City of Knoxville, TN
08/18/2026 | News release | Distributed by Public on 08/18/2026 18:34
Council OKs $3.1 M Magnolia Ave. Streetscapes
Knoxville City Council tonight authorized Mayor Indya Kincannon to execute contracts to extend the Magnolia Avenue Streetscape Project eastward by another three blocks. Council also supported two major private investments in the Magnolia Avenue Warehouse District.
Council tonight also approved the North Waterfront Redevelopment Plan and gave its go-ahead to exploring options for redeveloping and modernizing the Knoxville Municipal Golf Course.
Magnolia Avenue public and private investments
Council authorized Mayor Kincannon to proceed with plans, already funded, for the City's $3.1 million Phase 3 Magnolia Avenue Streetscapes Plan.
Adams Contracting will build and install new sidewalks, curbs, bike lanes, lighting, landscaping and transit stops on Magnolia Avenue between North Bertrand and North Kyle streets. Gresham Smith will provide engineering inspection services.
The City previously has invested about $9 million to update and modernize Magnolia Avenue infrastructure and utilities, beginning near the Jessamine Street intersection and methodically proceeding eastward. Eventually, plans call for the work continuing on to Cherry Street.
Meanwhile, significant private investments are being made in the Magnolia Avenue Warehouse District near Covenant Health Park.
City Council authorized the Industrial Development Board to negotiate a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement with WP South Acquisitions LLC to make its $98.5 million private investment financially viable.
Validated by an independent third-party review, WP South Acquisitions plans to build a 335-apartment community at Patton Street and Georgia Street. One-tenth of the apartments will be affordable workforce housing. The project includes structured parking for 420 vehicles, streetscape and public greenway amenities, and a pedestrian bridge over First Creek connecting to the First Creek at Austin community.
Finally, Council approved a modification to the final plan for Jonathan's Grille, to be built at 406 Willow Ave. Knoxville-Knox County Planning unanimously recommended approval, which allows for a two-story rather than a three-story building. The footprint for the building in the modified plan is larger than 11,200 square feet, plus patios and balconies.
North Waterfront
City Council approved the North Waterfront Redevelopment Plan, prepared by Knoxville's Community Development Corp.
The plan covers a wide swath of the Tennessee River waterfront along Neyland Drive, between Henley Bridge and Kingston Pike.
Read the plan and see a map here: https://www.kcdc.org/redevelopment/
The plan focuses on coordinated redevelopment of underutilized institutional land, surface parking lots and transportation infrastructure. It enhances connectivity and coordinates infrastructure in support of three projects - the Maplehurst Innovation District as a center for research, technology, and entrepreneurship; the entertainment district adjacent to Neyland Stadium; and the South Knoxville Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge.
KCDC will manage implementation of the plan, which envisions a comprehensive network of pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular infrastructure, additional open spaces and riverfront amenities, and preservation and reuse of historic structures.
Knoxville Municipal Golf Course
City Council approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City of Knoxville, Knox County, and the Knoxville-Knox County Sports Authority to explore opportunities for the future of the City-owned Knoxville Municipal Golf Course.
Under the agreement, the Sports Authority will solicit and evaluate potential redevelopment concepts that could modernize the property, including the possibility of reconfiguring the existing 18-hole course into a more accessible and market-responsive par-3 or 9-hole course. Such changes could create opportunities to accommodate additional recreational amenities and community uses.
The initiative is exploratory in nature, and no redevelopment proposals have been submitted or selected. However, recent studies commissioned by the City of Knoxville and Visit Knoxville have identified a need for additional athletic fields and recreational facilities to support youth sports and attract regional tournaments. The MOU allows the partners to evaluate potential options and determine how the property can best serve the evolving recreational needs of the community.
Council tonight also approved the North Waterfront Redevelopment Plan and gave its go-ahead to exploring options for redeveloping and modernizing the Knoxville Municipal Golf Course.
Magnolia Avenue public and private investments
Council authorized Mayor Kincannon to proceed with plans, already funded, for the City's $3.1 million Phase 3 Magnolia Avenue Streetscapes Plan.
Adams Contracting will build and install new sidewalks, curbs, bike lanes, lighting, landscaping and transit stops on Magnolia Avenue between North Bertrand and North Kyle streets. Gresham Smith will provide engineering inspection services.
The City previously has invested about $9 million to update and modernize Magnolia Avenue infrastructure and utilities, beginning near the Jessamine Street intersection and methodically proceeding eastward. Eventually, plans call for the work continuing on to Cherry Street.
Meanwhile, significant private investments are being made in the Magnolia Avenue Warehouse District near Covenant Health Park.
City Council authorized the Industrial Development Board to negotiate a Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) agreement with WP South Acquisitions LLC to make its $98.5 million private investment financially viable.
Validated by an independent third-party review, WP South Acquisitions plans to build a 335-apartment community at Patton Street and Georgia Street. One-tenth of the apartments will be affordable workforce housing. The project includes structured parking for 420 vehicles, streetscape and public greenway amenities, and a pedestrian bridge over First Creek connecting to the First Creek at Austin community.
Finally, Council approved a modification to the final plan for Jonathan's Grille, to be built at 406 Willow Ave. Knoxville-Knox County Planning unanimously recommended approval, which allows for a two-story rather than a three-story building. The footprint for the building in the modified plan is larger than 11,200 square feet, plus patios and balconies.
North Waterfront
City Council approved the North Waterfront Redevelopment Plan, prepared by Knoxville's Community Development Corp.
The plan covers a wide swath of the Tennessee River waterfront along Neyland Drive, between Henley Bridge and Kingston Pike.
Read the plan and see a map here: https://www.kcdc.org/redevelopment/
The plan focuses on coordinated redevelopment of underutilized institutional land, surface parking lots and transportation infrastructure. It enhances connectivity and coordinates infrastructure in support of three projects - the Maplehurst Innovation District as a center for research, technology, and entrepreneurship; the entertainment district adjacent to Neyland Stadium; and the South Knoxville Bicycle and Pedestrian Bridge.
KCDC will manage implementation of the plan, which envisions a comprehensive network of pedestrian, bicycle and vehicular infrastructure, additional open spaces and riverfront amenities, and preservation and reuse of historic structures.
Knoxville Municipal Golf Course
City Council approved a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between the City of Knoxville, Knox County, and the Knoxville-Knox County Sports Authority to explore opportunities for the future of the City-owned Knoxville Municipal Golf Course.
Under the agreement, the Sports Authority will solicit and evaluate potential redevelopment concepts that could modernize the property, including the possibility of reconfiguring the existing 18-hole course into a more accessible and market-responsive par-3 or 9-hole course. Such changes could create opportunities to accommodate additional recreational amenities and community uses.
The initiative is exploratory in nature, and no redevelopment proposals have been submitted or selected. However, recent studies commissioned by the City of Knoxville and Visit Knoxville have identified a need for additional athletic fields and recreational facilities to support youth sports and attract regional tournaments. The MOU allows the partners to evaluate potential options and determine how the property can best serve the evolving recreational needs of the community.
City of Knoxville, TN published this content on August 18, 2026, and is solely responsible for the information contained herein. Distributed via Public Technologies (PUBT), unedited and unaltered, on August 19, 2026 at 00:34 UTC. If you believe the information included in the content is inaccurate or outdated and requires editing or removal, please contact us at [email protected]