Seven Days Wednesday, Dec. 1 • Officials in Jonesborough deliberate as to whether four Boon High School students will return from a suspension after having slipped a crushed oxycodone pill into a teacher’s coffee as well as handing out pills to five other students in October. Maybe the kids have learned their lesson: None of this would have happened if they had remembered to bring enough for everybody. Thursday, Dec. 2 • According to an evaluation, Oak Ridge Y-12 weapons plant personnel failed to take “prompt, proper action” when they fixed roof leaks by setting receptacles on the floor to collect the drainage. Our government at work: spend billions of dollars to oppress the citizenry in the name of “homeland security,” then fix the holes in the roof of a bomb factory with a wad of silly putty and a couple of empty mayonnaise jars. Friday, Dec. 3 • A report ranks Knox County 13th out of Tennessee’s 95 counties in terms of women’s economic opportunity—women’s employment, salary levels, etc. Local officials say we can do much better, though, maybe even drop below number 30 by the end of next year. Saturday, Dec. 4 • With traditional flu shots in short supply this winter, Knox County is offering an alternative treatment instead—an inhalant called FluMist. We think it’s just a clever excuse for health department employees to hang around the office doing Whippits all day. Sunday, Dec. 5 • According to a newspaper report, wild coyotes in the Cades Cove area of the Smokies have been walking up to parked cars, approaching the drivers and begging. Local officials say there’s no truth to the rumor that the animals are engaged in wheel tax collections for Knox County Mayor Mike Ragsdale. Monday, Dec. 6 • Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam announces a strategic plan for his administration entitled “Knoxville Works.” Still in the formative stages, the latest draft of the plan reportedly evolved from preliminary versions including “Knoxville @!#$s Off,” “Knoxville Thinks About It,” and “Knoxville Tries Pretty Hard, For The Most Part.” Tuesday, Dec. 7 • According to its inspector general, the Tennessee Valley Authority—known for its lavish Courvoisier blow-outs for industrial clients, Cuban cigar hand-outs, $3,000 Christmas bonuses, and soon-to-be seven-figure executive salaries—saved $4.8 million over the last six months. Chief among those savings was TVA’s hiring of an inspector general who opted out of math class beginning somewhere around fifth grade. Street Talk Chuck Morris Founder, principal and creative director of Morris Creative Group A replacement for the landmark Hope Clock on the 400 block of Gay Street, removed to Bearden by the defecting Kimball’s Jewelers last year, is in the works. Tell us who’s behind the drive. I’m a bit new to the effort, actually, but as I understand it, David Dewhirst and Sid Gilreath were instrumental in getting things cranked up several months ago. I was asked to help with PR and marketing by Ann Marie Tugwell and Wayne Blasius. We then recruited John McCord and Mark Harrison of Downtown Grill & Brewery, Scott and Bernadette West of Preservation Pub, and Gregg White of Nama. And we’re looking for more volunteers! It’s really a team effort by a lot of folks who care about downtown. Most of us live downtown or have businesses downtown, but I haven’t met anyone who didn’t love that clock. My dad worked at TVA, and he told me that he and his friends used it as a landmark to meet for lunch. “Meet you at the clock.” How did you get involved in the movement? I needed another cause to support because the Bijou and my business don’t take all of my time (heh heh). How was the replacement clock’s provider found? David Dewhirst researched and sourced it. It’s a firm out of Cincinnati. What will the new clock cost, how much has been raised or pledged so far, and will it replicate the original? Estimates range from $15,000 to $20,000. The renderings I’ve seen are as close to historically accurate as possible. We’ve really just started the fundraising, as of the kickoff Monday night, so whatever was collected in the jars is what we’ve got. I haven’t counted, but I’d say we have a couple hundred. I’m not sure about pledges, but so far, I think an anonymous and generous soul has agreed to kick in a nice sum if we raise a certain amount. Like so many other things, this is going to be a grassroots effort. Pennies, nickels, and dimes matter, and they’re tax-deductible (through CBID, a qualified 501c3 non-profit organization). Is there a safeguard built into the new Hope Clock’s establishment to prevent someone from hauling it away in the future? Yes. There’s an eardrum-piercing alarm that will go off and a dye pack that will explode. Then ninjas will fall out of the sky from the Phoenix building and tackle the perpetrator to the ground, dousing him with pepper spray. Seriously, once purchased and installed, the clock will be deeded to the City of Knoxville and dedicated to the people of Knoxville.

