At Monday’s joint work session between the Knoxville School Board and City Council, the two groups discussed the possibility of school property being included in the VA campus development project.
Confluence, an urban design firm in Des Moines has been contracted to create concepts for the space, and included school property in two of its three designs. Both school board and council members showed support of the idea of having a school within the space, particularly Concept 1.
Council members expressed concerns that additional commercial property should be included in a concept with a school. School board members noted that no consideration has been given to future buildings, but that they would appreciate having the land for a building as an option, should the need arise in the future. Matt Carlile from Confluence said that based on views expressed by council and board members, that space for a school should remain in the design, and that the concepts can still be adjusted.
At the very earliest, construction on the site is two years away, leaving time for city leaders to deliberate on what they want to see on the site, and how to proceed.
View the concepts below.