Blog: City Blog

Quick Progress on Stadium Plazas, Old City Streetscapes

Did you know that the four public plazas around Covenant Health Park total 61,400 square feet - and that, combined, they're considerably larger than Market Square downtown?

And that dozens of mature trees have been planted, with more to come, in the plazas and along Jackson Avenue, Willow Avenue and Central Street?

In the not-too-distant future, look for a greenway to be built that connects the stadium with First Creek at Austin, and a First Creek Greenway extension connecting Magnolia and Jackson avenues.

Walkability and accessibility are trademarks of urban downtown multi-use stadiums.

Wide, ADA-accessible, tree-lined sidewalks make "getting there" fun and enjoyable, but they also connect the surrounding neighborhood and invite fans going to the stadium to meander and explore the stores and restaurants along the way.

Covenant Health Park was ready for the big crowds for soccer and baseball last month. But most every day, it seems, even more work gets finished on the streetscapes: A new concrete section of sidewalk gets poured. New streetlights are installed. More landscaping is planted.

The "getting there" experience is getting better and better.

Here's a photo gallery of the latest work happening on the stadium plazas and surrounding streets:

New trees and streetlights line Jackson Avenue in front of Covenant Health Park

New trees and streetlights line Jackson Avenue in front of Covenant Health Park

Above: Trees in deep protected root boxes line Jackson Avenue

Below: Wide new sidewalks were in place on the north side of Willow Avenue when Covenant Health Park opened; in early May, the south-side sidewalks are being poured

Sidewalk and streetlight on north side of Willow

Sidewalk and streetlight on north side of Willow

New sidewalks being poured, streetlights installed as part of the Willow Avenue-Central Street streetscape project

Below: Here is what the plaza looks like near the west stadium entrance

West plaza

Bollards on the west side of Covenant Health Park

Part of plaza in front of Delaney Building

Don't miss the east stadium plaza, dubbed Giants Landing!

In April, statues by nationally renown sculptor Brian Hanlon were unveiled that pay tribute to the Negro Southern League Knoxville Giants (below).

Scene at Giants Landing when statues of the 1930s team were unveiled

One of the statues depicts fireballer "Steel Arm" Dickey

Posted by evreeland at 1:25 PM