some people have shown concern for the project. In August of last year, state officials said the money would be better spent improving mental health and homelessness infrastructure.

Others closer to Knoxville have voiced opposition to the project’s impact on South Knoxville, especially on those who live on lower incomes. UT President Randy Boyd, who is from South Knoxville, said the project is aimed at improving the area, drawing ties between the neighborhood and the university.

“This is great for the city and the University of Tennessee,” Boyd said. “I grew up in South Knoxville. Sometimes I feel like that area of Knoxville — the Vestal community — is overlooked. I think this will be a great thing for that part of my hometown.”

It’s a sentiment Kincannon voiced as well, saying the project has been in the works for decades.

“This is a vision of the people of South Knoxville,” she said. “It just so happens that it’s in alignment with some of the university’s visions as well.”

As for the bridge itself, the city’s application to the RAISE program claimed it will cost around $60 million. More information, including a timeline for the project, hasn’t been announced yet.

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Federal Grant will Give City of Knoxville Almost $25 Million Dollars for Pedestrian Bridge Project to Connect UT Campus to South Knoxville
WVLT

Federal Grant will Give City of Knoxville Almost $25 Million Dollars for Pedestrian Bridge Project to Connect UT Campus to South Knoxville

Posted on January 8, 2025 by rcadle • 0 Comments

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (courtesy of WVLT) – The City of Knoxville will receive almost $25 million in federal dollars to kickstart an ongoing downtown Knoxville pedestrian bridge project. Millions of federal money to fund South Knoxville — UT pedestrian bridge project

In total, $24.7 million is going to the city from the Rebuilding American Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity (RAISE)project, a grant the city applied for and been denied in the past.

The bridge will span the Tennessee River, connecting the South Waterfront to UT’s Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center. It’ll be limited to just pedestrians and cyclists, and the city said it will “provide efficient, sustainable access to jobs, services, work and school while maximizing pedestrian and bicycle safety across the river.”

So far, the city and its partners (Knox County and the university) have made some progress in getting the project off the ground. UT’s Board of Trustees, with input from Knoxville’s Community Development Corp, agreed in March of 2022 to buy a portion of land on the south bank where the bridge would connect to the campus proper.

That RAISE grant will be paired with more money from the state.

“We are so excited to have secured the next round of funding to make the South Knoxville Pedestrian Bridge a reality,” said Mayor Indya Kincannon. “The federal RAISE grant, coupled with the $20 million from the state, will now propel this project to the next stage. I am grateful to the key partners who have committed to seeing this project through.”

This latest news came in the form of a news conference from Kincannon. She also brought on UT Chancellor Donde Plowman to speak on the bridge project.

“I am stunned at where we are today. I want to thank you and your team for the persistence,” Plowman said to the mayor. “It will provide a valuable connection between our vibrant campus, downtown and South Knoxville, benefiting our community and further enhancing the South Waterfront as an active place to live, work and play.“

That being said, some people have shown concern for the project. In August of last year, state officials said the money would be better spent improving mental health and homelessness infrastructure.

Others closer to Knoxville have voiced opposition to the project’s impact on South Knoxville, especially on those who live on lower incomes. UT President Randy Boyd, who is from South Knoxville, said the project is aimed at improving the area, drawing ties between the neighborhood and the university.

“This is great for the city and the University of Tennessee,” Boyd said. “I grew up in South Knoxville. Sometimes I feel like that area of Knoxville — the Vestal community — is overlooked. I think this will be a great thing for that part of my hometown.”

It’s a sentiment Kincannon voiced as well, saying the project has been in the works for decades.

“This is a vision of the people of South Knoxville,” she said. “It just so happens that it’s in alignment with some of the university’s visions as well.”

As for the bridge itself, the city’s application to the RAISE program claimed it will cost around $60 million. More information, including a timeline for the project, hasn’t been announced yet.