Renovations to the College Street corridor are coming this summer, with work slated to begin in June. Staff at the city of Maryville said the goal is to create a cohesive pedestrian experience for foot traffic from Maryville College to the city’s downtown center.
The work is scheduled to begin the week of June 1 and wrap up in November, weather permitting. It may involve lane closures as workers enhance walkability from Lamar Street to Founder’s Square. City staff said there will always be access for local traffic, although on-street parking may be limited.
Crews will work Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m.
Kevin Stoltenberg, assistant public services director for Maryville, said the goal is to refresh and brighten the area while making walking easier. The project, he said, came from a meeting with Maryville College staff about a year and a half ago.
“They had a lot of students and faculty pointing out the fact that they felt the college campus was disconnected from the downtown hub,” Stoltenberg said. “At the time we happened to be working with a landscaping architect to do the median islands on (U.S.) 321.”
The city, he said, rolled the proposed changes into the existing project and came up with a design that blended with the other design work in the area. The winning bid for the construction, which Stoltenberg said was higher than the city wanted, sits just over $1 million.
Contractors will add a crosswalk to Lamar Street and a landscaped plaza on the north side of the pedestrian bridge over Lamar Alexander Parkway, widening and replacing the sidewalk as they go. The work will include redoing overhead power and replacing lighting to improve the walking experience at all hours.
Workers will also target underground utilities from Ellis Avenue to High Street.
“A lot of it has to do with brightening and freshening up the area where the pedestrian bridge is,” Stoltenberg said. “Many people see it from the highway and don’t know how to get to it, and people who use it feel like they’re traipsing through areas they’re not supposed to be.”
Other cosmetic work will include adding greenery and tree planters, although Stoltenberg said some decorative work will have to wait until the next fiscal year begins. The final plan also includes adding brick monuments with banners similar to those near Founder’s Square.
The extra cosmetic work will bring the total price tag for the city somewhere north of $1.4 million.
The project, according to a release from Maryville staff, is part of the city’s ongoing efforts to enhance the downtown area and connect people to the downtown community. It will connect to previous walkability efforts suspended over a decade ago, where staff worked to expand pedestrian access from the Blount County Public Library to Founder’s Square.
Construction will coincide with the installation of about $200,000 in wayfinding signage downtown, Stoltenberg said, meaning not only will people have easier access to the city center, but they’ll also be able to find their way around. That work is set to begin in the next three to four weeks.
Anyone with questions is encouraged to contact the Maryville Engineering Department at 865-273-3500.
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