District 6 City Council candidates Stan Johnson and Denzel Grant drew an engaged crowd eager to hear about downtown issues at a forum Wednesday evening at The Emporium on Gay Street.

The candidates hoping to represent the center city agreed that downtown connects all of Knoxville.

As the commercial center of the city with a growing population, downtown is unique among Knoxville’s neighborhoods and one of the reasons that District 6, which stretches from East Knoxville to Marble City, is the city’s most diverse district. 

During the forum, when asked how they define downtown’s role within District 6, Johnson called it “the economic driver for all of the city,” highlighting the need to finish the Magnolia Avenue corridor plan. 

“If we build up Magnolia, everything else will reconnect,” he said. “Downtown should not stand apart from our other neighborhoods; it should lift them up.”

Grant described District 6 as the heartbeat of the city. 

“Downtown connects all of Knoxville,” he said. “We have to make it more accessible and inviting for everyone, not just those who work or play here. That means diversifying business ownership, incentivizing growth and engaging people who have been left out of these conversations.”

On the topic of missed opportunities that need to be addressed in downtown, Johnson highlighted infrastructure and homelessness. 

“If we’re charging for on-street parking, let’s build high-rise parking,” he said. “We also need to figure out how to spread homelessness throughout the whole city, not just the 6th district.” 

Grant spoke on equitable investment, saying, “It comes down to accessibility and diversity. How can we bring more diverse businesses downtown? That’s going to take real investment and real partnerships.”

When asked about their hopes for the arts, culture and historic landmarks that make downtown Knoxville unique, both candidates lauded the importance of creative investment and youth engagement. 

Johnson said arts and culture should be at the heart of community development. 

“Arts and culture are part of our whole process,” he said. “When you think about arts and culture, you think about young people and performance. These are the kinds of things we want to bring to all of our community, not just downtown. We need to support this. We’re in a beautiful place, and we need to start with our youth by exposing them to it.”

Grant echoed that sentiment, pointing to local organizations already fostering artistic collaboration. 

“This makes me think about the Waymakers Collective in our community,” he said. “We need to include organizations like this to help bring more arts and ideas from Appalachia to Knoxville. If we can get more youth involved, that’s how we expand arts and culture citywide.” 

On the issue of downtown mobility, the candidates turned to accessibility and infrastructure as key priorities. 

Grant noted that “our elders and many others struggle to get downtown,” calling for better transit and connectivity options. “We need to find more ways to make it accessible,” he said. 

Johnson connected mobility to long-term planning, saying the city failed to prepare for the rapid growth it’s now experiencing. “It goes back to our infrastructure, and we didn’t plan well for this boom,” he said. “The Magnolia area streetscape hasn’t been completed, and that’s what we need for our city’s future. Bicycles and walkability bring more money to your community and make it a better, safer neighborhood. We have to start improving our infrastructure now.”

The conversation grew personal when candidates were asked about Chilhowee Park and their vision for its future. Johnson called the failed Emerald Youth Foundation proposal for a youth sports and activity complex there a loss for the city.

“With Emerald, we missed out on the possibility of an anchor in our community. We need something that fulfills what families want and need year-round instead of a parking lot,” Johnson said.

Grant said that the process needed to be community-driven. 

“It wasn’t about Emerald, it was about protecting a historic park,” he said. “The question should be asking what the community’s vision is for the park, (not mine). ”

In the final portion of the night, the moderators opened the floor for community questions, including one asking what each candidate felt their opponent could improve upon. Both pointed to transparency as an issue. 

Grant directly addressed speculation surrounding city funding for Turn Up Knox, the violence-interruption nonprofit he ran until recently, saying he welcomed public scrutiny and denied any mismanagement of funds. 

“I am open to accountability, and I’m someone who can hold myself accountable,” Grant said. “The city approved our funding three years in a row and trusted me with that money. The contract was canceled for personal reasons that had nothing to do with finances. There was never any action taken by the city over accusations of mismanagement. In fact, my organization later received back pay totaling six figures, even after those claims. We didn’t bounce any checks; we handled the money responsibly and did the work we said we would do.”

Grant also pointed to his broad list of endorsements as proof of his leadership and trust within the community. 

“My endorsements speak for themselves,” he said, noting support from the Sierra Club, Knoxville Firefighters Association, Moms Demand Action, Change TN, and prominent figures such as state Rep. Gloria Johnson and civil-rights icon Theotis Robinson Jr.

Johnson questioned Grant’s credibility. 

“You weren’t the founder of Turn Up Knox, and you didn’t write the proposal to the city to get that money,” said Johnson, who is the executive director of the nonprofit SEEED. “Truth matters. We founded SEEED in our backyard, and we didn’t get $400,000 from the city that we may or may not have mismanaged. Do you think this man would be sitting here right now if he hadn’t gotten that money? He quit. Now where’s the program?”

Both candidates also weighed in on the sales-tax increase referendum proposed by Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon, making clear that they do not support it. Johnson said he believes there are other, more equitable ways to raise revenue without burdening residents. Grant added that he has already cast his ballot against the measure. 

Downtown residents and community leaders Nikki Elliott, who with her husband owns the CPA firm Elliott Advisory Group, and entrepreneur Tyler Janow organized the forum. Elliott said the event was put together to spark honest dialogue between residents who live downtown and those in surrounding neighborhoods. 

“I think downtown residents and business owners learned something tonight,” she said. “It’s hard to get in front of downtown people, and we wanted to create a space for open conversation about how downtown connects with East Knoxville and beyond.”