A long-awaited welcome sign for Fountain City is moving closer to reality, with plans calling for it to be installed at the corner of Greenway and Broadway.
Fountain City Town Hall Inc. has been working on the project and recently announced that the required documentation for the sign has been completed.
Fountain City architect Markus Chady volunteered his time and expertise to the project, helping develop the welcome sign for the community.
Before the sign can be installed, it must make its way through several levels of government approval. Fountain City Town Hall has completed the documentation required by the city of Knoxville and the Tennessee Department of Transportation for street signage.
The documents will first go through the city of Knoxville approval process and then to TDOT. Final approval will circle back to the Knoxville City Council.
The project also has a fundraising component.
Because Fountain City Town Hall is not a 501(c)(3) organization, Legacy Parks Foundation has agreed to serve as the project’s fiscal sponsor. The arrangement allows tax-deductible contributions to be made toward the cost of the welcome sign.
Donors may make checks payable to Legacy Parks Foundation and mail them to 900 Landing Lane, Knoxville, TN 37915. Donors should write Fountain City on the memo line to ensure the contribution is directed to the welcome sign project.
If donations exceed the amount needed for the sign, Fountain City Town Hall plans to use the additional money for upgrades and renovations to Fountain City Park and other community events.
Grant Rosenberg, chief operating officer for the city of Knoxville, expressed the city’s support for the effort.
“This sign has been a long time coming to Fountain City and we want to support this project,” Rosenberg said.
Fountain City Town Hall plans to keep the community updated as the sign moves through the approval process.
The organization operates on limited revenue. Its income comes from annual membership dues of $20 and sales of Fountain City Town Hall T-shirts and hoodies, making community contributions important to completing the welcome sign project.
The new sign will do more than mark an entrance. For Fountain City Town Hall, it represents another community-led effort to preserve and strengthen the identity of one of Knoxville’s most recognizable neighborhoods.
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