Tuesday, October 31, 2017

October 31st Update - No tricks! Just an amazing treat...

No tricks, just an amazing treat...

For the first time in 30 years, Cumberland Avenue will host the annual University of Tennessee Homecoming Parade! The theme for this year’s UT Homecoming festivities is “HC 101: Intro to Rocky Top” and this year’s grand marshals include Del and Dane Bryant, sons of the famous husband-and-wife songwriting team Boudleaux and Felice Bryant. The elder Bryants wrote the university’s unofficial fight song, “Rocky Top,” 50 years ago this year.

The parade steps off at 4 p.m. and from 5-6 p.m. there will be a post-parade celebration, when the street will remain closed to vehicles and the floats will be parked on display for voting. Please make note of this closure and plan your Friday afternoon commute to include a visit to the parade! 



Attendees are encouraged to get an up-close look at each float and vote for their favorites during the #VotefortheFloat contest. Prizes will be awarded to the top three floats. Prizes will also randomly be drawn for three attendees who vote.

For more information on the parade and post parade events, please visit:

and 
and 



Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association (CAMA) - Monthly Meeting

Date: Wednesday, November 1
Time: 3:00 - 4:00 pm 
Location: Copper Cellar, 1807 Cumberland Avenue

What: The merchants and other interested stakeholders meet to discuss items of interest or concern.

There will be updates and information about the Homecoming Parade on Cumberland Avenue - please plan to attend and bring a friend and/or neighbor! 

Parking: Available parking is located at Copper Cellar. 


Friday, September 1, 2017

September 1st Update

Substantial Cumberland Completion, the Start of Classes, a CAMA meeting and Football Time in Tennessee - Oh My!

The last two weeks have been very busy and very exciting on Cumberland Avenue. On Thursday, August 17th State and Local officials cut the ribbon on the Cumberland Avenue Streetscape project. The project was delivered on time and within budget! Final details will be completed this fall when the weather cools off and the approximately 100 street trees are transplanted into the planters on both sides of the street. Here's a quick video of the ribbon cutting and project highlights:

On Monday, August 21st the Solar Eclipse captivated East Tennessee just before the start of the 2017-2018 University of Tennessee academic calendar. Classes kicked off on Wednesday, August 21st - best wishes to the students, faculty and staff at UTK.

Looking forward, the Vols season opener is on Monday, September 25 in Atlanta against Georgia Tech at 7:00 PM on ESPN. Go Vols!

Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association (CAMA) - Monthly Meeting

Date: Wednesday, September 6th

Time: 3:00 - 4:00 pm 

Location: Copper Cellar, 1807 Cumberland Avenue

What: The merchants and other interested stakeholders meet to discuss items of interest or concern.

There will be updates and information about the first home game scheduled for Saturday, September 9 at 4:00 PM against Indiana State. Go Vols!


Parking: Available parking is located at Copper Cellar. 

It's Football Time in Tennessee! Visit www.CumberlandConnect.com to plan your route and parking. 


Tuesday, August 15, 2017

It's a Big Week on Cumberland Avenue - August 15th Update

City of Knoxville Update

As we get ready to cut the ribbon on a substantially completed Cumberland Avenue, Eric Vreeland, Deputy Director of Communications for the City of Knoxville, has taken the opportunity to highlight some of the great amenities installed on Cumberland Avenue. Be sure to check out these stories:


Smokey Banners Wave Throughout Cumberland AvenueEven Smokey is giving a big warm bluetick coonhound welcome to the new and improved Cumberland Avenue. If you've walked or driven along Cumberland in the past week, you've probably noticed City... more» 
The New Cumberland Avenue: Safer, More Functional - and Also GreenerThe two-year top-to-bottom reconstruction of Cumberland Avenue will be substantially completed this week – on time and within budget. Cumberland between 17th and 22nd streets has been transformed...more» 
New Cumberland Avenue is Even More Transit Friendly!More KAT passengers ride the Route 11 Kingston Pike buses than ride any other route. When the reconstruction project was in high gear along Cumberland Avenue, Knoxville Area Transit responded with...more» 

