Knoxville is buzzing with the imminent completion of its Cradle of Country Music Park makeover, a project valued at over $1.2 million that aims to transform the currently understated 0.58-acre green space into a vibrant public square. The park located at the intersection of Gay Street and Summit Hill Drive has been somewhat of a background character in downtown's landscape, often overlooked and rarely utilized to its full potential.
This week marked a significant stride forward as a team of artists began situating a large piece of public art in the park’s terrain, intent on installing a whimsical curved metal canopy that will rest on a concrete pier. The park is set to reopen later this fall, the KnoxvilleTN.gov website announced.
Anchoring this venture is the intent to pay homage to Knoxville's storied contribution to country music, with R.J. Justice, the City's Chief of Urban Design and Development, stating, "This transformation will be a memorable moment in downtown Knoxville," and emphasizing the goal to foster a space that not only celebrates history but also serves as a venue for music and small concerts under the trees, as per the City of Knoxville.
The park's redesign was conceived by THEVERYMANY, a New York-based studio spearheaded by Marc Fornes and chosen by the City’s Public Arts Committee from a competitive pool of 129 global applicants, in conjunction with Surface 678 and Hedstrom Design; as the park prepares to moonlight anew, it welcomes cultural synergy being adjacent to the Knoxville Visitors Center and within earshot of the Lone Tree Pass development, and the upcoming multi-use public stadium.
While preserving Knoxville's green landscape has been a key aspect with 12 mature trees retained, one removed, and nine new ones to be added this fall, the project garners support from a web of local divisions including Urban Forestry and Horticulture, the state of Tennessee, and the Downtown Knoxville Alliance, featuring Blount Contractors Inc. as the City’s construction contractor. Pedestrians, in the meantime, will need to navigate around the worksite as finishing touches continue and detour signs are posted to direct them to a new permanent sidewalk skirting the park's eastern border, as the sidewalk along Gay Street remains off-limits during the installation.
