Parking near Cumberland Avenue will become a little easier starting in 2018 thanks to a new parking agreement between UT and the City of Knoxville.
The university will break ground in June on a new garage on Lake Avenue, which will open as the City’s Cumberland Avenue Corridor Project is completed.
UT and the City have entered an agreement to offer some paid public parking. In the evenings and on weekends, parking will be available on all levels of the garage for a nominal fee. UT is able to offer the public parking spots because the garage is being built to accommodate future growth in campus programs and enrollment.
The majority of the 1,000 spots within the garage will be for commuter students, faculty and staff.
“We are invested in the future of the Cumberland Avenue area, and providing some public parking in the new garage is one way the university can contribute to improving the community’s access to merchants,” said Chris Cimino, UT’s vice chancellor for finance and administration.
Additionally, limited public parking in a designated section of the garage will be available during weekdays for a fee.
“Public parking is a great and growing need along the Cumberland Avenue corridor,” said Knoxville Mayor Madeline Rogero. “I am very thankful to the University of Tennessee for providing this terrific new resource and for being such a strong partner in our efforts to make the corridor more attractive and accessible to local residents and visitors.”
Members of the public can purchase a ticket to display in their vehicle at pay stations within the garage. The pay stations will incorporate advanced technology for the utmost in customer convenience and flexibility. UT will oversee enforcement of parking regulations in the garage.
Public parking will not be available on football Saturdays and other select special event dates. A parking attendant will be assigned to the garage on those days.
UT will add 1,000 spots to campus in August when it opens another garage at the corner of Volunteer Boulevard and Pat Head Summitt Street.
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CONTACT:
Katherine Saxon, UT Media Relations (ksaxon@utk.edu, 865-974-8365)
Eric Vreeland, City of Knoxville Communications (evreeland@knoxvilletn.gov, 865-215-3480)