KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — City of Knoxville officials on Monday announced plans for major upgrades at Fort Dickerson Park that will offer visitors new swimming options and other amenities.

The city has begun electric, water and sanitary sewer utilities work that will support the addition of new restrooms, changing rooms, and a vendor pavilion. Plans also call for an expanded overlook on the western side of the quarry and more accessible walkways connecting the Augusta Quarry parking lot to the water’s edge.

For swimmers, a new floating beach and swim platforms will be added to the western and southern sides of the quarry as well as a new offshore floating dock.

Utility work is expected to be completed by late summer 2023. Construction and installation of the restrooms, floating docks, and other amenities will be completed by summer 2024.

During construction, some areas of the park including the quarry lake will be closed to the public. Visitors will still be able to access the picnic area and 3.5 miles of trails during the closures.

The improvements at Fort Dickerson have been made possible through a partnership with The Aslan Foundation. The new upgrades and previous improvements to the Augusta Quarry entrance and parking area represent an investment of more than $5 million by the city.

“These upgrades, a public-private collaboration, will make Augusta Quarry more family-friendly and accessible to more people,” said Wes Soward, the City’s Urban Wilderness Coordinator. “This will provide easier, safer access to the water, and the improved access will reflect the natural beauty of the quarry.”

In the future, the city plans to further invest in the park to improve the overlook on the east side and enhance access to historic Civil War earthworks.