It’s been a mystery as to why the pace of installing the new “Pier 865” sculpture by THEVERYMANY, a New York studio led by artist Marc Fornes seemed to slow to a stop. I’m pretty sure I remember being told installation would happen last December. The City of Knoxville website tracking the timeline indicates in installation period of “Summer 2024.”
All that aside, a recent development indicated some movement as the trailer and table pictured here was moved onto the sculpture base which was completed many months ago. It prompted me to reach out to the city to learn if this indeed is the beginning of the end (or the beginning of the beginning?) of the $1.2 million project. The ever helpful Eric Vreeland confirmed as much and offered additional details.
This will mark the first permanent art installed on the .58-acre parcel since the demise of the very much smaller Treble Clef many years ago. The sculpture itself is a massive installation and the next weeks? should provide a lot of interest to passersby as it comes together. The artist’s team will use scissor lifts to “gently hoist and install a whimsical curved metal canopy” into place with a late fall opening of the park anticipated.
R.J. Justice, the City’s Chief of Urban Design and Development, said of the goal of the project, “We wanted to create an inviting and engaging public space at this important downtown pedestrian crossroads. This park pays tribute to Knoxville’s role in shaping country music and soon will be able to host music and small concerts here, under the trees.”
The re-opening of the park and the installation of something that draws eyes from every direction will do its part, along with the Lone Tree Pass development across the street to re-connect Gay Street which was severed by poor development choices decades ago. Surface 678 and Hedstrom Design helped develop the vision for the park. Also providing labor or financial support: The Public Arts Committee, the City’s Urban Forestry and Horticulture divisions, the state of Tennessee, Visit Knoxville, and the Downtown Knoxville Alliance. Blount Contractors Inc. is the City’s construction contractor.
After some controversy related to removing mature trees from the site, the sculpture was re-oriented slightly to save some of the the trees. The city release adds, “In recreating this public space, the park’s tree canopy is being extended: 12 mature trees were preserved and one tree had to be removed. But nine new trees will be planted in the park this fall, the optimum planting season.”
The negative impact on the sidewalk on the eastern side of Gay Street continues for the duration, with the sidewalk closed and pedestrian traffic being temporarily re-routed to “a permanent new sidewalk built across the eastern side of Cradle of Country Music Park. The sidewalk along Gay Street at the park’s western edge will be closed. Detour signs will be posted.
But wait . . . there’s more: New (fast) EV charging stations have been installed along Central Street behind the State Street Garage.
Installed by KUB in conjunction with TVA, four ports were installed along Central in one charging station. The stations will not only be a potential boost to downtown EV commuters, but are intended (along with a similar station in Seymour) to “fill key alternative fuel corridor gaps on I-75 and Route 441.” Meaning tourists and travelers will be assisted along their way through use of the charging stations.
It’s part of a larger effort and are “part of the Fast Charge Tennessee Network, a partnership between the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA), Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC), and Seven States Power Corporation. These charging stations are the 99th and 100th to open as part of this partnership, marking an exciting milestone for the Fast Charge Tennessee Network.”
The City of Knoxville supported the efforts in downtown, while Food City in Seymour did the same for that station. And they are really fast. “Each charger can deliver up to 150 kilowatts(kW) per vehicle for 0.40 cents per kilowatt hour (kWh). A full charge typically takes 30 minutes or less depending on the vehicle, allowing drivers to charge quickly when away from home or traveling.”
It’s nice to see KUB and the others do this work. “Supporting the adoption of electric vehicles is a major component of KUB’s sustainability efforts. We are grateful for the partnerships we have that address barriers to EV adoption,” KUB President and CEO Gabriel J. Bolas II said. “These partnerships make our work toward a more sustainable future even easier, and we’re thrilled to see new public charging stations filling those fuel corridor gaps.”
This contrasts, unfortunately, with the state of Tennessee which is not one of the nineteen states which offer some sort of subsidy to encourage EV or hybrid adoption. Rather, in 2024, the Tennessee legislature imposed a $100 additional fee on license plates for hybrids and $200 for EVs.
While not the fastest chargers, KUB also offers 36 Level 2 EV charging ports throughout the city, including four in the Promenade Garage. Mayor Kincannon said, “This investment goes hand-in-hand with the City’s sustainability efforts, and will help us attain a cleaner, greener Knoxville.”
In anticipation of 200,000 EVs on Tennessee roads in the next four years, the group aims to install charging stations “every 50 miles along Tennessee’s interstates and major highways.” The group says the benefits include “Reducing carbon emissions from gasoline vehicles by almost 1 million metric tons per year or the equivalent of the carbon sequestered by 1 million acres of U.S. forests in one year, reinvesting $120 million in the local economy every year from electric refueling, saving drivers up to $1,000 in fuel and maintenance costs every year.”