The Tennessee Valley Authority is asking the public to weigh in on the potential environmental impacts of future plans for its downtown Knoxville headquarters.
TVA released a draft Environmental Assessment on Thursday that considers whether TVA should sell the Knoxville Office Complex and Summer Place Complex and construct a new administrative headquarters on the Summer Place site or build at another downtown Knoxville location. The report does not name a preferred option.
The draft report includes descriptions of the alternatives considered including the potential reuse or demolition and redevelopment of the two complexes and their respective impacts on air quality, cultural resources, land use, noise, transportation and traffic, surface water, hazardous waste and more.
“TVA is committed to maintaining our headquarters in downtown Knoxville,” said Bruce Schofield, TVA vice president of Infrastructure. “Selling the towers and Summer Place Complex makes good business sense for TVA and provides an economic development opportunity for downtown.”
The assessment is part of the process associated with the proposed sale and relocation as required by the National Environmental Policy Act.
The draft EA is available on TVA’s website at https://www.tva.com/Environment/Environmental-Stewardship/Environmental-Reviews/Knoxville-Office-Complex. The public is invited to comment through Oct. 28. TVA will collect comments and consider them in the creation of the final EA, due out next spring.
Members of the public can also get the EA in hard copy or on disc by contacting Ashley Pilakowski at 865-632-2256 or email at aapilakowski@tva.gov.