'Street Furniture' Installed Along Cumberland Avenue
No one builds a new house and chooses to refill it with the old broken-down furnishings, right? Similarly, attractive and functional new "street furniture" is now installed along Cumberland Avenue...more»

New Cumberland Crosswalks Being Installed This WeekThere are still dozens of tasks on the Cumberland Avenue to-do list, as crews wrap up the details and prepare for the Aug. 17 ribbon-cutting, the City’s official celebration of the completion of the...more»

Welcome to the New Cumberland Avenue!If you're walking or driving along Cumberland Avenue at night, be sure and check out the new gateway monuments, welcoming you to the newly rejuvenated entertainment, residential and retail corridor...more» 

Here's a link to the details of the Ribbon-Cutting event scheduled for 4:00 PM on Thursday, August 17th at the Baker Center. 

UT Student Welcome - It’s that time of year again!
 
Thousands of University of Tennessee students are making their way to Knoxville and will be moving into apartments and dormitories.
The City of Knoxville and Public Building Authority (PBA) officials welcome the students and remind them and their parents of City parking enforcement regulations that took effect July 1, 2016.
The City has installed over 1,000 parking meters, adjusting rates for on-street and City garage parking, and increasing parking enforcement. The goal is to create more turnover of on-street parking spaces in high-demand areas, which benefits merchants and restaurant owners.

For general parking information, visit http://www.knoxvilletn.gov/parking. For information on downtown parking garages, visit http://www.knoxparking.com

To contact PBA, please call 865-215-4218, during regular business hours.
Meanwhile, here’s a Q&A to help newcomers to Knoxville better understand the dos and don’ts on parking on City streets in the Cumberland District and in downtown:
QUESTION: How and where is parking enforced by the City of Knoxville near the UT campus?

ANSWER: City parking enforcement in the Cumberland District includes White and Lake avenues; Melrose Place; and Mountcastle, 17th, 18th, 19th, 20th, 21st and 22nd streets. PBA has assigned four PBA officers to handle parking enforcement in the Cumberland Avenue area.

PBA officers also enforce 30-minute limits for commercial vehicles only to park in designated commercial loading zones, and they also will be ticketing drivers who park vehicles illegally on sidewalks or in other non-designated areas.

QUESTION: How much does it cost to park at a metered on-street space? What are the hours of operation, when I’m subject to getting a parking ticket?
ANSWER: The rate for parking in an on-street metered space is uniformly $1.50 an hour. Vehicles typically can be parked for up to two hours at a time. 

Hours of operation in the Cumberland District are 8 a.m. to 6 p.m. Mondays through Saturdays. (The same hours are in effect downtown, except on Gay Street and around Market Square; on those streets, enforcement hours extend til 11 p.m.)

QUESTION: If I’m downtown, isn’t it cheaper to park in a City-owned garage?
ANSWER: The downtown City garage rate is $1 an hour – that’s 50 cents an hour less than metered on-street rates. You can park all day in the garage for $7/day (maximum). Parking in City-owned garages will remain free on weekends and upon entry after 6 p.m. on weekdays.

QUESTION: If I get a parking ticket, how much would I have to pay? Can I pay it online? What if I think the ticket is undeserved and I want to talk with someone in City Court? 

ANSWER: The smallest fee, for a meter violation, starts at $11. But the penalties vary depending on the violation. Parking in a space reserved for a disabled driver, for example, is punishable by a $50 fine.
Anyone wishing to pay a ticket for a traffic meter violation or other parking violation can do so online at http://www.knoxvilletn.gov/payticket. Or contact City Court at 865-215-7474 or visit the court in the Safety Building, 800 Howard Baker Jr. Ave.

QUESTION: What do I do if the Knoxville Police Department has authorized my vehicle to be towed for illegally parking in a commercial zone or a fire lane?
ANSWER: Vehicles that are towed are taken to the City’s Vehicle Impoundment Lot on Vice Mayor Jack Sharp Road in East Knoxville. The contact number for the lot is 865-215-6215.

