If this pic doesn't sum up the Knoxville riverfront

[Clockwork Orange]

I don't know what does. Riverboat, clear skies, water, trees . . . rusty railroad bridge, Henley St. bridge torn apart and partially rebuilt, abandoned hospital in the background. I took this a couple weeks ago while I was walking at lunch and didn't realize until today how apropos the combination of elements is. Knoxville is fighting hard to change its image and the waterfront is a big part of that, but there is so far to go. The Volunteer Landing/Splash Pad/Calhouns/Greenway area is great, as long as you don't look across the river.  

[101stDad]

Back when the developers were looking for a site to put the aquarium that eventually ended up in Chattanooga, the developers came to Knoxville and asked if the city of Knoxville and Knox County would be interested in it.  The powers that be at the time, the Knoxville mayor and the city council along with was then called the county executive (now the county mayor) and the county commission, basically told them that the site they were interested in along the waterfront was being considered for a "Justice Center", better known as a jail, and put them off until that decision was made.  In the end, the "Justice Center" was built adjacent to Three Ridges Golf Course (property with the county already owned) and the aquarium developers got tired of waiting and went on to Chattanooga. We all know now what the aquarium has done for downtown Chattanooga, while downtown Knoxville has been in a constant search for an identity since the 1982 World's Fair ended, dumping millions of dollars in to projects that have done very little to revitalize downtown. 

It's really pretty sad when you consider what might have been. 

[Salvador VOLi]

I agree with what 101st says, however, I don't think that applies to all of downtown.  Gay Street and Market Square and the surrounding area has really made a huge comeback.  Tupelo Honey, Urban Outfitters, Mast, Regal, and others have put down really impressive roots in the middle of the city.  It really feels like the happening place to be right now.  Hopefully we can start developing the waterfront now and have an entire downtown complex that can rival Chattanooga.

[Clockwork Orange]

I agree with what 101st says, however, I don't think that applies to all of downtown.  Gay Street and Market Square and the surrounding area has really made a huge comeback.  Tupelo Honey, Urban Outfitters, Mast, Regal, and others have put down really impressive roots in the middle of the city.  It really feels like the happening place to be right now.  Hopefully we can start developing the waterfront now and have an entire downtown complex that can rival Chattanooga.

Yep. Downtown is great and getting better all the time. We've known people who came to town and said that downtown Knoxville was awesome-- plenty of places to eat and shop, safely lit, and a great place to spend evenings. You'd have been hard pressed to find someone with that opinion even 10 years ago. If you could extend that revitalization to the riverfront we would finally have a downtown to brag about.

Interestingly, the Old City has suffered some from downtown's progress. The restaurants and bars down there have lost business because, frankly, it just never felt safe or clean down there, and now there is an alternative. I think Barley's and Crown and Goose still do well but several places have closed their doors and others are struggling.

[101stDad]

I agree with what 101st says, however, I don't think that applies to all of downtown.  Gay Street and Market Square and the surrounding area has really made a huge comeback.  Tupelo Honey, Urban Outfitters, Mast, Regal, and others have put down really impressive roots in the middle of the city.  It really feels like the happening place to be right now.  Hopefully we can start developing the waterfront now and have an entire downtown complex that can rival Chattanooga.

You are correct.  There are pockets of the "downtown" area that have done ok, but overall the return on investment has really been minimal and sporadic.  So many projects have been bypassed or just ignored all together that would have, with what has been done successfully with Market Square for example, would have made a huge impact.  The minor league baseball stadium is just one example.  It wasn't worth the investment for Knoxville and Knox County, but it has been a huge success at Exit 417 in Sevier County.  In 2011 the Smokies averaged just short of 4K per home date in attendance.  What would 4K people for 50 dates per year have done for downtown Knoxville?   Just an example of the short sided thinking of the powers that be in both the city of Knoxville and Knox County. 

[Clockwork Orange]

You are correct.  There are pockets of the "downtown" area that have done ok, but overall the return on investment has really been minimal and sporadic.  So many projects have been bypassed or just ignored all together that would have, with what has been done successfully with Market Square for example, would have made a huge impact.  The minor league baseball stadium is just one example.  It wasn't worth the investment for Knoxville and Knox County, but it has been a huge success at Exit 417 in Sevier County.  In 2011 the Smokies averaged just short of 4K per home date in attendance.  What would 4K people for 50 dates per year have done for downtown Knoxville?   Just an example of the short sided thinking of the powers that be in both the city of Knoxville and Knox County. 

Remind me . . . where was the proposed downtown ballpark going to be?

[101stDad]

Remind me . . . where was the proposed downtown ballpark going to be?

There were a couple of legit proposals:  One was in the area where the Rivera Theater was - between Gay Street and State Street was one location.  The other was the World's Fair Site. 

[murfvol]

In fairness Knoxville is differently topographically than Chattanooga. The latter slopes gently to the river near downtown whereas downtown Knoxville sits on high ground. Were downtown Knoxville where the vet school is it would be more like Chattanooga.

My proposal is to shut Neyland Drive from the boathouse to Calhoun's and make that a park. It's not needed as there is access to I-40 either way. Sure there's still the train, but it's not a big deal.

Also, downtown Knoxville has come a long way in 10 years and will continue to thrive. A minor league park downtown in lieu of the convention center (it should have at least replace the Colosseum and Auditorium if it was going to be build) would have been great, but ce la vie. 

On a final note, placing most dorms on the far end of campus hasn't exactly helped downtown. Urban planning (ditto for architecture) wasn't too great back in the day.

[Black Diamond Vol]

IMO, UT (and specifically the UTAD)  has been somewhat of a detriment to Knoxville's development.  Chattanooga is fortunate to have a handful of wealthy residents who have generously given back to their city.  Just about all of our downtown development over the past 20 years has been built entirely with private funds.  The Aquarium and adjoining riverfront, AT&T Field, Creative Discovery Museum, Riverwalk, Bluffview Arts District, Coolidge park and others all came courtesy of Lupton, Mills, Mackenzie, Thornton, Finley, Burke, Davenport, etc.  In Knoxville, most of that charitable giving seems to go exclusively to UT.  If the Haslams and others would invest some in the surrounding community, it could be the start of a city-wide renaissance.  I've seen it firsthand.  In the 80's, Chattanooga was way, WAY behind Knoxville (and most everywhere else, for that matter).  This town was a dirty, dying, industrial wasteland.  If we can turn it around, so can Knoxville.  You already have a couple of built-in advantages that Chattanooga didn't have- a major university in your city limits and America's most visited National Park in your backyard.  Build on that.  All it takes is a few private citizens with some big ideas.

[JBuck]

BDV - You are correct.  Chattanooga's development was fueled by two rather impressive community-wide behaviors that Knoxville has sorely lacked.   First, there were community leaders who provided the leadership to articulate and implement a compelling vision for the future of the city.  Knoxville has struggled with this for decades, jumping from one bright idea to the next with no one willing (able?) to crystalize a comprehensive vision for the city's future.  Heck, even Blount County - on a much smaller scale - was able to cement a community-wide focus a few years back when Maryville College, Maryville city, and Alcoa city came together to construct the Clayton Center for the Arts complex.  Second, the families and foundations in the region who had the financial capacity saw fit to join together to do something big.  All major philanthropy was directed to the city's development because that was the agreed upon plan.  Community leadership and philanthropy have been the biggest, substantive differences between Knoxville and Chattanooga.