KMA Alive After Five Spring Series In Full Swing

Christabel and the Jons, KMA, Knoxville, March 2012

The Knoxville Museum of Art hosts a series of concerts in the fall and spring each year called Alive After Five. It is hosted by the delightful and ever-positive music lover Mr. Michael Gill. Its a great chance to hear artists playing genres ranging from swing and jazz to blues, world music and pretty much anything else. The emphasis is on the danceable varieties and many people come to do just that.

Christabel and the Jons, KMA, Knoxville, March 2012

Friends catching up while listening to cool tunes

It's different from other venues in many respects in that it is smoke-free, starts early (6:00 PM) and includes free admission to the museum. Food is also catered by local vendors and beverages are available for purchase. Tickets are generally $10 or less and children are welcome and are free (up to age 17). In other words, it's a cheap date. For around $40 a couple may see the museum, dance to a great band and have dinner. Pretty nice.

Swing Dancing at the KMA

Never too old to rock and roll

Swing Dancing at the KMA

The whole affair is over by 8:30 which leaves plenty of time to move your party down the road or make it home for an early night after your long work week. It's a pretty simple matter to catch a great artist in this venue and then walk into the heart of downtown or the Old City for late evening fun.

Christabel and the Jons, KMA, Knoxville, March 2012

Christabel and the Jons, KMA, Knoxville, March 2012

The photographs in this blog are from the spring kick-off with Christabel and the Jons a couple of weeks ago and they were fantastic, as usual. Their cool swing had people flying all over the dance floor - which is a big part of the entertainment value of the series, to me. I love to watch lovely couples dancing and I wish I had the nerve.

Christabel and the Jons, KMA, Knoxville, March 2012

Christabel and the Jons, KMA, Knoxville, March 2012

Christabel and the Jons, KMA, Knoxville, March 2012

Christabel does some of the best jazzy versions of Hank Williams songs you'll ever want to hear and she did several that night. She was also joined on stage by regular band members Taylor Coker on bass, Jon Whitlock on drums and Amanda Cagle on multiple instruments. She has a new album coming soon and the vocals are shared with a lovely lady who joined her for much of the show, but whose name I failed to catch.

Christabel and the Jons, KMA, Knoxville, March 2012 

Christabel and the Jons, KMA, Knoxville, March 2012

Tonight, the series resumes after skipping a week with Jenna and the Accidentals. This is Jenna Jefferson getting her funk on with the likes of Keith and Kenneth Brown and Sevan Takvoryan and Dave Slack. Think a little less blues than the Cool Friends and a little more Sly and the Family Stone. It should be great fun and I'd love to see you there. Introduce yourself if you spot me and the camera.

You can find the complete schedule of spring shows here.

If I had a million dollars . . .

Come on, now. Admit it. We've all thought about what we'd do if we had a spare million or so. I'd be willing to be some of us gave it some thought recently when the MonsterMillions, or whatever it was, paid out obscene amounts of money to a few lucky winners.

Central Business Improvement District, Knoxville, Spring 2012

I think about such things, though I'm one of those who can't win because I don't play. I'm reconciled to the fact that I'll never have a major windfall. But what if I did - or you did? What if someone gave you a half million dollars and said they'd give you the same amount next year? You are in complete charge of the money, but there is one little catch: you have to spend it in the best way you can determine to help make downtown Knoxville a better place for residents, businesses and visitors.

Ideas immediately springing to mind? How much will you spend on buildings? How much will you spend on events to bring people into the city? Will you have a staff to encourage businesses to locate in Knoxville? Will you print brochures, buy street lights, fix sidewalks, remove graffiti? Would you spend it the same way over the years or change as the city changes? Watch out, you may burn through a half million dollars before you know it.

I've come to realize this is a pretty difficult task made more difficult by several factors I hadn't anticipated. You see, it turns out this is exactly the situation in which the Central Business Improvement District finds itself. It started in 1992, though with fewer funds, charted a course of using the money to promote downtown and now finds itself in a very different city - to some degree of its making. Who would argue that the center city hasn't made massive strides since 1992? No one who walked the streets during that era.