To retrieve a vehicle from the Impoundment Lot, you’ll need a government-issued photo ID, a licensed driver, and proof of ownership. The Impoundment Lot is open 24 hours a day, 7 days a week, but vehicles are only released between 8 a.m. and midnight. Impound fees may be paid with cash, a Mastercard or VISA credit card, a debit card with a VISA emblem, a company check, a cashier’s check or a money order. 

QUESTION: I’m new to town and I see red trolley buses around downtown and near UT. Really – I can park and ride for free?

ANSWER: The City’s transit service, Knoxville Area Transit, operates three free trolley routes, Mondays to Thursdays until 8 p.m. (and until 10 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays). Visit www.katbus.com for more information. 

The Orange Line serves the UT, University Commons and World’s Fair Park areas, with a trolley rolling by every 15 minutes. 

The Green Line serves the Old City, Market Square and Gay Street, with a trolley rolling by every 10 minutes. 

The Blue Line is KAT’s Waterfront Connection, linking the Civic Coliseum parking garage to downtown and the City County Building, returning via Hill Avenue. A trolley rolls by every 7 minutes on weekdays (every 15 minutes on Saturdays), offering a direct connection on to UT campus for residents east of downtown or for parkers at the Coliseum. 

QUESTION:  I’m a parent, and I’m moving my child into student housing off Cumberland Avenue this weekend. Can I unload the vehicle and then go park somewhere?

ANSWER: There’s a Fort Sanders Regional Medical Center surface parking lot at 19th Street and White Avenue, the most eastern of a series of parking lots in that block. It’s available to UT parkers and the general public after 6 p.m. weeknights and on weekends. To be sure you’re parking in the right place, pay attention to the posted signs on the lots – the signs will indicate if you’re in the hospital’s lot or a non-public tow-away lot.
University of Tennessee Knoxville Move-In 2017
For information from UT on Move- In Day, please visit: http://housing.utk.edu/move-in/

Move-In Day: August 19
During the Day on Saturday, August 19, UT Police and staff will be working to manage traffic flow in the most efficient way possible.  To assist with this, we ask that you approach your residence hall according to the directions linked below.  Lines of vehicles will likely exist close to the residence halls, and the directions below will ensure that you are in the best position possible for a smooth Move-in Day!

Special Programs
Students participating in special academic programs have received prior written approval to move in early*.
Sunday, August 13: Summer School, Band Camp, Math Camp
Monday, August 14: Ignite Serves & Ignite Knoxville
Wednesday, August 16: Sorority recruitment, upper division students
Thursday, August 17: Ignite Summit Session 2
Friday, August 18: Living & Learning Communities (times vary by community. Download the Volunteer Life app for details)
Saturday, August 19: Opening Day

*students without prior approval to move-in early will not be checked in.  To request an early move-in date, please contact the University.
It's (almost) Football Time in Tennessee...
Remember for a relaxing and fun filled game day, plan ahead. The parking shaded in Orange on this map is reserved for parking permit holders so be sure to check out other resources like the downtown parking garages and the KAT shuttles. For more information visit Cumberland Connect


Friday, July 28, 2017

July 29th Update

Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association (CAMA) - Monthly Meeting

Date: Wednesday, August 2

Time: 3:00 - 4:00 pm 

Location: Copper Cellar, 1807 Cumberland Avenue

What: The merchants and other interested stakeholders meet to discuss items of interest or concern and get updates on the City's Cumberland Avenue Corridor Project. 

We are in the final countdown for the Cumberland Avenue Streetscape Project! 

The Two Week look ahead for construction information is available here or at www.cumberlandconnect.com.

Parking: Available parking is located at Copper Cellar. 

Community Events
Friday, July 28, 2017
Shakespeare on the Square – Two Gentleman of Verona
Market Square
7:00pm
The Two Gentlemen of Verona is commonly agreed to be Shakespeare’s first comedy, and probably his first play. A comedy built around the confusions of doubling, cross-dressing, and identity, it is also a play about the ideal of male friendship and what happens to those friendships when men fall in love.

