Arts Group Wants Park For Gainesboro

The Roaring River Cultural Alliance has received approval from Gainesboro officials to implement a pocket park on Main Street at the former location of the Roxy Theater.

Roaring River Cultural Alliance President Karen Parks said the goal of the alliance is to find ways for people in the community to be expressive and enjoy the arts. Parks said the property was given to the city with a stipulation that it would eventually become a park. Parks said the pocket park will be beneficial to the children in Jackson County.

“There is not an arts program in our elementary schools,” Parks said. “We can do something for our children to introduce arts. I remember making crafts in elementary school, they don’t do that anymore. We want to bring the arts to the children and say look you’ve got this outlet rather than waiting till they get to junior high or high school to see that.”

Parks said the park will have a stage, tiered seating, and multiple forms of art that kids can interact with. Parks said the slope on the property has proposed challenges but after multiple revisions to the plans, the next step is to wait for grant funding to begin the project.

“At the bottom of the park, there are sewage accesses that they don’t want you digging in,” Parks said. “But we are going to put an elevated stage there so we are not digging into the ground. We are not digging into anything we won’t be digging into a neighboring building’s foundation. We are going to work with the land.”

Parks said she is very confident that the alliance will be able to obtain a grant after speaking with the Tennessee Arts Commission grant manager in Nashville. Parks said the Arts Commission was intrigued with the idea of building a park where the Roxy Theater used to be.

“That’s what the Tennessee Arts Commission is about is taking us back to our roots and preserving that,” Parks said. “And integrating arts within the community, especially the more rural communities.”

Parks said Jackson County is one of eight rural communities in Tennessee and since they are considered rural they have a higher chance of obtaining the grant. Parks said the deadline for grant applications is January 15th. Parks said she expects to hear something back sometime in the upcoming spring and possibly begin constructing the park during the upcoming summer.