CBID Board, Knoxville, Spring 2012

After the CBID recently granted $125,000 to improve the facade at 1 Market Square a debate erupted over issues related to the expenditure of their money. What percentage of the total budget should go to improving facades downtown? Staffing currently uses $175,000 of the money. At a recent workshop proposals were made for $100,000 of the operating budget going forward to be spent on events. Another 100,000 was suggested to be designated for the facade grants with a limit of $25,000 for a single grant. That means there would be no more large grants like the ones given to 1 Market Square and the Arnstein Building. It would also leave only $125,000 for large projects.

As difficult as it is to determine the right mix of allocations for the budget, the job is complicated by competing interests and relationships. Each constituency group would likely have a different answer to the question. A resident and a business owner might share some common goals, but diverge on particular uses of this money. A developer wants to make their projects as lucrative as possible and grants help, but which developer and which project deserves the help at a particular time? What basis helps you determine who gets the grant money? Does it matter if they have a track record? Does it matter if they are a new, struggling developer versus an established, wealthy developer who may not really need the money? What if the project is likely to bring in a business that is redundant downtown - or what if it is exceptionally cool  - does that matter?

The large projects present another set of questions. What is a large project worthy of receiving $125,000 or some large portion of it? One item under discussion is a parking garage. What if someone wanted to resuscitate the J.C. Penny building which is a prominent eyesore in our most developed portion of downtown? What about the McClung Warehouses? Why wouldn't a vision like Marble Alley be worthy of a large grant. I also wonder if the board should give themselves some flexibility to decide that, in a given budget year, events and facades would be cut in favor of a large opportunity or significant need.

List of Services engendered debate

Complicating matters more are the personal relationships in a town this size. What if you are on the board and your friend wants a grant? What if the person asking for money may be your partner in a future project? What if they are a competitor? What if they once rejected a grant for your company when they were on the board? What if their company is a client of your company? Does any of this effect your decision making?

This is our situation at this time. Developers rotate through the board - and maybe that's a good thing because they understand what it takes to make a project happen - but that leads to complicated relationships. Residents on the board know many of the developers, as well. Often board members are residents as well as developers or friends of those asking for money. One board member is a resident and a city commissioner. How does he vote when the city wants the board to invest in a project? Do other loyalties influence votes? I think it would be very difficult in this context to remain completely objective.

People stood as the intensity increased during the workshop

So, at the recent workshop, new applications for grants were frozen for three months, which led to one local developer storming out of the meeting. During the hiatus, deliberation will continue regarding allocation of resources. It's great theater on one level, but it is also very important. Currently, downtown Knoxville enjoys tremendous, undeniable momentum. The choices this small group of people make will have a large impact on whether that momentum continues or stalls.

I'd encourage you to attend as many meetings as possible and at least be aware of the conversations, if not join the dialog. You'll find a list of upcoming meetings here. I'll see you at the evening meetings as I'm unable to attend the meetings in the middle of the day. In the meantime, consider how would you spend a half million dollars a year. It's complicated, isn't it?

April 2012 First Friday, Market Square

Market Square, First Friday April 2012

It's worth saying that this had to be one of the all-time most spectacular weather weekends in Knoxville History. Chilly enough for a light jacket all morning, comfortable enough to walk in the sunshine under gloriously blue skies all weekend. It was simply magnificent. Urban Woman and I enjoyed First Friday, but the whole weekend was simply amazing. We sat outside the French Market Saturday mid-morning sharing a crepe and coffee and pretending we were back in Paris. It felt like Paris or San Francisco in the summer. A young man helpfully walked by pulling his suitcase competing the motif.

Man Reading the Bible Aloud on Market Square

But before that it was First Friday - which also happened to be Good Friday on the Christian calendar. There was far too much to put into one post, so today I'll just tell you what we found on Market Square as the evening got started. It was enough to indicate that the night would be jam-packed with fun.

Girl Skateboarding around Market Square Fountain

The first thing that hit me when we entered the square just after 5:30 was the size of the crowd. People were simply everywhere. Some were engaged in any of a number of activities spread around the area while others simply shared the space with friends, talking and laughing and generally enjoying the cool temperatures.

