Construction crews are making steady progress this summer on three huge South Waterfront projects:

-- The $60 million Riverwalk at the Bridges apartment complex;
-- The $40 million 303 Flats student apartments; and
-- The $12 million makeover of an abandoned medical office building for the new Regal Entertainment Group headquarters.

For months, people walking, bicycling or driving across the Henley and Gay Street bridges have been witnessing this transformation along the river's bluff. So if you haven't seen the former Baptist Hospital site in a while, come see for yourself.



The entire eastern wing of the apartment complex has been framed. Regal Entertainment Group's HQ boasts a bold new color scheme. Look for work on the structured parking garage at the student housing complex to get underway.

The former Baptist Hospital garage is now City-owned and will service residents, Regal employees and visitors to the South Waterfront. Like all City-owned downtown garages, the Riverwalk Garage when it reopens will provide free parking on weekends and nightly after 6 p.m.

To accommodate the construction of these three projects, traffic lanes on East Blount Avenue have been shifted; West Blount Avenue has been closed to allow for utility relocation and drainage work. Crews have recently completed the installation of new curb and gutter.

Dawn Michelle Foster, the City’s Redevelopment Director, said crews are hopeful of reopening West Blount Avenue by the end of August once all the new curb and gutter, sidewalk and a binder course on the pavement are in place.

By the end of the year, work will shift from the north side to the south side along East Blount Avenue.

“There is a lot of construction activity taking place involving several crews that provide specialties, like framing, concrete masonry, plumbing and electrical services," Foster said. "Blending all the private development work with Charles Blalock and Sons' roadway improvements takes day-to-day coordination, but most importantly, a lot of long man-hours to get stages of this development completed on time.

"With a 1,100-foot-long public riverwalk and a 37,500-square-foot public plaza at the Henley Bridge, these new public amenities will be a great destination and another great attraction along the South Waterfront, like the new Suttree Landing Park."

Southeastern Development Associates (SEDA) is investing $60 million in the apartment complex, which will house up to 600 residents. SEDA hopes to have the apartments constructed by, at latest, the first quarter of next year.

Meanwhile, next door, the nine-story, 178,000-square-foot office building may be ready to be occupied by Regal Entertainment's 400 employees by the end of this year.

And 303 Flats will be ready for students by fall 2018.

The South Waterfront site offers some of the best views of the Knoxville skyline. Stay tuned for future progress reports as construction continues on the Riverwalk at the Bridges, Regal Entertainment Group and 303 Flats projects.


Click here to view the Riverwalk Rendered Site Plan [PDF]

- Communications intern Jarrod Nelson
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