Lakeshore Mental Health Institute coming down for park

July 08--In the coming weeks, the buildings that made up Lakeshore Regional Mental Health Institute will go out -- but not with a bang.

"There will be no wrecking balls, no explosions, no flying debris," said Jim Hagerman, director of engineering for Knoxville's department of engineering. "Most people won't notice it's happening."

The city began demolition Monday on nine buildings on the Lakeshore campus, a $1.5 million project awarded by competitive bid to Canton, N.C.-based NEO Corp. It's the first time the city has worked with the company, which has a Knoxville office, Hagerman said.

"We don't do a lot of demolition," he said of the city.

But the crumbling buildings, including several that were once part of a "model" village for mental health treatment, attract vandals, homeless people and curious trespassers and are unsafe, he said.

Their removal, which will happen over the next nine months, will create a "blank canvas" for an ambitious, evolving, 20-year plan for the 195-acre park, said Joe Walsh, director of Parks and Recreation for the city.

"When these buildings are gone, the park property will look incredible," Walsh said. "People will notice the different feel of Lakeshore Park."

The park's improvement plan is being funded by the city, by grants, and by private fundraising through the nonprofit Lakeshore Park Inc. It includes nearly doubling the greenway, adding more ball fields, and creating river access and open natural areas.

The buildings to be removed as part of this phase of the project are, in order, the upholstery building, smoke stack, laundry building, Waterside Building, Department of Health building, Chota Building, Village Mall, Baker Building, Keller Building and the boilerhouse.

Many of those buildings, including the mall, were part of an innovative Therapeutic Village, a $2 million project that drew national attention when it opened in 1960. The village housed 240 residents in homelike cottages around a store, clinic, library, swimming pool and chapel. The swimming pool has been gone for decades, and most of the other buildings are in various states of ruin. The tiny chapel will be left standing, but all but two of the 13 cottages are scheduled to be demolished later this year. The state has renovated two cottages, which are being used for other programs and will remain.

This week, workers are removing toxic substances from the buildings, including lead paint and asbestos ceiling tiles and insulation. The buildings will be surrounded by security fencing and razed with excavators and front-end loaders, Hagerman said. He said as much as possible, the city will avoid closing public-use trails during their demolition. Walsh recommended park visitors use the Lyons View Road entrance, which will not be used by construction trucks.

Later this year, the city will update antiquated water, sewer, gas and electric lines. In addition, the city is spending $1.1 million to renovate the 14,115-square-foot Lakeshore Administration Building, an 1884 structure on a hill overlooking a large part of the park.

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