Land purchase for new Knoxville fire station in Burlington is part of a bigger goal

Allie Feinberg, Knoxville News Sentinel
Updated ·1 min read
Fire Station 6 is open again after being closed due to unsafe working conditions. The city hopes to build a brand new station in Burlington.
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Residents of Knoxville's Burlington neighborhood are getting a holiday gift from the city this year: home for a new fire station.

The Knoxville City Council unanimously approved $700,000 to buy land at Asheville Highway and Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue, not far from the dilapidated Fire Station 6.

Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon said her goal of a new station is part of a second-term commitment to revitalizing the Magnolia Avenue corridor and works in conjunction with the Burlington streetscapes project.

"The streetscape improvements coupled with the fire station being constructed are just going to be (examples of) more public investment to hopefully encourage private property owners to know that the city cares," Kincannon said.

The current Burlington station, which opened in 1937, was closed in March after it was deemed unsafe. It's received a small makeover, but Kincannon said it's not enough.

"The people of Burlington and East Knoxville deserve better than just a timeworn fire station," Kincannon said when announcing a plan for the new fire station. "We're going to be building a new facility that's great for our firefighters and great for the people of Burlington."

Councilwoman Gwen McKenzie, who represents the Burlington neighborhood, credited small business owners for keeping the community vibrant. She said the new station is the city's commitment to supporting them.

"I know that you all have made sacrifices to be able to reinvest in Burlington, but now you're not in it by yourself," she said last week. "The city is here to say we are all partners in this together."

David Brace, Kincannon's Chief of Staff, told Knox News they hope to begin construction at the Asheville Highway/Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue site by the end of 2024.

Allie Feinberg reports on politics for Knox News. Email her: allie.feinberg@knoxnews.com and follow her on X, formerly known as Twitter, @alliefeinberg.

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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville buys land for new Burlington fire station