Updates and New Developments

If the first few days are any indication, the new year will be filled with change for downtown. Faster than a blogger can blog or, certainly, a newspaper can publish, significant developments emerge. I hope as many of the shifts are as exciting as others will be discouraging.

Whenever downtown is mentioned in an article on the Knoxville News Sentinel, the message boards light up with discussion of how the center city is a wasteland of some sort or another. Generally, the logic runs that taxpayer money is wasted by the truckload on  a dead and dangerous place and even if you wanted to take a trip downtown you would end up riding in circles through the night looking for affordable parking. Eventually a few people wade in to defend the city.

Why are so many local residents (or at least readers of our local newspaper) so negative about our city?
I'll leave that topic for future blogs, but today I'll include some of the developments which have brought these folks out in packs.

The primary negative news recently concerns the closure of area restaurants. First, in mid December, Regas announced it was closing. While many people have fond memories of the restaurant, it has struggled for business in recent years. Next, just at the turn of the New Year came news that Arby's was closing downtown. Though at the other end of the culinary spectrum from Regas, it nonetheless was also a long-term downtown dining establishment.

S and W Grand, Gay Street, Knoxville, 2009

Then, on Saturday, the announcement was made that the S and W Grand, which opened to great fanfare about a year ago was shutting its doors at least temporarily. The final closure of the three seems the most damaging to downtown momentum. As expected, a large number of people commented on the Knoxville News Sentinel story and most of them were negative. There were themes that emerged related to the price of the items, portions and lighting. I regret this one the most of the three because of its high-profile opening and its symbolic connection to downtown's re-emergence. I'll also miss having Donald Brown downtown every Saturday night.

The closure of the Saint Oliver has been discussed on this blog and elsewhere. The great news there is that the people who purchased it plan to invest a large amount of money to restore and update it and they plan to do so in short order and reopen as a hotel this spring. I hope that all goes well. The information from this weekend is that a large sale will be held beginning this Thursday of all the items contained in the building. These were collected by Kristopher Kendrick and range from inexpensive to very expensive and from common to unusual, if not rare. I'd love to have something just for the historical connection, but my boss would probably prefer that I work during those hours.

Henley Street north of the bridge, Knoxville 2010

Also worth a mention is that the drive to have something done regarding Henley Street (see post below and poll above) received a great boost this week when Metropulse published Jack Neely's article on the problems and possibilities given the current closure of the bridge. In his, typically eloquent, article he challenged the mayoral candidates to take a stand in their campaigns. Perhaps that is the next  goal for supporters of this effort. My worry is that we are going to have nearly a year of place-holding and no action in that office followed by months of a new mayor becoming acclimated and by that time half or more of the closure period will be over.

Of course, there are openings coming as I mentioned earlier in Just Ripe (which appeared to take a bit of a construction leap this week!), Harry's Deli and Blue Coast Burrito. A reader commented that the space being vacated by Nama's move to Gay Street is already slated to open as a new restaurant. Additionally, with facade grants in place, work is underway to open dual-use buildings as businesses and condos at several locations on Gay Street and Market Square.

So, the news in this very new year is not all bad, it's just constant and we are just over a week into the year. Hang on for the ride.

Christmas Day in Downtown Knoxville

So Christmas has come and gone, once again. What is it like to experience Christmas in the city? Of course, like anywhere, that depends on the person you ask. For everyone downtown, it's pretty quiet. The streets are empty for most of the day. A soft snow-mist fell for much of the morning before turning to more proper flakes by noon. Few cars passed in the street. In my home the day meant sleeping late, opening gifts with family and enjoying brunch around noon. It was exhausting and, of course, called for a nap. Not much different than the suburbs, right?

I was the lonely recycler.

Mid-afternoon I took a walk to check the pulse of the city. First, I walked to the recycle center to drop off our boxes and used wrapping paper. I was happy to see I wasn't the first to deliver the balls of festive, useless paper to a new life. I took a shot of a little additional urban blight as I left. These buildings could be great. I wonder how they play into the vision of Marble Alley.

State Street blight or Marble City makeover?

Homeless friends panhandling on Christmas day.

Walking down Gay Street, I found these guys. One said he was from Morristown looking for what to do next. The woman kept laughing uncontrollable and the guys told me she needs to take her Haldol. I cautioned them about panhandling in the same spot where Bill and Jake were previously accosted. One of them had a harmonica which he played sporadically, so I guess they could take the busker defense.

Christmas movie goer, Regal Cinemas, Downtown Knoxville, Christmas day

Regal Cinemas had three workers to one customer when I looked, but they claimed to have had a pretty busy day. They were one of the few businesses open. The ice skating rink was open and had about twenty skaters when I looked. I hope it has done well this year, but I've looked several times when it wasn't very busy.

Twenty ice skaters skating, Knoxville, Christmas Day 2010

James Park Home, Christmas Day 2010

I walked down Walnut Street and took a pretty good picture of the James Park house. James Park was Knoxville's second mayor. The foundation dates to 1797 with the actual structure going back to 1812.  It's pretty remarkable that it has survived. It's one of the oldest houses in Knoxville.

Umoja Abdul-Ahad, Knoxville, Christmas, 2010

I kind of hit full-cycle by the end of my walk when I met Umoja Abdul-Ahad. He was kind enough to stand for this picture as he prepared to walk the city, himself. Omoja, I learned, is the executive director of Global Recycle Summit, an organization that promotes recycling. I was relieved I recycled my Christmas wrapping paper rather than trashing it. I would have felt a bit guilty.

Dirty Guv'nahs' New Year's Eve Show

So, the action was slow, but I made a new friend. Not a bad outcome of a little walk in the city. As I turned back onto Gay Street, ice pellets fell heavily and the chill had deepened. I walked past the Bijou marque announcing the upcoming Dirty Guv'nahs' New Year's Eve show. I realized it was a farewell walk to a year that is ending. It's been a good year for our city and here's hoping the next is even better. Starting it with the Dirty Guv'nahs at the Bijou would be a promising beginning, indeed. I certainly plan to be there.