Knoxville Council Greenlights Sunsphere Elevator Upgrades

The City Council in Knoxville, Tennessee, unanimously approved US$2.5 million in funding to upgrade the 266-ft.-tall Sunsphere, with most of the funds going toward repair of the structure’s elevators, Knox News reported. The Sunsphere, a steel-trussed structure topped with a gold-colored glass sphere, was built for the 1982 World’s Fair, and today houses offices and a public observation deck. Knoxville Chief Policy Officer Bill Lyons said the improvements, which also involve the adjacent amphitheater, are part of the city being a good landlord. “The whole space has been highly challenged by the condition of the elevators for years,” he said, adding that access to the observation deck has been difficult.