Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation (KCDC), Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB) and Trees Knoxville partner to plant 22 trees in KCDC’s Five Points community on March 19, 2026, in the first of five tree plantings planned for KCDC properties. Pictured, from left: Jenna Bailey of KCDC, Grayson Byard of KUB and Melissa Hinten of Trees Knoxville. Image by Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation

KNOXVILLE - Trees Knoxville, Knoxville Utilities Board (KUB) and Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation (KCDC) collaborated to plant 22 trees in KCDC’s Five Points community, thanks to KUB employee volunteers who spent the day placing, planting and watering trees.

“KUB’s service to the community goes well beyond utilities,” KUB President and CEO Gabriel J. Bolas II said. “Through our Volunteer Time program, employees have donated more than 28,000 service hours since 2014 to help support area nonprofits. We also know planting the right trees in the right places can help lower energy usage over time and beautify our community while maintaining safety around power lines.”

The volunteers planted 22 trees on KCDC property along South Olive Street and Kenner Avenue around infill housing completed last year. The trees complement 15 trees recently planted along Ben Hur Avenue and two red maples previously planted on the grounds.

“We welcomed an opportunity to partner with Trees Knoxville and KUB to add more trees to the Five Points community to offer shade, enhance beauty and help cultivate a neighborhood that residents can be proud to call home,” KCDC Executive Director and CEO Ben Bentley said.

The new trees were funded through a U.S. Department of Agriculture Forest Service grant designed to fund urban forestry initiatives in underserved communities. Arborists with Trees Knoxville selected the variety and placement of the trees.

“We prioritize native plants that can thrive in the East Tennessee climate,” said Melissa Hinten, executive director of Trees Knoxville. “We also make selections based on beauty, diversity and right tree, right place principles.”

KUB provides guidance to customers on tree planting to ensure that trees can mature without interfering with power lines, which can cause outages. For instance, large trees that grow to over 35 feet should be planted at least 50 feet from overhead power lines and medium trees should be planted at least 25 feet away.

The planted trees include dogwoods, sweetgums, fringe trees, redbuds, foster hollies, linden trees, overcup oaks, black gums, red maples, sweetbay magnolias and willow oaks.

Trees Knoxville will water and maintain the trees throughout the summer. This is the first of five annual tree plantings planned by Trees Knoxville for KCDC properties.

Trees Knoxville and KCDC representatives confirmed that 811 was called prior to any digging for this project. One easy phone call to 811, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC)-designated national number to call before digging, easily begins the process to locate and mark any underground utility lines, including primary electric lines, water and wastewater mains, and natural gas mains and servicee.

About Trees Knoxville
Trees Knoxville is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit whose mission is to preserve and increase the urban tree canopy on the private and public land of Knoxville and Knox County. The urban forest we want to create is accessible to all and planted with the entire community in mind. We want to engage as many Knoxvilliansas possible in creating shade, cooling neighborhoods and making the city more beautiful. Learn more about Trees Knoxville and its comprehensive Urban Forest Master Plan online at TreesKnoxville.org.

About Knoxville Utilities Board
KUB is a municipal utility serving Knox and parts of seven adjacent counties and provides electric, fiber, natural gas, water, and wastewater services to more than 520,000 customers. KUB exists to provide utility services that are safe, reliable, and affordable; however, its mission is about more than pipes and wires. It’s about being good stewards of the environment and the communities’ resources and safeguarding those resources for generations to come. KUB is also committed to being good stewards of ratepayers’ dollars and meeting the needs of its customers. Learn more about KUB and its efforts in the community at KUB.org.

About Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation
Since 1936, KCDC has been dedicated to enhancing the quality of life for the citizens of Knoxville. KCDC’s mission is to collaborate with the Knoxville community to create and preserve housing opportunities and strengthen neighborhoods. For more information, visit kcdc.org.