KNOXVILLE - Knoxville City Council tonight supported Mayor Indya Kincannon’s range of proposals for investing in neighborhood amenities, ongoing Tennessee River cleanups, and home weatherization and accessibility upgrades.


Suttree Landing Park playground

City Council authorized Mayor Kincannon’s administration to execute an agreement with Playworld Preferred for up to $128,626 to replace the 10-year-old lovingly-worn surface of Suttree Landing Park’s playground.

The new red, blue and beige rubber surfacing will be as colorful and inviting as the original.


New roof for the L.T. Ross Building

Council authorized amending the contract with Henley Roofing Co. for a 20-year new roof for the community gathering space.

The new contract, totaling almost $842,000, was increased to cover additional repairs to the parapet wall and roof decking.


A cleaner Tennessee River

Council opted to continue a long-standing $60,000 annual contract with Ijams Nature Center to remove trash, debris and harmful materials from the Tennessee River.

Ijams’ daily monitoring of the mouths of First, Second and Third creeks and corresponding trash and debris pickups total about 1,500 hours of labor a year, while Ijams’ River Rescue coordinates hundreds of volunteers who remove an average of 9 tons of debris and hundreds of tires from the river.


Transforming Western

Tonight’s Council vote made it official: The City will, as promised, invest an additional $4.5 million in Western Heights infrastructure and vertical construction. Over six years, the City’s total commitment to the KCDC-led Transforming Western initiative is a combined $26.5 million.


Home weatherization

City Council OKed the administration’s proposal to pay SEEED $25,000 in federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to weatherize about 20 homes serving low-income families.


Accessible Homes, Stable Futures

Another $144,000 in CDBG funds will support the non-profit Family Investment Foundation, a part of Knoxville’s Community Development Corp., and the Accessible Homes, Stable Futures program.

The money goes toward accessibility modifications to KCDC apartments – wheelchair ramps and roll-in showers, as examples.