Saturday, July 29, 2017
Market Square Farmer’s Market
Market Square, Market Street, Union Ave.
9:00am – 2:00pm
The Market Square Farmers’ Market is an open-air farmers’ market located on Market Square in the heart of downtown Knoxville. Everything at the MSFM is grown or made by the vendor in the East Tennessee region. Products vary by the seasons and include produce, eggs, honey, herbs, pasture-raised meat, bread, baked goods, salsas, coffee, artisan crafts, and more. With interactive fountains, delicious local food, and surrounded by shops and restaurants, the MSFM is a perfect family destination

Saturday, July 29, 2017
Eating Lean in ‘17
Jacob Building at Chilhowee Park
9:00am-3:00pm

Saturday, July 29, 2017
Shakespeare on the Square - The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged)
Market Square
7:00pm
Features all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays, performed in 97 minutes, by three actors. Fast paced, witty, and physical, this show is full of laughter for Shakespeare lovers and haters alike!

Sunday, July 30, 2017
Shakespeare on the Square – Two Gentleman of Verona
Market Square
7:00pm
The Two Gentlemen of Verona is commonly agreed to be Shakespeare’s first comedy, and probably his first play. A comedy built around the confusions of doubling, cross-dressing, and identity, it is also a play about the ideal of male friendship and what happens to those friendships when men fall in love.

Friday, July 21, 2017

July 21st Update

CUMBERLAND AVENUE CORRIDOR PAVING SCHEDULED;
TEMPORARY NO-PARKING ZONES ON SIDE STREETS

                The $17 million Cumberland Avenue reconstruction project is drawing to a close, with the next big step starting on Sunday evening, July 23. Milling will begin on Cumberland Avenue and a dozen side streets that connect to Cumberland in preparation for paving.

                The milling and paving will be done by contract crews overnight – 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. – through Sunday, Aug. 6. Cumberland Avenue will be paved from 22nd Street to Henley Street, and side streets will be paved north of Cumberland to White Avenue and south of Cumberland to Lake Avenue.

Motorists should anticipate intermittent night-time detours, depending on where the milling and paving crews are working.

In addition, no-parking zones will be in effect on these side streets from 8PM - 6AM:

North of Cumberland to White Avenue

n  North 22nd Street;
n  North 21st Street;
n  North 20st Street;
n  North 19th Street;
n  North 18th Street; and
n  17st Street.

South of Cumberland to Lake Avenue

n  South 22nd Street;
n  South 21st Street;
n  Mountcastle Street;
n  South 19th Street;
n  South 18th Street; and
n  Melrose Place.


The Cumberland Avenue reconstruction project began with Knoxville Utilities Board infrastructure improvements in April 2015, and it’s scheduled to be completed by next month (August 2017).

Cumberland Avenue has been reconstructed between 22nd and 17th streets into a safer, more pedestrian-friendly corridor with a three-lane cross section, a raised median and left-turn lanes at intersections.

An earlier phase of work on the western end of Cumberland focused on improving traffic flow between the Alcoa Highway ramps and 22nd Street; that phase finished at the end of 2015, on time and under budget.


More information is available at www.CumberlandConnect.com, on the Cumberland Connect Facebook page, facebook.com/CumberlandConnect, and on the Cumberland Connect phone app. Or text VFL to 313131 to get text messages on the most current traffic updates.


Friday, July 7, 2017

July 7th Update

City of Knoxville - Go Vote! Event for the First District

What: First of six Go Vote! Knoxville public meetings (1st City Council District)

When: 5:30-7 p.m. on Monday, July 10, 2017

Where: South Knoxville Community Center, 522 Maryville Pike

              Who: Mayor Madeline Rogero, members of City Council, Knox County Election Commission staff, South Knoxville neighborhood leaders, and candidates running for Council seats in the 2017 City elections
  
Voters in the Aug. 29 primary and Nov. 7 general election will be electing five new City Council members – a majority of the seats on the nine-member Council. Mayor Rogero and members of the current City Council are encouraging voters to get to know the candidates and their issues, engage in the election process, and go vote.