Fair Park Property Proposals
The city is holding them close to the vest

Requests for proposals for the city’s World’s Fair Park properties are in, but the city has yet to roll them out for review. Two of the proposals are for the whole package, including the Candy Factory, the Victorian houses, the Sunsphere and the Tennessee Amphitheater. Seven others take one or more of those elements piecemeal.

The package proposers—Kinsey Probasco and A.C.T., weren’t available to comment. Nor were Segundo Properties, Grey Bear Renovation, or Gravel Road Entertainment. Some of what is on the table, however, can be gleaned from the other three proposers.

Developer Leigh Burch of Terminus Real Estate would renovate both the Candy Factory building and the seven adjacent Victorian homes. He says his $7 million idea for the Candy Factory entails converting the space into 54 loft condominiums, 26 one-bedroom units and 28 two-bedroom units. “I’m going with a simple approach that I think is the most successful,” Burch says, adding that street-level commercial space is a possibility.

For the Victorian homes, Burch proposes a mixed-use rehabilitation project; four of them would be converted into residential units and the remaining three renovated into commercial businesses. “We’re trying to bridge the community gap between downtown and Ft. Sanders. The proposal doesn’t have a lot of moving parts, but it’s tried, true and tested...and it’s been successful downtown,” Burch says.

The Redeemer Church of Knoxville has been congregating in the Candy Factory since January of this year, and the church submitted a proposal for either lease or purchase of that building. Redeemer is looking to construct residential units on the top floor and place retail on the ground floor, then split the revenue with the city. The church would use the remaining floors for worship and recruit other non-profit organizations to share unused space. “We understand the city wanted to get rid of the financial headache of managing the building, and we would like to be the one to administratively take care of it,” Pastor Paul Hahn says. In the proposal, Redeemer presented a 10-year plan to bring the building up to code and give the city the building back after that period for a nominal fee in exchange for another building. “We’re looking for holistic renewal in the heart of the city...but if we strike out there, we’ll just have to look elsewhere,” Hahn says.

Sherby Jones of the Mountain Laurel Gallery turned in a proposal for the Candy Factory with the hopes of just being able to stay. The gallery has been on the fourth floor for three years. The proposal submitted by Jones is for one regional gallery with 60 artists that could be located on any of the floors. “I would like to see the area stay arts, crafts and family-oriented, and that’s not just because I have a personal interest,” Jones says. However, if the proposal is turned down, Jones hopes for her gallery to be incorporated into another developer’s proposal. “What I of course would like to do is go on the bottom floor and put in a juice bar.”

Developer David Dewhirst presented a proposal for the Candy Factory and Victorian houses for a total renovation. In the Candy Factory building, Dewhirst submitted a $7 million proposal to convert the top floors into luxury condos and use the first floor for restaurant and retail space. On the remaining floors, he proposes a charter school as a joint venture between the University of Tennessee and the Knox County School System, linking people downtown and people in Ft. Sanders. “It was a great thing when the Clinch Avenue viaduct reopened, and [the properties] are uniquely located between downtown and campus. That’s always been the goal to relate those two areas.”

Dewhirst plans to convert the seven Victorian homes into a bed and breakfast concept. One of the homes would serve as the administrative center of the project, with a coffeehouse. “We’re not going to be building a big box hotel. We have one bed and breakfast that I know of, and Knoxville’s over 200 years old. Asheville’s got at least 50, and we’ve just got to do better,” Dewhirst says.

