[ad_1]
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — The city of Knoxville has reapplied for a $25 million federal grant to fund a long-discussed project to build a pedestrian bridge across the Tennessee River to the University of Tennessee campus. .
Knoxville applied for a RAISE grant from the U.S. Department of Transportation, which stands for “Rebuilding America’s Infrastructure with Sustainability and Equity.” The city applied for the same subsidy in 2023, but it was not approved.
If approved, the bridge would span from the concourse between Food City Center and Pratt Pavilion to Clancy Avenue in South Knoxville.
The grant application estimates the project cost at $60 million. The Tennessee Department of Transportation has pledged $20 million in funding. The rest of her $15 million would come from tax increment financing, which would pay down the project’s debt with increased future property tax revenues from defined areas.
In February 2023, the University of Tennessee Board of Regents approved the $9 million purchase of seven acres at 2323 West Blount Avenue, directly across the river from Thompson Bowling Arena.
The idea was first mentioned in the 2000 “Nine Counties, One Vision” program and detailed in Knoxville’s 2006 South Waterfront Vision Plan. It has gained momentum in recent years as university leaders seek to expand campus footprint to accommodate a growing student population.
The project will also connect the campus to downtown’s 18-mile greenway system and South Knoxville’s 45-mile Urban Wilderness Trail system.
Some South Knoxville residents have denounced the proposal, arguing that the project would disproportionately benefit University of Texas students rather than local residents.
Projects selected to receive RAISE grants will be announced later this year.
[ad_2]
Source link
