KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon has responded after city council shelved a proposal Tuesday evening to sell almost 13 acres of Chilhowee Park to Emerald Youth Foundation, a religious group who planned to turn the space into a community complex that included sports fields and shared spaces.

Previous Coverage: Knoxville City Council withdraws vote to sell part of Chilhowee Park to Emerald Youth

“I am disappointed that Council voted to withdraw this $25 million investment in our youth,” Kincannon said in an emailed statement to WVLT News. “This was a rare opportunity, born out of a years-long commitment to find more safe activities for young people in our City dating back from when gun violence was at an all-time high.”

That investment faced weeks of pushback f

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