KNOXVILLE - Knoxville City Council tonight authorized Mayor Indya Kincannon’s proposed investments in multiple public safety projects and social service initiatives.


Magnolia Avenue upgrades

The state of Tennessee is preparing to resurface Magnolia Avenue, a state route, between Hall of Fame Drive and Prosser Road. The City is contributing $109,563 to the Tennessee Department of Transportation project so that additional public safety components can be included at this time.

Specifically, stamped crosswalks will be replaced at three intersections – Jessamine, Winona and North Bertrand streets – and green bike lane markings will be added at the Hall of Fame Drive intersection.

In addition, technology to monitor and manage traffic flow will be improved. Existing in-pavement inductive loops will be upgraded to video detection equipment at two Magnolia Avenue intersections – at Hall of Fame and at Prosser.


Traffic signal maintenance

The City will be entering into $150,000 agreements with three companies – a total investment of $450,000 – to support installation, maintenance and improvement of traffic signals, including during emergency situations, and related services to better assist pedestrians at signalized intersections.

The companies – selected after a competitive, sealed bid process – are Stansell Electric Co., Davis H. Elliot Construction Co., and Progression Electric.


Support for Homeless Sheltering

Mayor Kincannon proposed, and City Council authorized, allocating $205,000 to repair the plumbing at the Salvation Army’s Joy Baker Center and the Bridge of Hope Emergency Shelter.

The Joy Baker Center serves families with children and pregnant women fleeing domestic violence, and the Hope shelter provides emergency services to men experiencing homelessness. The plumbing at these facilities is original, and there have been multiple emergency, high-cost repairs. This City assistance will save money in the long term by modernizing the plumbing and allowing the Salvation Army to continue its critical mission as a direct service provider and coalition partner.


Empower Knox Youth Mental Health Grants

These six grants to local nonprofit service providers – $10,000 each, or a total of $60,000 – were awarded to Centro Hispano, Knoxville Leadership Foundation, Girl Talk, Gennisi Charitable Birth Services, The Verb Kind, and the local YWCA.

The funding was postponed from Council’s Jan. 20 meeting after several Council members sought additional information about the non-profits receiving the grants and how they were selected.

The grants are managed through the City’s Office of Community Safety and Empowerment, and selections were made by an evaluation committee made up of City staff and community volunteers.