July 3, 2014 - On the afternoon of Monday, July 7, personnel with the City of Knoxville Public Service Department will drain the water feature (stream and pond) that runs through Krutch Park in downtown Knoxville in preparation for a much needed maintenance project.

Merit Construction, under the project management services of the Public Building Authority and design firm Benefield Richters, will be on site to begin work on the project later in the week.

The entire project will last through the end of July. Maintenance items include cleaning debris from the stream and pond; repairing the waterfall/water entrance area; repairing damaged landscape stone and repairing the "lip" edge that prevents organic debris from entering the stream; addressing damaged or missing landscape plantings; and other items as needed once the feature is drained. The project will not alter the overall design of the park or water feature and is strictly maintenance in scope.

Krutch Park will remain open to visitors, although some areas including the sidewalk directly adjacent to the stream will be closed during the repairs. Merit Construction personnel are aware of the sensitive nature of the location for businesses, visitors and residents and will not start work earlier than 7 a.m. Monday through Friday. Project signage will be displayed on both ends of the site.

"Krutch Park is a wonderful and heavily used green space in the center of downtown, and this project will ensure that the amenities of this park are in good condition for everyone to enjoy in the future," said David Brace, Public Service Director for the City of Knoxville.