August 29th Update

KCDC Public Hearing on Cumberland Avenue Redevelopment Plan

What: A public hearing on a Cumberland Avenue redevelopment area plan

When: 5:30 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 4

Where: UT Federal Credit Union, 2100 White Ave.

Who: Knoxville’s Community Development Corp. (KCDC), acting on behalf of the City of Knoxville and City Council, is seeking public input on a proposal to establish a redevelopment area around Cumberland Avenue as a step toward financing public infrastructure.

City officials are exploring with KCDC the option of creating a redevelopment area – generally bounded by White Avenue, 17th Street, Lake Avenue and West Volunteer Boulevard – that would benefit from the new tax increment generated by projects in the area.

In this plan, revenue would not go toward private project financing; rather, as the area redevelops and property taxes rise, the increase in revenue would go toward infrastructure improvements in the area.

One need that’s been identified by both planners and City officials: public parking.

Currently, about 25 percent of the redevelopment area is used for parking. But, according to a draft of a proposal for the redevelopment area, parking around Cumberland Avenue “will need to evolve beyond single-purpose reserved parking that is uncoordinated and fragmented.” City officials have said a public garage is needed to support commercial and residential growth along the Cumberland Avenue Corridor.

Here’s a draft of the proposal: http://www.kcdc.org/Libraries/Redevelopment_Plans/Draft_Cumberland_Avenue_Redevelopment_Plan.sflb.ashx

Anyone needing a disability accommodation in order to attend the meeting should contact City ADA Coordinator Stephanie Brewer Cook in advance of the meeting at 865-215-2034, or email her at scook@cityofknoxville.org.

Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association (CAMA) Meeting

Date: Wednesday, September 3

Time: 3:00 - 4:00 pm

Location: Goal Post Tavern, 1824 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.

Parking: Available parking is located at Graphic Creations, 1809 Lake Avenue.

Community Events

August 30, 2014
Market Square Farmers Market
Market Square, Union Ave & Market Street
9:00am – 2:00pm
11th season of the downtown Farmers Market with locally grown produce, meat, eggs and plants, as well as locally made artisan foods & crafts.   www.marketsquarefarmersmarket.org

Boomsday
Neyland Drive
4pm-10pm
Annual fireworks festival with food vendors and activities. Fireworks are at 9:00pm

August 31, 2014
University of Tennessee vs. Utah State
7:00 pm at Neyland Stadium

As always, thanks for your interest in everything to do with Cumberland Avenue. Have a safe, fun-filled weekend and Go Vols!

April 11th Update

MEDIA ADVISORY - from the City of Knoxville
Contact: Jesse Fox Mayshark 865-215-3710 Office

What: Public meeting on University Commons Redevelopment and Urban Renewal Plan

When: 6 p.m. Thursday, April 12

Where: KCDC office, 901 Broadway

Who: KCDC staff will present the proposed redevelopment plan for the old Fulton Bellows site along Third Creek, off Cumberland Avenue. A draft is available on the KCDC website, http://www.kcdc.org/. The plan is expected to go to City Council for approval at its Tuesday, April 17th meeting. It includes a proposal for Tax Increment Financing of the University Commons development.

February 17th Update

MEETING ON FULTON BELLOWS REDEVELOPMENT AREA

Knoxville's Community Development Corporation has scheduled a public meeting at 6 p.m. on Monday, Feb. 20, on the proposed Fulton Bellows Redevelopment Area. The meeting is at the KCDC office building at 901 N. Broadway. The developers of the proposed University Commons project will discuss their plans for a retail center in the area south of Cumberland Avenue. A part of the presentation will relate to traffic impacts.

University Commons LLC has proposed redeveloping the old Fulton Bellows manufacturing and distribution site near the University of Tennessee campus into 200,000 square feet of retail space, which would be anchored by a Publix Super Market and a Walmart. The developers have asked for public participation in this project in the form of Tax Increment Financing (TIF) to build new public infrastructure. For a project to be eligible for this type of financing, it must be located in a redevelopment area administered by KCDC.

