Chattanooga officials have provided more details on a proposed Chattanooga Lookouts (Class AA; Southern League) ballpark, showing how the venue could tie into surrounding development.
There has been discussion of late about the Lookouts and local officials targeting a 141-acre former Wheland/U.S. Pipe foundry property and surrounding area for a new ballpark that would serve as anchor for other amenities. The project would provide a replacement for the Lookouts’ AT&T Field.
The Lookouts are owned by Hardball Capital, an organization that under CEO Jason Freier has undertaken two other notable ballpark projects in recent years–Fort Wayne’s Parkview Field and Columbia’s Spirit Communciations Park. Development has taken place around both venues since their respective openings in 2009 and 2016, and a similar plan is being envisioned in Chattanooga. As proposed in a preliminary look at the South Broad District, the Lookouts’ ballpark would be situated around amenities such as green space, housing, and other development. More from The Times Free Press:
“It has the potential to be a catalyst of other development,” said David Laube of Noell Consulting about a possible new Chattanooga Lookouts stadium and entertainment venue. “You can make them more than just a ballpark.”
The preliminary vision for the 10-square-block district also called for better connecting Howard School with the rest of the area and potentially adding a new middle school.
In addition, an expanded Harris Johnson Park, a potential greenway along Chattanooga Creek, a mix of new housing in Southside Gardens, and improvements to Broad Street and other traffic arteries in the area were among highlights of the plan.
However, the 141-acre foundry property that is now mostly vacant would hold the potential ballpark and undergo vast changes, according to planners.
Officials are expected to continue soliciting feedback on the proposal, and present a final draft of the plan in October.
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