KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The City of Knoxville is taking a major step toward transforming Burlington’s long-struggling commercial corridor, taking the first step to approve millions in new funding to complete the Burlington Streetscapes Project — a move Mayor Indya Kincannon says honors a promise to families who have been waiting for change.
On Tuesday night, the Knoxville City Council voted to amend the city budget and direct an additional $4.2 million toward overhauling the Burlington streetscape. The funding is part of a larger $6.6 million budget increase, which requires a second vote on Dec. 9.
The Burlington Streetscapes Project will replace deteriorating sidewalks along Martin Luther King Jr. Avenue between Kirkwood and Shelby streets — and along Prosser Road from MLK to Holston Drive — with wide, smooth, ADA-compliant, tree-lined walkways. The work also includes new traffic signals and streetlights, along with relocating overhead utility lines…