Bronze Guy on Market Square

Bronze Guy on Market Square

Bronze Guy makes new friends

There was some evidence of the fact that it was Good Friday. One of the first things I noticed (after the girl skateboarding around the fountain in her dress) was a gentleman reading the Bible aloud. No one seemed to be listening and this fact did not seem to disturb him. In the background a choir sang on the Market Square Stage.

The bronze guy was back and up to his usual non-shenanigans as he stood stoically in place. After a particularly heated debate between some teenagers regarding whether he was "real" he did suddenly swing his face toward them before freezing again which led to the inevitable squeals. One thing that bugged me a bit: I saw this guy and a guy twirling fire entertain large numbers of people - some of whom like the girls in the picture above had their picture made with the buskers - and get no money. As in none. Give the guy a tip, people. Otherwise they will go away.

Ribbon Twirler entertains the children

Ribbon Twirler on Market Square

Another man waved about a large stick with ribbons attached to the end, much to the delight of children who chased it about but seemed almost inexplicably disciplined about not grabbing and breaking the ribbon thus ending the game for the night.

Green Initiative offered a little education for your Friday Night

I'll cover the Knox Heritage Salvage show in a separate post, but even without that or the other various events inside stores and restaurants, the crowd exhorted, cavorted and generally made their own fun. Absolutely delightful.

We Have Graffiti, Do We Have Gangs?

Graffiti in the Old City, Knoxville

Graffiti has never been high on my list of concerns downtown. I see random tagging, but I see it outside downtown, as well, so I figured it just goes with modern society. An irritant? Sure. A big problem? Not so much. I've blogged about graffiti in one form or another here, here, here and here, often taking a positive view of the graffiti in question.

Graffiti in the Old City, Knoxville

I'm slowly being brought around as I understand more about the unique dynamics that are downtown Knoxville. We aren't just the neighborhood for downtown residents; we are the collective neighborhood for the region. We also have some baggage that we have a hard time leaving behind.

Graffiti in the Old City, Knoxville

Graffiti in the Old City, Knoxville

For many years, perhaps starting in the early eighties, downtown Knoxville was not a place that most people thought of as a destination. Malls were the wave of the future and inner cities were increasingly suffering from white flight and a crumbling infrastructure. Downtown Knoxville, like many other inner cities came to be seen as blighted and dangerous.

Graffiti in the Old City, Knoxville

Knoxville's downtown in 2012 is a far cry from those days, yet, we still struggle with perceptions people carry from those darker days of the city's history. When people visit the city today we want them to have a good impression, and I would suggest, an accurate impression, which is that our downtown is a safe, fun place to visit and bring your family.

Graffiti, 100 Block of Gay Street

We do not have gang activity in downtown Knoxville. This is a fact according to the Knoxville Police Department. The graffiti which some people might connect with gang activity is simply the act of random, bored teenagers or skaters who enjoy seeing their tag around the city. It is unsightly, in no way connected to the street art whose virtues I've previously extolled and it is a problem because of the connection in people's minds.

So what to do? Get rid of it as rapidly as possible is what studies have shown. If it is repeatedly painted over in short order, taggers move elsewhere. If you see graffiti on your own property, please remove it quickly. If you see graffiti on another person's property, please call 3-1-1 and report it. Hopefully, the city will notify the owners and they will take some action.

Graffiti, Union Avenue

Graffiti, Union Avenue

It's important that we keep downtown clean and safe and that we communicate that image to our visitors whether they be from far out of town or from our area. Many people who have avoided downtown for decades are beginning to take a second look. We want that look to be a good one - without graffiti.

New Busker on the Square: Balloon Artist David Perkins

David Perkins makes balloon art for children on Market Square, Knoxville

We've had buskers on the square for a long time. Sometimes they've been hassled a bit, but all-in-all Knoxville seems to have made peace with its inner busker. I've written about a number of them on this site and I always appreciate what they do. I try to support them as I can because they make our city a better place.

Young guy likes the bird - at a distance

A girl with her balloon flower, Market Square

For the most part our buskers have been musicians and singers. Many of them have professional-level talent while others don't have so much. Recently we've seemed to have an influx of the not-so-much variety, but I'm hoping spring brings  a positive change in that direction.

The bird works the crowd, Market Square, Knoxville

Balloon sword fighting to the clarinet, what's not to love?

