Thanks for Honesty
A big thank you to Paige M. Travis for overlooking the blown-out-of-proportion and needless controversy over Corpus Christi to write an open-minded review of an amazing piece of theatre. As a 27-year-old gay male living in the middle of the Bible Belt, which is awash in narrow minds and discrimination over sexuality and what's considered "right" and "wrong," it was a breath of fresh air to read such an honest review. While great strides have been made by Metro Pulse to stamp out discrimination by being unabashedly "Color Conscious," it was refreshing to see an unobstructed view dealing with an issue that unfortunately many people overlook when it comes to talk of separatism and hate.
Brian Paul
Knoxville
Ow!
I enjoyed Jack Neely's [Jan. 9] article on the most hated architecture in Knoxville. I was amused by the comment of the man who said that the building for the Tennessee Valley Unitarian Universalist Church looks like a proctologist's office. While our religious tradition does teach the importance of leading an "examined life" this is not exactly what we had in mind. If you come to visit our church I think you will find our approach to life is far less intrusive than this quick and unfortunate impression would suggest.
Jack Neely was correct in asserting that our building has won awards for its architecture. The sanctuary is a beautiful space that has been used for interfaith gatherings, weddings, memorial services, concerts, performances, and social action meetings. We strive to create a space where religious freedom is honored, the individual conscience is respected and people of all faiths can find common ground and feel empowered to work for the common good.
One thing many people may not know about our building is that it is incomplete. The finished design calls for a chapel that will face Kingston Pike and will undoubtedly improve the view of our facility from the road. Unfortunately the view of our incomplete building from Kingston Pike has earned us at least one undeserved comparison to a bus station and most recently to a very specific kind of medical practice. I encourage readers to take Jack Neely's advice about our building when he wrote, "If you have a chance to get a good close look at it, its long curves make it a surprisingly impressive building." Feel free to explore our grounds and look at our facilities from all sides. This is one church that deserves a second glance.
The Rev. Chris Buice
Tennessee Valley UU Church
On the Avenue, Fifth...
Good for you, Matt Edens! [Feb. 13 Urban Renewal column] When we first moved downtown, we lived on North Gay Street (Yes, folks, there is a NORTH Gay Street.) in the apartments above Mer-Mer's bakery, across the street from the Disciples of Christ Church and just south of Emory Place.
We always thought that the area had great potential and could not understand why it was not more completely realized. It has been partially realized, in Emory Place and the great old apartment buildings (including the "other" Sterchi) on Fifth Avenue, west of Central.
We decided that there were three reasons why this important link between Fourth and Gill and downtown remained undeveloped: the street traffic in drugs and prostitution, the 5th Avenue Motel, and the shelters. None of these was encouraging to any private investor interested in urban development.
We have a friend who moved into our old apartment who tells us that the street traffic has died, thanks to the increased presence of squad cars cruising the neighborhood and the closing of the 5th Avenue Motel.
That leaves the shelters. The very worst thing that could happen to the area would be for one of the shelters to take over the 5th Avenue Motel. The best thing would be for a developer to take over that property and restore it to the level of the residential units already on Fifth, near Central.
It will probably take some public financing to make it happen, but it would certainly be worth it. Fifth Avenue, from Broadway to Central, is the "missing link" in the development of downtown Knoxville, the section that links Fourth and Gill to the rest of downtown. Fifth Avenue should be a mixed-use, residential/commercial neighborhood that connects the residential neighborhood of Fourth and Gill to the Old City and the 100 block of South Gay, and then on down Gay Street to the developments in the 400 block (Downtown Grill and Brewery, the Phoenix), Market Square, and Riverfront.
If the motel becomes yet another homeless shelter, Fifth Avenue will remain a no-man's land, isolating one of Knoxville's most important neighborhoods.
The time is now. I hope it isn't lost because of a lack of vision.
David E. Waite
Knoxville
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