Efforts to redevelop or repurpose Greer Stadium continue, with tennis courts being one of the latest proposals.
Greer Stadium has essentially been vacant since the departure of the Nashville Sounds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League) after the 2014 season. In the time since, the Nashville Metro Government has debated the ballpark’s future.
Some have argued that Greer Stadium could serve a new purpose. One frequently discussed idea is to convert it into a soccer-specific stadium for the USL’s Nashville SC, which is set to begin play in 2018. Other proposals have revolved around demolishing the ballpark and finding a new use for the land, something that was recommended by the metro’s parks department last fall.
The parks department cited the ballpark’s condition as a concern, which our own Jarah Wright reported on upon a visit to the Greer Stadium site earlier this summer. “Grass is growing up through the infield and the seats look faded,” she wrote. “A faded spot on the grandstand reveals where a team logo used to be, and the famous guitar scoreboard looks like it will fall off the wall into the outfield any day now. The only reason the ballpark is still standing is because the city of Nashville doesn’t know what to do with it. It’s a sad sight to a ballpark that has seen its fair share of history.”
Now a local group is proposing a new life for Greer Stadium and the surrounding area, which could become the home of a tennis complex. Under a concept from Tennis Nashville, a 32-court complex dubbed Music City Tennis Park would be constructed in the area, with an indoor training center providing eight courts. One angle that proponents of the project are pitching is how it could serve a variety of purposes, including tournaments and building the community’s engagement with the sport. More from News Channel 5:
“It would be a great addition to our community,” Mario Hernandez, coach for the Lipscomb University Men’s Tennis Team, said. “Developing professionals isn’t the only thing that you’re looking to do, you just want a lot of community involvement, so the more courts you have, the more people you can potentially bring into the game.”
Hernandez added that a facility like the proposed Music City Tennis Park could allow the University to host regional or even national championships and tournaments, as well as having the city have the ability to host professional tournaments.
Music Center Tennis Park will be one of several proposals pitched for the Greer Stadium site at a series of meetings next week. The first of those hearings will take place on September 21, with the next gathering set for September 24.
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