Maynardville receives Municipal League award for Small City Progress

By promoting outdoor recreation, public art, and community events, the leaders of Maynardville have created big momentum for their small community. 

In recognition of the concerted efforts made by the city of Maynardville to develop public assets that would spur community engagement, the Tennessee Municipal League is pleased to present Maynardville with an award for Small City Progress.

With a population of around 2,500, Maynardville is a small town known best for being the hometown of several country music legends. In the summer of 2022, the city opened a splash pad just below its city hall building, which began to draw residents from throughout Union County. 

The popularity of this splash pad led to city leaders investing more in the area, building bathrooms, a shade structure, and installing a colorful public works and utilities mural at the site. 

Building on this success, the city received a CDBG grant that will expand activities on the splash pad property. Input from social media and community meetings has created plans for pickleball and multi-use courts, an art wall, walking trail, and landscaping and drainage improvements to the area. These assets will all be interconnected with an expected completion date of January 2025. 

A future phase of the project is already in the works with the goals of building a statue garden, playground, food truck area, and a stage for entertainment and events. The city is also using humorous social media videos to keep residents up to date and solicit input on projects.