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As the Tennessee Athletics team continues to actively pursue its mission to lead collegiate athletics, the University of Tennessee, Knoxville Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics danny white Exploration of public-private partnerships has begun to develop a state-of-the-art entertainment district spanning the Tennessee River waterfront near historic Neyland Stadium.
Anchored by a planned hotel adjacent to the southern end of the stadium, the mixed-use Neyland Entertainment District could uniquely enhance the Tennessee football game day experience while transforming the campus riverfront and complementing Knoxville’s array of gathering centers Another attractive leisure and entertainment center.
The university’s initial concept for the project—which will enhance the aesthetics of the Neyland Stadium façade and strengthen the campus’ connection to the Tennessee River—includes a boutique, full-service hotel with for-sale apartments and meeting/event space. The vision also includes the possible development of a “tabletop” above the existing G10 car park to support additional tailgating, restaurants, retail and family-friendly entertainment.
A formal Request for Information (RFI) has been issued to gauge developer input and interest.
“Innovation is at the forefront of everything we do,” White said. “The idea for this new Neyland Entertainment District embodies this mindset. It is a large-scale project with the potential to have a positive impact on our entire city. We are eager to see the dream of a world-class developer to creatively maximize this extraordinary Market opportunity. We have the ability to build an entertainment ecosystem that doesn’t currently exist in the entire university environment.
“It’s much more than just seven or eight days a year. It’s a year-round destination that not only augments our game days, but enhances the daily academic experience throughout our student body and campus community throughout the year.”
The University has engaged project management firm Brailsford & Dunlavey as a guiding partner for the exploration phase of the Neyland entertainment precinct.
“Neyland Stadium has long been known for having one of the best gameday environments in college football,” said Chancellor Donde Plowman. “We welcome Vol Nation to campus on Saturdays in the fall. This project has the potential to create a year-round destination that blends with the Tennessee River waterfront and enhances the campus and our community.”
Since 1993, Brailsford & Dunlavey has empowered hundreds of colleges and universities, municipalities and professional sports organizations to realize their bold visions through the built environment. The firm’s consulting expertise includes analytical and technical activities ranging from market analysis and financial modeling to development structure assessment and construction supervision.
“This public-private opportunity will enhance the look and feel of Neyland Stadium and the Knoxville campus while creating an additional destination for the City of Knoxville,” said University of Tennessee President Randy Boyd. All of this without state funding.”
At the heart of this grand vision is Neyland Stadium, one of the most iconic venues in global sport. It is the eighth largest stadium in the world and the sixth largest of its kind, with a capacity of 101,915. Neyland Stadium is surrounded by the key elements of a state-of-the-art integrated entertainment precinct:
- UT Knoxville has seen a 17 percent increase in enrollment over the past five years.
- The University has a strong and dedicated alumni base of over 260,000.
- The University of Tennessee’s annual impact on the state’s economy is $1.7 billion.
- Greater Knoxville is located at the intersection of three major interstates, I-75, I-40 and I-81, in the heart of the greater Eastern Tennessee region. The city is within a day’s drive of half the country’s population.
- Knoxville is less than eight hours from Asheville, Atlanta, Charleston (SC), Charlotte, Chattanooga, Cincinnati, Louisville (KY), Memphis, Nashville, St. Louis and Washington, D.C. drive.
- For the first half of 2022, Knoxville is tied with Atlanta, Nashville, Washington, D.C., and New York City as one of the top five booking markets in the nation.
- Knoxville is home to several unique clusters of micromarkets, including the Las Vegas Strip, Old Town, Market Square, Bearden, Turkey Creek and more.
- Tennessee Athletics is a globally recognized and respected brand with one of the most traditional and championship-rich histories in college sports.
- Tennessee’s passionate and loyal fan base supports the Vols and Lady Vols at an elite level, and UT’s ticketed sports consistently lead the nation in average home attendance.
FAQ
What are RFIs?
In architecture, the term Request for Information (RFI) Refers to a business process that requests information.
The purpose of this RFI is to understand feasibility and gather information related to the viability of the Neyland Recreation District. The project could have far-reaching impacts on the University of Tennessee campus, the city of Knoxville, and the surrounding area.
Why did the University of Tennessee issue an RFI?
As Tennessee Athletics continues to aggressively pursue its mission to lead collegiate athletics, University of Tennessee, Knoxville Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White began exploring public-private partnerships aimed at developing a state-of-the-art waterfront across the Tennessee River entertainment district, near the historic Neyland Stadium.
This project will transform the overall game day experience throughout Vol Nation while providing the Knoxville community with a unique year-round experience. One of the agency’s goals is to become more involved with the waterfront.
What could be included in the proposed Neyland entertainment district?
Anchored by a planned hotel adjacent to the southern end of the stadium, the mixed-use Neyland Entertainment District could uniquely enhance the Tennessee football game day experience while transforming the campus riverfront and complementing Knoxville’s array of gathering centers Another attractive leisure and entertainment center.
The university’s initial concept for the project—which will enhance the aesthetics of the Neyland Stadium façade and strengthen the campus’ connection to the Tennessee River—includes a boutique, full-service hotel with for-sale apartments and meeting/event space.
The vision also includes the possible development of a “tabletop” above the existing G10 car park to support additional tailgating, restaurants, retail and family-friendly entertainment.
What’s next?
RFIs will be open and available for four weeks. After that time, the RFI results will help provide a Request for Proposal (RFP) to interested parties to continue the design and construction process for the Neyland Recreation District.
To learn more about the proposed Neyland Entertainment District, click here.
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