Mayor Bill Haslam and Councilman Joe Hultquist were among those taking part in the dedication this morning of a new brick arch that will welcome visitors to Mary James Park in South Knoxville.

The arch is a gift from the members of the East Tennessee Masonry Association.

Haslam said the association wanted to give something back to the community where many of them live and work, wanted to create something beautiful and wanted to build something that will last. 
 
"They did all three," the mayor noted at today's ceremony.

The project began to take shape after Terry Caldwell, with the East Tennessee Masonry Association, approached Hultquist about the group's desire to develop a public art project and the councilman suggested that Mary James Park would be a great location for that effort.

Ultimately a lot of organizations and individuals cooperated in making the project a reality.

Students in a University of Tennessee Architecture class created different designs for the project with the winning design being selected by the South Haven Neighborhood Association.

Ready Mix USA donated the concrete and the sand needed for the work.

The city's Public Service Department completed the concrete plaza and did the prep work for the arch.

And members of the masonry association spent many volunteer hours building the structure.

In addition to Haslam and Hultquist, others who spoke during the ribbon cutting event included, Shawn Gallant, president of the East Tennessee Masonry Association; South Haven Neighborhood President Pat Harmon; Mark Burns and Robert French from UT's College of Architecture & Design; and Joe Walsh, director of the city's Parks and Recreation Department.

Hultquist also recognized Greg Garren and Don Reed with Ready Mix USA.