Go Vote! Knoxville will include a series of six public meetings, one in each of the six City Council districts. The first of these meetings will be in South Knoxville’s 1st District on Monday, July 10. At these community meetings, Mayor Rogero, current Council members and neighborhood leaders will talk about this year’s elections and how citizens can get involved in shaping Knoxville’s future.

The City and local businesses will provide free pizza and snacks at these public meetings, as well as family-friendly games and activities. The Young at Heart group will bake treats for the July 10 meeting. The Knox County Election Commission will provide voter information, register new voters and demonstrate how to cast a ballot using its voting machines. Candidates will be introduced, and voters will have opportunities to talk one-on-one with them.

To reach the South Knoxville Community Center by KAT, take the Vestal Route 45 bus and get off at Mary Vestal Park.

Anyone needing a disability accommodation should contact the City’s ADA Coordinator, Stephanie Cook, at scook@knoxvilletn.gov or 865-215-2034. For an English interpreter, contact the City Law Department at 865-215-2050.

Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association (CAMA) - Monthly Meeting

Date: Wednesday, July 12 (note - meeting was moved to the 2nd Wednesday because of the July 4th holiday)

Time: 3:00 - 4:00 pm 

Location: Copper Cellar, 1807 Cumberland Avenue

What: The merchants and other interested stakeholders meet to discuss items of interest or concern and get updates on the City's Cumberland Avenue Corridor Project. This month CAMA officers have invited Council Candidates from the First District to attend the meeting - if you're unable to get to the Monday night Go Vote! event this is a great way to meet candidates.

The Two Week look ahead for construction information is available here or at www.cumberlandconnect.com.

Parking: Available parking is located at Copper Cellar. 

Community Events

Saturday, July 8, 2017
Market Square Farmer’s Market
Market Square, Market Street, Union Ave.
9:00am – 2:00pm
The Market Square Farmers’ Market is an open-air farmers’ market located on Market Square in the heart of downtown Knoxville. Everything at the MSFM is grown or made by the vendor in the East Tennessee region. Products vary by the seasons and include produce, eggs, honey, herbs, pasture-raised meat, bread, baked goods, salsas, coffee, artisan crafts, and more. With interactive fountains, delicious local food, and surrounded by shops and restaurants, the MSFM is a perfect family destination

Tuesday, July 11, 2017
Jazz on the Square
Market Square
8:00pm-10:00pm
Marble City 5 will perform a free concert every Tuesday through August 29

Wednesday July 12, 2017
Market Square Farmer’s Market
Market Square
11:00am – 2:00pm
The Market Square Farmers’ Market is an open-air farmers’ market located on Market Square in the heart of downtown Knoxville. Everything at the MSFM is grown or made by the vendor in the East Tennessee region. Products vary by the seasons and include produce, eggs, honey, herbs, pasture-raised meat, bread, baked goods, salsas, coffee, artisan crafts, and more. With interactive fountains, delicious local food, and surrounded by shops and restaurants, the MSFM is a perfect family destination. At the Wednesday market you’ll also find special offers from downtown merchants for market shoppers. Details at downtownknox.org/specials.

Thursday, July 13, 2017
Shakespeare on the Square - The Complete Works of Shakespeare (Abridged)
Market Square
7:00pm
Features all 37 of Shakespeare’s plays, performed in 97 minutes, by three actors. Fast paced, witty, and physical, this show is full of laughter for Shakespeare lovers and haters alike!

Friday, July 14, 2017
Shakespeare on the Square – Two Gentleman of Verona
Market Square
7:00pm
The Two Gentlemen of Verona is commonly agreed to be Shakespeare’s first comedy, and probably his first play. A comedy built around the confusions of doubling, cross-dressing, and identity, it is also a play about the ideal of male friendship and what happens to those friendships when men fall in love.