KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — On Tuesday, the Knoxville City Council was expected to meet to discuss several high-profile agenda items. They included funding for a baseball stadium with a higher-than-expected price tag, whether the city would cut down some trees for an art installation, and whether to buy a mobile video camera trailer for the Knoxville Police Department.
The meeting starts at 6 p.m. in the City County Building.
On Tuesday, the Knoxville-Knox County Sports Authority approved a plan that would expand a special tax district around the site of a proposed baseball stadium to help cover its rising cost. The Knoxville City Council was also expected to meet Tuesday to finalize the change.
The new district would cross through an area of downtown Knoxville in Old City, up South Central Street past Magnolia Avenue and to East 5th Avenue. The area includes businesses like Barley's Taproom and Pizzeria, and Lonesome Dove. It also stretches into more of East Knoxville and some of Summit Hill Avenue.
The district would effectively be how the city pays back Randy Boyd for fronting money in a loan for the baseball stadium. It's called a Tax Increment Financing District plan, or TIF.
It's assumed the largely industrial-commercial area will grow and prosper in the coming years, generating higher property tax revenue. As envisioned now, the bulk of the new money would first cover government improvement costs in the district with the rest being used to pay back Boyd for his loan, according to staff involved with the project.
Knoxville leaders and Knox County previously voted to enter an agreement allowing the Knoxville Knox County Sports Authority to issue $65 million in bonds. In 2021, developers said they expected the stadium to cost $90.5 million.
In a November proposal, negotiators said the maximum exposure of public funds is $74.3 million.
However, the price of construction materials soared since then creating a gap in their funding. The design of the stadium was also scaled back from the original plans to reduce costs.
In addition to championing the ballpark, Boyd is leading an estimated $142 million private development project around it that includes several buildings with condos, apartments and commercial uses.
Knoxville leaders are working to redesign The Cradle of Country Music Park, located in the downtown area near the intersection of Gay Street and Summit Hill Drive. Part of the plan calls for replacing trees with art, and it has raised concerns among some city residents.
On Tuesday, the city council will vote on whether to pause the project for six months so planners behind it could consider other ways to preserve trees while installing new art in the park.
Right now, many city residents call the park a pocket of nature next to one of the city's busiest intersections. The plan calls for five trees to be cut down and replaced with some artwork. Leaders said 12 existing trees would be preserved and nine new trees would be planted.
The process to redesign the park started around 8 years ago and since then, more than 100 artists submitted proposals to fill the park. Some of their projects were funded after organizers picked winning designs.
The City council will vote on whether to use $28,000 in grant funds from the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency on a mobile video camera trailer for the Knoxville Police Department. The department said it would be used as part of its "homeland security efforts."
It would effectively come at no cost to Knoxville's funds. It is part of a 2021 Homeland Security Grant. As the administrator of the grant, the city needs to sign a memorandum of understanding with Knox County to spend the money.
The city will vote on whether to sign a contract between Knoxville, Knox County and Young-Williams Animal Center to promote responsible animal care and welfare. The contract would cost up to around $1 million.
The animal center would be responsible for educating the public,m providing sheltering services and providing adoption services. They would also need to offer basic and emergency veterinary care for animals as part of the contract.
It will last for a year but can be extended to a total of four additional years.
The Knoxville City Council will vote on whether to spend $50,000 so the Volunteer Ministry Center could continue operating a mobile shower trailer serving around 300 people experiencing homelessness.
The funds would be used to staff the showers, helping make sure they stay safe and clean so that people can continue using them if they have no other way to take a shower. The ministry's programs aim to improve the health of people experiencing homelessness and connect them with resources to help them find permanent housing.
They can also access laundry services at the trailer, according to an agreement with the city. They can also safely dispose of needles at the trailer. It specifies people will not need to be connected to case management services to access the services.