The implications of the South Waterfront Vision Plan cannot be overemphasized. Knox County will grow by a hundred and fifty thousand people in the next twenty years, and add a similar number of new jobs. During that time, waterfront redevelopment is likely to accommodate over two thousand residential units and one-half million square feet of office and retail space. This project represents a sprawl buster…a model for similar center city investments.

The details of South Waterfront’s design are also significant. Water resources are to be protected with the riverfront greenway and pervious parking areas. Tree shaded streets will reduce summer temperatures. Mixed use projects reduce reliance on the automobile. The riverside development will be within walking distances of downtown and the university, meaning that energy and land resources can be conserved. South Waterfront has truly set a new standard for sustainable, environmentally sound development.