In early January, the Knoxville City Council directed KCDC to review and make a recommendation on designating a redevelopment area at this location. As a part of that review process, KCDC is hosting this public meeting in which the developers will explain their project and its potential impact to the area. There will be another public meeting and an official public hearing in March.

CAMA Update

Cumberland Avenue Merchants Association Meeting was held February 1, 2012 at 3:00 pm at Goal Post Tavern.

Attendees:
Graphic Creations, Metro Pulse, UT Alumni, Jason’s Deli, UTPD, Goal Post Tavern, City of Knoxville Reps, University Liquors, Regions Bank

Meeting notes:
Metro Pulse: POC – David Smith
- “Yummm!” Food Guide: Lists the restaurants in town and it’s free to submit info
- Comes out 3 times a year (February, June and October)
- Website is http://www.eatknox.com/
- Have new app coming out in the next 6-8 months
- M.P. provides free info through their calendar of events, anyone can put information on the calendar as long as it meets the criteria, www.metropulse.com/events

UT Alumni: POC – Elizabeth Davis
- “Tennessee Alumnus Magazine” Alumni magazine, http://www.alumnus.tennessee.edu/
- Targets UT Knoxville Alumni statewide (avg. of reaching 70,000 people, 3 times a year)
- Accepts advertising if interested next issue comes in May - deadline for ads Feb. 21st
Fall issue comes out before football – deadline is May 21st
- Can offer discount with multiple purchases
- Only publication that is sent to UT Alumni that accepts advertisement

City of Knoxville
- 1st Right-of-Way services contract approved at city council
- Contract is for title reports for 62 parcels on Cumberland and 17th St
- Two more sets of contracts for ROW services are anticipated
- KUB’s new substation will shift direction for moving overhead utilities underground (from east-west to north-south), this will likely reduce impact to the Cumberland Streetscape Project
- Anticipate public meetings in the summer for ROW, no date set yet, will notify merchants
- Redevelopment Area Hearing for Publix and Wal-Mart Feb. 20th at 6 pm at KCDC building on Broadway open to public – merchants encouraged to attend. If public process is favorable, redevelopment plan would go to City Council March 20th and then to KCDC Board, the group would like to start construction in summer 2012
Discussion:
The development calls for building a new road from Cumberland Avenue to Joe Johnson Bridge
Developer would pay all environmental costs to cap the site.
- Henley Street Bridge – still on track to complete between January 2013 (bonus deadline) to summer 2013.
- Investigating potential for a parking authority for Downtown, Cumberland and Ft. Sanders area.

KPD
- New website http://www.raidsonline.com/, public can access to look at crime statistics
- Using website as predictive policy now – officers find where crime is going to be instead of where they have been
- Crime rates down compared to last year
- Could start towing cars that haven’t paid their tickets

Regions
- Offering “Now Banking” – if you have check that’s drawn from a Regions account and you don’t have an account, can cash check at Regions and load it on Visa Card that is re-loadable and the service is open for customers and non-customers.
- They now also offer Western Union Services.

Weekend Events
February 17 - 19, 2012
Dogwood Arts House & Garden Show
Friday, February 17: 10am – 8pm Saturday, February 18: 10am – 8pm Sunday, February 19: 11am – 5pm
Selected as one of the Southeast Tourism Society’s Top 20 Events for 2012, the Dogwood Arts House and Garden Show is the largest House and Garden Show in East Tennessee for those interested in energy efficient, cost saving products and services, and home and gardening enthusiasts! For more information visit http://www.dogwoodhouseandgarden.com/

February 17, 2012
Knoxville Ice Bears vs Mississippi River Kings
Civic Coliseum
7:30pm
Come out and support your Knoxville Ice Bears as they battle for the SPHL Title.

As always, thanks for your interest in things related to Cumberland Avenue. Have a safe and fun weekend.