For the South Waterfront to become a thriving modern neighborhood with connections to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville, river views must be interrupted by construction equipment and half-built structures, like the work happening directly across the water from Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center.
That’s where a large concrete structure is going up as part of new apartments being built near the proposed pedestrian bridge site on the South Waterfront.
It’s called Livano Knoxville, and it’s located along West Blount Avenue. The project will include 348 apartments across two buildings, ranging in size from one-bedroom units to three bedrooms. The gray concrete building people are beginning to notice and an adjacent building under construction are both part of this project.
LIV Development and Capital Square are behind the development, which is expected to wrap up in spring 2025, according to a news release.
Another waterfront housing project in the works comes from Rhode Partners and Villas Student Housing. This two-building student housing development broke ground in April at 1425 Rocky Shore Lane and 1440 Cityside Lane, and it is in the early foundational stages. The buildings would house more than 600 students upon opening in summer 2026.
Both apartment projects will be near the site of the proposed pedestrian bridge, which aims to connect the South Waterfront to the University of Tennessee at Knoxville campus next to the arena. However, the bridge project hit a snag in June when the city of Knoxville’s application for a federal RAISE grant was denied for the second time.
The grant would have contributed $25 million to the $60 million budget needed to build the bridge. The Tennessee Department of Transportation has already given $20 million, and $15 million in tax increment financing from Knoxville’s Community Development Corporation would help the bridge pay for itself.
Despite the pedestrian bridge project stalling, apartments are continuing to pop up in the area, adding to the housing market and helping UT address student housing struggles as it continues to grow enrollment year after year.
Keenan Thomas is a higher education reporter. Email keenan.thomas@knoxnews.com. X, formerly known as Twitter @specialk2real.
Support strong local journalism by subscribing to subscribe.knoxnews.com.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: University of Tennessee student housing underway on South Waterfront
