The Cookeville City Council will consider a resolution Thursday to acquire property that would be used to further extend the Tennessee Central Rail Trail toward Cane Creek Park.
The city would receive an estimated 5.7-acre portion of property from Highlands Residential Services, located on West Jackson Street across from Cane Creek Elementary. Vice Mayor Luke Eldridge said the property would then be used in a swap for an adjacent, similarly sized parcel.
“The city really will never own any of the land,” Eldridge said. “It’s just kind of, just a land swap, is all it is, so we can get that connection going. Hopefully, get that whole thing extended so we have a straight, smooth connection for that rail trail to end up in Cane Creek Park one day.”
Eldridge said the proposed extension is part of a long-term vision to create a continuous trail system connecting multiple parks and key areas across Cookeville. He said the project is expected to increase access and bring more visitors into the downtown area.
“We have almost like a Virginia Creeper kind of idea, where you just have this long rail trail to where people can ride their bikes, and it just gives them another thing for us to do that brings some excitement to the downtown, but also brings some exercise, brings some other transportation ways, just that other thing for people to enjoy for the outdoors and be able to bring it downtown,” Eldridge said.
Eldridge said the rail trail extension would complement the city’s Depot Street project and help create a more connected downtown experience. He said the ultimate goal is to further support local businesses, which are often considered the heartbeat of the city.
“Though we do have Interstate Drive, we do have a very unique richness in our downtown, and to support those local businesses, because a lot of those are local people, and a lot of those are people who see the value. They are the ones who made the downtown.”
The City Council is set to vote on the resolution Thursday at City Hall, with the meeting scheduled to begin at 5:30pm.