Knoxville South Waterfront, 20-Year Master Plan
The Knoxville South Waterfront Project, announced by the City of Knoxville in summer 2005, is designed to set a framework for future investment and development in the South Waterfront area that is clear, predictable, and consistent with public expectations of development quality. The study area comprises neighborhoods, business, industrial areas, and public facilities found along three miles of Tennessee River to the south of downtown Knoxville. The two most important aspects of this project are: 1) the commitment to seek significant citizen and stakeholder input throughout the planning process, and 2) the focus on the economic viability and fiscal soundness of the final plan recommendations. These goals fueled months of design development and ultimately generated an actionable and inspirational vision for South Knoxville.
The project builds upon past planning processes and incorporates a thorough analysis of current information about the study area. An interdisciplinary team of consultants, including Studio Four Design as the local architect, was led by Hargreaves Associates and Chan Krieger & Associates, both of Cambridge, MA, and advised by the Knoxville South Waterfront Oversight Committee.
A series of public design charettes and presentations were held to get input from local business owners and residents. Features of the plan include a new hotel, river walk and park spaces, parking garages, boat houses, boat ramps and marinas, office, retail and commercial space, a pedestrian bridge linking the University to the south side, as well as a variety of mixed-density residential. When complete the masterplan will preserve the existing assets on the south side, while regulating the type of future development to insure the goals of the masterplan are met.