—Clint Casey

A Call to Kettles

The Salvation Army’s fire-engine red kettles, and the accompanying soundtrack of jingling bells, arguably signify the holiday season the same as a brick of fruitcake or a sprig of mistletoe. And the local chapter’s cause—to help 18,000 Knoxvillians in need—is noble and fitting, as many people feel beholden to do nice things for others during the holiday season. At least, they normally do.

This year the Salvation Army perseveres through a 26 percent drop in donations. Many attribute this decrease to losing the sponsorship of Target, which no longer allows the red kettles to be positioned at their storefronts per violation of a soliciting rule. The Salvation Army website cites a $9 million loss nationwide and about $10,000 per store since Target bowed out.

This has been an enormous blow to the Salvation Army, which annually raises the most money of any non-profit agency in the world. “That was a $53,000 deficit from the beginning,” says Major Dewey Alderson, area commander for the Salvation Army. “We’re down about 25 percent this year, and a lot of that has to do with Target.” The Salvation Army depends on its end-of-the-year efforts to raise approximately 56 percent of its annual funds.

Michelle Bradbury, public relations director for the Knoxville Salvation Army, doesn’t put the blame entirely on Target. “We can’t say Target’s hurting us at this time,” she says. “Our actual kettle dollars are not down because people are really responding to the Target situation. When they come across a kettle, they seem to be putting in more money than normal.”

The Salvation Army isn’t the only nonprofit that’s felt a squeeze as of late. Ben Landers, president of greater Knoxville United Way, says the organization is stretching to meet its $11.6 million goal for the year. “It’s been slow to arrive, but I’m happy to say it’s arriving,” he says. Landers attributes the slow start to a local economy that he calls “warm to cool.” Bradbury says they’re mostly feeling the pinch from decreased mail-in and drop-off donations. Both Alderson and Bradbury can only think to attribute this to the presidential election, as “people have been preoccupied with other things,” Bradbury says.

“People have only so much discretionary money,” says Alderson. “If they send it to a political campaign it’s gone for the year, and they don’t have the extra to send in to charity at Christmas. After all, I believe it was the most costly campaign there ever has been.”

Fifteen months ago, the Salvation Army also suffered the loss of its highest-grossing thrift store on Broadway, due to a fire. This store brought in 8 percent of the organization’s monthly revenue and Alderson says, “hopefully it will again.” Preparations on the construction of a new store have yet to begin, but Alderson says he hopes for doors to open by next Christmas. Last October, the Salvation Army opened a makeshift store further down Broadway that has almost matched the revenue brought in by the first store.

It doesn’t hurt that beaucoups of businesses have stepped up for the cause. Goody’s, First Tennessee, Johnstone Supply, KUB, Staffing Solutions and Shafer Insurance among others have encouraged their employees to ring bells on company time.

But none of these businesses are participating “to the scale of what Mortgage Investors Group is doing,” Bradbury says. In order to aid the Salvation Army in reaching its $850,000 fundraising goal, MIG employees have issued what they call a “Holiday Challenge” to Knox businesses urging them to donate volunteers and funds. In 2003, MIG raised $26,000 and aims for $30,000 this year. PR representative Kelly Kress says, “This whole thing is really to try to get other companies to see what an impact a small company like MIG has made. If a company would just raise money at a holiday party or adopt an angel tree, that would make such a difference.” Still, Alderson insists that none of these businesses will bring in the revenue that Target once did.

Throughout it all, both the United Way and the Salvation Army maintain their trademark optimism. “You never know when people are going to write that check,” Bradbury says.

Alderson seconds this sentiment. “We don’t get discouraged,” he says. “We know things will work out. You just have to keep at it. We’ve got to get things done. We’ve got to find the funds.”

Kettles will be stationed outside all area locations of Circuit City, Big Lots, Michael’s, Hecht’s, Walgreens, Kmart, Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club. To participate in the “Holiday Challenge,” call Michelle Bradbury at 971-4907.

—Ellen Mallernee

December 9, 2004 • Vol. 14, No. 50 © 2004 Metro Pulse