Bicentennial Park (Greenbelt)
Encyclopedia
Bicentennial Park is a public park located in downtown Maryville, Tennessee
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project of the City of Maryville during the period leading up to the US Bicentennial in 1976.
The intent was to redevelop an area that had been home to light industrial activity and heavy pollution into a green space with walkways, picnic tables and an exercise course. The heavily polluted Pistol Creek
was a key factor in the determination by the City to redevelop the area. The Bicentennial Park was built utilizing local funds and Federal Community Development Block Grant
funds. Bicentennial Park was dedicated on July 4, 1976.
The development of Bicentennial Park changed the complexion and character of the entire area. The initial walkways became the nexus of the Maryville Alcoa Greenway
and the park itself became known locally as the Greenbelt.
Between the period 1976 and 2007, the area surrounding Bicentennial Park began to grow and rejuvenate, with residential, commercial and public service development occurring at a slow but steady pace.
Not long after completion, Canada Geese stopped at Bicentennial Park on migration, and a small flock has remained at Bicentennial Park since that time.
In 1996, the City Maryville celebrated its 200th Anniversary with the dedication of two monuments in the Bicentennial Park (Greenbelt).
In 1999, the first phase of the Maryville Alcoa Greenway was completed which included all of the former walkways in Bicentennial Park.
In 2005, the Blount County Library was opened, bordering Bicentennial Park.
In 2007, a bridge was built across Bicentennial Park from downtown Maryville to the Blount County Library.
Maryville, Tennessee
Maryville is the county seat of Blount County, Tennessee, in the Southeastern United States. The city is located south of Knoxville. Maryville's population was 27,258 at the 2010 census. It is included in the Knoxville Metropolitan Area. Maryville has received a number of accolades for its...
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History
Bicentennial Park was an urban renewalUrban renewal
Urban renewal is a program of land redevelopment in areas of moderate to high density urban land use. Renewal has had both successes and failures. Its modern incarnation began in the late 19th century in developed nations and experienced an intense phase in the late 1940s – under the rubric of...
project of the City of Maryville during the period leading up to the US Bicentennial in 1976.
The intent was to redevelop an area that had been home to light industrial activity and heavy pollution into a green space with walkways, picnic tables and an exercise course. The heavily polluted Pistol Creek
Pistol Creek
Pistol Creek is a tributary of the Little River, located entirely within Blount County, Tennessee.-Features:Pistol Creek arises from several springs in the Carpenter's Campground section of Blount County, flowing first northeast, then northwest to Pearson Springs within the city of Maryville...
was a key factor in the determination by the City to redevelop the area. The Bicentennial Park was built utilizing local funds and Federal Community Development Block Grant
Community Development Block Grant
The Community Development Block Grant , one of the longest-running programs of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, funds local community development activities such as affordable housing, anti-poverty programs, and infrastructure development...
funds. Bicentennial Park was dedicated on July 4, 1976.
The development of Bicentennial Park changed the complexion and character of the entire area. The initial walkways became the nexus of the Maryville Alcoa Greenway
Maryville Alcoa Greenway
The Maryville Alcoa Greenway is a cooperative effort by the two cities and Blount County, Tennessee to connect existing parks with a paved foot and cycle path.-History:...
and the park itself became known locally as the Greenbelt.
Between the period 1976 and 2007, the area surrounding Bicentennial Park began to grow and rejuvenate, with residential, commercial and public service development occurring at a slow but steady pace.
Not long after completion, Canada Geese stopped at Bicentennial Park on migration, and a small flock has remained at Bicentennial Park since that time.
In 1996, the City Maryville celebrated its 200th Anniversary with the dedication of two monuments in the Bicentennial Park (Greenbelt).
In 1999, the first phase of the Maryville Alcoa Greenway was completed which included all of the former walkways in Bicentennial Park.
In 2005, the Blount County Library was opened, bordering Bicentennial Park.
In 2007, a bridge was built across Bicentennial Park from downtown Maryville to the Blount County Library.