2025 11 18 City Council Regular Session Packet

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kimley-horn.com 537 Market Street, Suite 202, Chattanooga, TN 37402 423-668-0520 
 
October 14, 2025 
Mr. Randall Dowling 
City Manager, City of Athens 
815 N. Jackson Street 
Athens, TN 37303 
RE: Market Park Master Plan Update and Opinion of Probable Cost 
Dear Mr. Dowling, 
Market Park is located at the corner of Green Street and Jackson Street and is uniquely positioned to 
provide a social and communal anchor for the redevelopment of downtown Athens, as envisioned in 
various planning studies and efforts. In 2012, a Master Plan was developed with five phases. To date, 
phases one through three have been constructed. Over time, market and community factors have 
changed, requiring an update to the master plan to reflect the future needs and desires of the 
community. 
Attached to this letter are one copy of the Market Park Master Plan update and an Opinion of 
Probable Cost to compete the improvements shown on the master plan, in accordance with our 
scope and fee agreement dated June 17, 2025. 
Master Plan 
The attached updated Master Plan reflects the community needs as follows:  
• The parking area which serves not only the park but also downtown businesses including the 
courthouse, has been redesigned to improve flow for times of peak use and to improve 
pedestrian access and safety.  
• The paver area adjacent to the pavilion has been extended to accommodate events and 
gatherings, proposing concrete with brick inlays due to the difficulty of matching existing 
pavers plus anticipate light vehicles using the area for loading and unloading.  
• A ten-foot concrete multi-use path has been added to the park to increase day use for 
exercise and recreation as well as to provide an all-weather walkable path for large events, 
festivals, and gatherings. 
• The area around the water wheel has been expanded to be more connected to the park and 
to provide a true focal point with a knee wall around the feature for sitting. 
• Extensive landscaping is being shown on the perimeter of the site to create a sound and 
visual buffer from Green Street and the adjacent commercial buildings. This will help provide 
a more defined space and improve overall aesthetics of the park. 
• Fencing on each end of the park is shown as being extended away from Green street to 
improve safety. 
Opinion of Probable Cost 
93