This week’s in-person public meeting on the rebuild of Fort Kid has been canceled due to the increase in COVID-19 cases in Knox County. Instead, the City will be rescheduling the meeting to August, which encompasses recreating the planned live public presentation into a virtual format.

The public meeting had initially been scheduled to take place in the Civic Auditorium, 500 Howard Baker Jr. Ave., adhering strictly to COVID-19 safeguards – mandatory wearing of masks and physical distancing 6 feet apart.

However, with 118 new COVID-19 cases reported Monday by the Knox County Health Department, and another 68 reported this morning, the City is erring on the side of caution and reverting to an all-virtual meeting to be scheduled in August. Knox County today has for the first time surpassed the 1,800 mark in total accumulative COVID-19 cases.

When the Fort Kid virtual meeting is held next month, the City, PBA and Hedstrom Landscape Architects will release schematic drawings for a proposed new Fort Kid and give a progress report on the project.

The new design for the Fort Kid play structure will be more inclusive, allowing more people to enjoy creative play at the park. The 30-year-old Fort Kid play structure had to be removed to complete the demolition and removal of a decaying retaining wall. A grassy slope has been completed, and the new design will provide a better connection between Fort Sanders, Fort Kid and the Knoxville Museum of Art.

The City of Knoxville designated $300,000 to prepare the site for a new, more inclusive Fort Kid play structure. Old City business owner Thomas Boyd has donated $200,000 to the project.

For more details, visit www.knoxvilletn.gov/fortkid.