The Broadway Corridor Task Force has awarded its 2017 Community Improvement Award to the “Greetings from Knoxville” mural at Nothing Too Fancy’s silkscreen workshop, 1143 N. Broadway. It was painted in April by New York City graffiti artist Victor Ving, who executed the bright, 31-by-18 mural in the style of an antique postcard.
Wendy’s Restaurant, which remodeled its 3000 N. Broadway façade and parking lot, and the new Elkmont Exchange Brewery, 745 N. Broadway, were also nominated for their beautification achievements.
Awardees were chosen from a list of nominations and responses to a community survey.
City Council member-elect Lauren Rider, who co-chairs the task force with Garry Tener, emphasized the importance of the Broadway corridor, which ties neighborhoods together.
“Our group formed to bring the business and neighborhood communities together, stimulating conversation over what the future development of Broadway can strive for.
“There is great opportunity here to re-energize the area, bringing new jobs and providing mixed use and commercial opportunities that serve and strengthen the surrounding neighborhoods.
“From our public input meetings and design work with East Tennessee Community Design Center, there was overwhelming support for reinvestment in the corridor, to mitigate blight and abandoned properties, and strong support for improved neighborhood access (walk, bike or transit). As projects are planned in the future we hope to see more improvements that implement the visioning of the Broadway Corridor.”
The Broadway Corridor Task Force was established in 2014 to stimulate collaborative and constructive discussion among neighborhood and business representatives. Its focus area is the Broadway Corridor from Fifth Avenue to I-640. The group comprises representatives from the North Knoxville Business and Professional Association, as well as the six major neighborhoods on this section of Broadway: Belle Morris Community Organization, Edgewood Park Neighborhood Association, Fairmont Emoriland Neighborhood Association, Historic Fourth & Gill Neighborhood Organization, Historic Old North Knoxville, and Oakwood Lincoln Park Neighborhood Association.
Task Force members include Tom Whisman, Steve Cotham, Pete Pallesen, Ellen Zavisca, Michelle Ivester, Deb Thomas, Charlie Thomas, Kyle Lang, George Kiley, David Belew, George Bove, Lauren Rider, Donna Spence and Bill Murrah.
Enhancement Plan: https://www.communitydc.org/master-planning/.