Knoxville City Council tonight (April 29, 2025) supported Mayor Indya Kincannon’s initiative to partner with private philanthropic donors to expand the construction of new affordable housing.

Council also agreed to Mayor Kincannon’s requests to publicly fund $5 million for additional street resurfacing and $482,000 to maintain and repair two bridges.

Additionally, Council approved on the first of two readings Mayor Kincannon’s proposed $477.3 million net budget for Fiscal Year 2025-26.

Here are highlights from tonight’s meeting:


Affordable housing

Three public-private partnership projects aimed at increasing Knoxville’s supply of affordable housing were authorized.

The funding collaboration and neighborhood scale of two of the projects – 10 affordable multi-family apartments at 2226 Parkview Ave. and 15 apartments at 2501 Edgewood Ave. – were precedent-setting. 

For the first time, construction of City-supported affordable housing is relying on private philanthropic gifts, plus payment-in-lieu-of-tax (PILOT) incentive agreements to close funding gaps.

Private donors partnering with the City on affordable housing include Phil Lawson and the Lawson Family Foundation, the Haslam family, Clayton Homes and Randy Boyd.

Council thanked the United Way of Greater Knoxville for providing $570,000 in philanthropic funding for Parkview Apartments and Edgewood Apartments, which will be built by Southeast Capital.

Support for “Missing Middle” housing also was critically important. Neighborhood-scale projects like Edgewood Apartments and Parkview Apartments would not have been possible had Mayor Kincannon and City Council not pushed for more flexible zoning rules.

In addition, City Council tonight authorized Mayor Kincannon to award $1 million in federal funds from the HOME American Rescue Plan Program for development of Lumen Flats, 18 apartments at 1585 Coleman Road. To be built by Elmington Capital Group, Leman Flats also was made possible by a PILOT incentive.


Street resurfacing

City Council authorized Mayor Kincannon to execute an agreement with Rogers Group for $4,994,000 for the 2025 Resurfacing Phase II project – 19 miles of repaving of streets in the 1st, 2nd and 6th Council districts.

Phase I – roughly the same number of miles in the other three Council districts – was bid in January.


Bridge repairs

Council authorized Mayor Kincannon to execute a $377,239 agreement with Southern Constructors to make repairs to the 17th Street Bridge over the Norfolk Southern rail line.

Council also authorized a $105,000 agreement with Gresham Smith to provide engineering design services for maintenance and minor repairs of the Boyd’s Bridge Pike bridge.


Preliminary budget approval

City Council gave preliminary approval to Kincannon’s 2025-26 budget proposal. 

Kincannon prioritized public safety, affordable housing and high-quality City services while strategically investing in key projects, tackling some long-standing deferred maintenance and saving $30 million with an early pay-down of Convention Center debt.

Council will conduct an all-day budget hearing on May 13, with a second, final vote scheduled for May 27.


Community Safety and Empowerment grants

Council approved two small but impactful grants from the City’s Community Safety and Empowerment Department – a $1,500 donation to the TKJ Foundation in support of Camp 24, and a $1,500 appropriation in support of the Gennisi Community Baby Shower.

Camp 24 is a football and character-development community camp named in honor of Zaevion Dobson, who wore No. 24 as a Fulton High Falcon. Dobson, 15, was killed in December 2015 when he used his body to shield three girls from a spray of bullets in a random drive-by shooting.
 
Gennisi Charitable Birth Services provides free education, resources, and pregnancy and birth services for Knoxville families in need. The baby shower is for mothers who are pregnant or have infants 6 months or younger.