Blog: City Blog

Take a Sneak Peek at Improved World's Fair Park Performance Lawn

The World’s Fair Park Performance Lawn is a busy place this week as crews put the finishing touches on a $2.5 million improvement project. The results will be revealed to the public at the City’s Festival on the Fourth event on July 4.

The performance lawn and the greenway that borders it closed to public use in early January 2019 in order to begin work on the project which includes:

- Updated water and electrical service
- Improved lawn drainage systems
- An irrigation system
- New sod
- Reinforced hardscaping with pervious pavers

WFP new gate

The design for the new gate and entrance allows for a large, lobby-like staging area for event producers.

Latitude 36 Bermudagrass

The new sod--well established in the center of the lawn and currently being installed around the east side of the lawn--is Latitude 36™ Bermudagrass. Developed by Oklahoma State University and used on golf courses, parks and athletic fields across the nation, this super-sod resists disease, deluge and drought, as well as foot traffic and other effects of active use it will certainly see over the coming years.

WFP looking south

On the far side of the Performance Lawn near Cumberland Avenue, crews are installing pavers on the pad where event producers can set up stages, and park and unload vehicles, on a firm foundation. This area is accessible via a gated driveway on 11th Street.

WFP pervious paver closeup

These pervious (or permeable) pavers absorb water into the ground and drainage system rather than create puddles or runoff.

WFP toward UT

The new hardscaped loop around the park provides park staff as well as event producers a designated area to drive on as well as set up vendors' tents and food trucks.

Driving on the Performance Lawn has long been discouraged and prohibited due to the damage that could be caused by a spinning truck wheel on a patch of soggy ground. Some longtime park goers may remember muddy events (like one particular Knoxville Brewers Jam) with fondness, but PBA officials who manage the park and its rental, look forward to mud-free events for years to come.

See more construction-in-progress photos on PBA's blog.

Posted by ptravis On 14 June, 2019 at 10:53 AM