Key UT Knoxville projects get state funding, including the pedestrian bridge in downtown

Keenan Thomas, Knoxville News Sentinel
·2 min read

Key construction and building projects at the University of Tennessee at Knoxville can take crucial steps forward, many of them related to jobs and research the state of Tennessee needs.

The state legislature authorized funds or approved the plans for these projects, including $20 million toward the city of Knoxville's planned pedestrian bridge that will help expand student housing to the south side of the Tennessee River.

UT System President Randy Boyd shared the news with the UT System Board of Trustees Executive Committee May 5, along with plans for projects across the entire system. Here's what you should know.

University of Tennessee at Knoxville projects that can move forward

Knoxville Pedestrian Bridge

A concept drawing shows a pedestrian bridge connecting South Knoxville to the University of Tennessee's Thompson-Boling Arena. The city of Knoxville and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville are one step closer to securing the project funding with money from the state.
A concept drawing shows a pedestrian bridge connecting South Knoxville to the University of Tennessee's Thompson-Boling Arena. The city of Knoxville and the University of Tennessee at Knoxville are one step closer to securing the project funding with money from the state.

The state is contributing $20 million through the city of Knoxville to begin the initial planning and development of the pedestrian bridge.

The city also has applied for a federal RAISE grant of up to $25 million for the estimated $70 million bridge.

The bridge will be a new downtown amenity that connects the south waterfront to Thompson-Boling Arena and new student housing to campus.

In February, UT Knoxville and the city of Knoxville signed an agreement to build the bridge if the funding is acquired. The city would own and maintain the public bridge.

Chemistry building

The university got the OK to use $6.5 million of its own money to create plans for a new chemistry building to meet growing enrollment. The plans will take a year, which Boyd said gives UT time to get funding for construction.

It's included in UTK's master plan to be completed within five years at 1531 Cumberland Ave, where the Panhellenic Building is located.

Meat Lab

The University of Tennessee Institute of Agriculture is getting $12.5 million in stimulus funds to construct the Protein Innovation Center – what Boyd called a "meat lab" – to help prepare needed workers.

"One of the things our state desperately needs is more meat processing, and to do that we need to have skilled people that know how to do it," Boyd said. "This facility will be a demonstration facility, but also a place in which our students and faculty and others can get training to be able to process meat."

Water Education and Training Center

UTIA is partnering with the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation (TDEC) for a $28 million facility to study flooding. The Tennessee Water Education and Training Center will be built by TDEC at the UT Institute for Agriculture's Lone Oaks Farm. While UTIA is headquartered in Knoxville, Lone Oaks Farm is in Middleton outside of Memphis.

The center will study how to prepare for, mitigate and react to flooding.

Keenan Thomas reports in higher education and for the Knox News business growth and development team. You can reach him by email at keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: University of Tennessee Knoxville gets money for bridge, new buildings