The City of Knoxville and Marion County Board of Supervisors will hold a dedication ceremony to commemorate the former VA campus and celebrate its future development on Saturday. The ceremony will begin at 10 a.m. near the campus chapel. Knoxville Mayor Brian Hatch says this will be a turning point in the history of the area.

“We know and understand how significant of a role the VA hospital has played in the city of Knoxville over the years. We felt this was a fitting way to honor that history, and at the same time, celebrate a new chapter. For the past 15 years, we’ve been in an unfortunate situation, seeing those buildings sit there vacant, and that’s been hard for the citizens. I think it’s also a good place to turn the page here and celebrate a positive direction.”

The event will include a memorial service to honor veterans, and the Knoxville Area Ministerial Association will honor the campus chapel with a decommission ceremony. Attendees will receive a commemorative piece of brick from a campus building and can participate in a guided walking tour through campus to view building exteriors.

Attendees should enter campus through the east entrance. Parking is available in Youngs Park and inside the east entrance gates. Hear more about the ceremony on today’s Let’s Talk Knoxville.