Heritage Park in Union County will receive the Annette Anderson Director’s Award at the upcoming Celebration of Design, benefiting East Tennessee Community Design Center. The event will be 5-9 p.m. Wednesday, October 16, 2024, at Historic Ramsey House, 2614 Thorn Grove Pike, Knoxville.

The evening will feature heavy hors d’oeuvres from Holly’s Gourmet Market, sweet treats from Cruze Farm, live bluegrass by Will Carter and craft beers from local vendors. Artist Bill Bledsoe will create an original painting in real time. Valet parking available. Ticket information here. The Rev. Dr. Jerry Askew will receive the Impact Award, named for ETCDC founder Bruce McCarty.

Heritage Park is located at 111 Durham Drive, Maynardville, Tennessee. Chief volunteers were Oren Yarborough, AIA, with Design Innovation Architects, and Randy Merritt of Christman Construction.

Union County Mayor Jason Bailey

Union County Mayor Jason Bailey picks up the story.

“We got this piece of land through a tax sale; the owner hadn’t paid its taxes. The Farmers Market was meeting on the high school’s parking lot, and some of us thought we could use this land for them,” said Bailey.

The Farmers Market board jumped on it. A shed went up quickly. Bailey stresses the community effort, but singles out county commissioner Danny Cook, former commissioner Earl Cox, Rick and Donna Riddle, Patrick Hurley and project manager Donel Shelton for their leadership.

Bailey is a quick-study. He has learned about TN Music Pathways, which could bring tourists to Union County. And he said the high school vocational department can use the commercial kitchen in the Farmers Market area to teach culinary arts.

Somebody suggested a wall of fame to honor musicians from Union County to include Roy Acuff, Chet Atkins and Kenny Chesney.

In spring 2022, Bailey contacted the ETCDC for design assistance. The nonprofit agreed to help and quickly expanded the design plan to encompass the entire park. More of the history plus several architect renderings are here. Basic plan elements are:

  • Creation of a large community park next to Union County High School
  • Farmers Market is expanded with bigger shed and commercial kitchen
  • “Music Wall of Fame” created
  • Stage for the Union County Opry and use by others
  • Pedestrian zone between stage and market

Dustin Durham, design center coordinator, led a property tour to work out the best locations for various site features while noting stormwater flow and detention.

The northern edge of the park includes the music wall, a unique undulating series of curves that double as retaining walls and allow for future expansion. The wall includes staircases wrapping around both sides.

North of the wall is an area for three food trucks as well as a quad with large trees and seating for food truck patrons. The entire site is surrounded by a new fence with the option to add gates.

The ET Community Design Center is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that serves 16 counties. See its PBS 50th anniversary video here.