What we do have is a trickle of different types of busking, which I see as a very positive development. I recently highlighted a magician and a bronze guy (who, by the way, no one knows how to contact, do you?). The latest in this line of alternative busking is David Perkins who makes balloon art for passersby for tips. He is sometimes accompanied by a woman who has a parrot that gets almost as much attention.

Holding the bird, Market Square

Children and a parrot, Market Square, Knoxville

David is also a professional musician and is often heard playing clarinet while children sword fight with his creations. Sometimes they get a bit too enthusiastic and attack urban bloggers, but I digress. David also plays a shofar and sometimes includes a small gong in his act. I'd prefer he leave the shofar and gong at home as they are pretty obnoxious from one end of the square to the other, but the children do seem to love it all.

Children, balloons and Market Square, Knoxville

He actually is available for events such as children's parties at which I'd say he is very good. At the least he adds some pretty cool color to the square. Check him out the next time you are in the city. And tip him when he makes a balloon flower for your child!

A Beautiful Gay Street Building Changes Hands!

Arcade Building, 618 South Gay, Knoxville, March 2012

There are so many beautiful buildings on Gay Street that is sometimes easy for one to be overlooked. When passing the 600 block of South  Gay Street, for example, what do you see? Probably the phenomenal Tennessee Theatre. Particularly after its renovations a few years ago, it is a beautiful sight. But there are other buildings on that block beside the Burwell which houses the theater. They are smaller, but some are also beautiful.

600 Block of Gay Street, Knoxville

Yesterday afternoon, the Arcade Building, 618 South Gay Street, which is the third building down from the Burwell, sold to Kevin and Melinda Grimac. Built in 1924, this is one of the most beautiful and unique buildings on Gay Street with its striking marble and copper facade setting it clearly apart from its brick and mortar neighbors. From the street, it appears to be a two story building but, in fact, it is much larger.

Private Gated Garden Entrance at the rear of the Arcade Building, Knoxville

Behind the building and included with the property is a courtyard which contains thirteen parking spaces in a private, gated lot. Parking privileges are negotiable for prospective tenants. The angle of the hill going down from Gay Street allows for direct access to garden-level floor which includes, in addition to storage and electrical support for the building, garden-level office suites.

Kevin and Melinda Grimac, New Owners

Just above the garden-level is the street-level or 1st floor with it's beautiful entrance from Gay Street. Corinthian columns carved from Tennessee marble and an inscription with the building's name above the door, along with aged copper panels bearing a gorgeous patina make this address unique even on a street filled with special buildings.

Interior First Floor Hallway, Arcade Building, Knoxville

The interior hallway runs the entire length of the building and features polished marble floors. Along each side of the corridor, greeting rooms open into offices which could be leased as singly or as suites. Retail space is planned for the front, south side, of this floor (watch for a very exciting announcement in this space, soon).

Interior Detail, First Floor of the Arcade Building, Knoxville

View of Ceiling from First Floor, Arcade Building

The ceiling above the interior hallway opens to skylights two floors above, allowing beautiful light into the long corridor. Greenery drapes over the the openings adding a delicate softness to the sunlight and marble. While the building is beautiful as is, the Grimacs plan to revitalize it with new paint, flooring, landscaping and some re-arrangement of the interior space, accommodating requests of potential tenants. The Grimacs are also interested in applying energy efficient updates to the eighty-eight-year-old building.

Second Floor, Arcade Building, 618 South Gay, Knoxville

Second Floor, Arcade Building, 618 South Gay, Knoxville

View of Sky Lights from Second Floor, Arcade Building, Knoxville

The second floor also currently contains office suites along each side of the building with an open view to the lower floor in the center and beautiful direct sunlight from above. The south side of this floor will be converted to approximately 2700 square feet of living space and will be occupied by the owners. The home will afford three bedrooms and a beautiful view of Gay Street.

Finally, out of view from ground level, a penthouse suite holds the law office of prominent Knoxville attorney Gregory P. Isaacs, who will continue to maintain his current address.

Arcade Building with The Oarsman in Foreground, Knoxville, March 2012

So, a great place just got a little better and more is to come. Much of the 15,000+ sq. feet of office space is available immediately at this premium Gay Street location. If you'd like more information about this special space, contact Melinda Grimac at 356-4178.