An open house to show plans for the North Central streetscaping project is set for 5:30-7 p.m. Tuesday, Jan. 22, at All Occasions, 922 N. Central. Everyone is invited to meet with representatives from the city of Knoxville and landscape architects from Hedstrom Design.
As the $6.15 million construction project approaches completion, the city’s Office of Redevelopment invites stakeholders to an open house to provide input on the landscaping project, according to a city press release.
Guests will be able to review plans and renderings for just over one mile of landscaping, including the project’s centerpiece: a linear park planned for a section of North Central Street and Baxter Avenue. Landscape architects with Hedstrom Design have proposed a design and worked with the city’s Urban Forestry and Horticulture staffs to recommend an assortment of plants, shrubs and trees that will suit variables like climate, concrete planters, height and maintenance requirements.
“We want the landscaping to beautify the area with a variety of colors and textures,” says Anne Wallace, the city’s deputy redevelopment director. “The ideal mix of plants will satisfy those qualifications while thriving in an urban environment.”
The timing of the end of construction and beginning of landscaping depends on Knoxville’s winter weather.
After the open house and public input, the city will put the contract for plant installation out to bid via its Purchasing website at KnoxvilleTN.gov/bids.
The North Central Streetscape Project began in January 2018 and encompasses the 13 blocks between West Depot and Woodland avenues.
As of this week, the concrete curbs, bump outs and driveways on the east side of North Central Street between Anderson and Scott avenues have been poured. In the next two weeks, crews will work on the west side of Central between Scott and Baxter avenues.