He University of Tennessee You have selected designers and developers for your ambitious project. Neyland Entertainment District that will transform Vols game days and the Tennessee River waterfront on campus.
A hybrid of condos and hotels with a rooftop restaurant and bar will overlook Neyland Stadium. Additionally, a lively entertainment hub will be created in the area between Neyland Stadium and Thompson-Boling Arena at the Food City Center.
UT has assembled the team for this bold project.
It includes a management team that drove the success of the sports entertainment districts surrounding the stadiums of the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers and the Philadelphia Phillies, Flyers and Eagles.
Knoxville-based real estate broker and agent Dixon Greenwood, Jake Miller, Taylor Gray, Hartland Hotel Group and Johnson Architecture are part of the project team for 865 Neyland, which UT announced July 24 will create the entertainment district.
Once the Tennessee State Building Commission approves the public-private partnership, specific designs and construction schedules can begin.
UT did not disclose the cost of the project.
What is the Neyland Entertainment District?
A condo-hotel hybrid overlooking Neyland Stadium will be the centerpiece of the development.
It will have 240 rooms, 60 luxury condominiums, a conference center, lounges, a spa, a fitness center, a swimming pool, a terrace, and a restaurant and rooftop bar with a privileged view on match days.
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The entertainment district will cover 175,000 square feet on the upper level of the G10 parking garage, uniting Neyland Stadium and Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center into one game-day entertainment hub.
Tailgating, restaurants, retail stores and other entertainment would eventually be part of the development.
“We are absolutely thrilled to see our vision for this groundbreaking project take tangible form,” UT Athletic Director Danny White said in a school statement. “The development team understood our vision and designed a legacy asset that will have a significant impact on our campus and the broader community. We look forward to the next phases of this historic endeavor, which will profoundly impact our campus and the city of Knoxville.”
“The Neyland Entertainment District is poised to become a valuable asset to America’s University Sports City.”
From the Braves to the Lakers, these developers have professional experience
UT selected designers and developers with experience in creating entertainment districts.
They have managed components of Live at The Battery next to the Atlanta Braves’ Truist Park; Texas Live and Live by Loews in the area between the Texas Rangers and Dallas Cowboys stadiums; Xfinity Live in Philadelphia; KC Live in Kansas City; and Ballpark Village Live next to Busch Stadium in St. Louis.
Greenwood specializes in retail and entertainment properties. Johnson Architecture, a Knoxville-based firm, has designed numerous commercial properties.
Hartland Hotel Group will develop the condo-hotel hybrid on the south end of Neyland Stadium. The group previously developed the Figueroa Hotel at LA Live, the iconic entertainment district of the Los Angeles Lakers, Kings and Sparks, as well as the Grammy Awards and other massive made-for-television events.
What about parking on UT game days?
The Neyland entertainment district has a huge positive side.
The University of Texas will offer a game-day facility unlike any other in college sports. And the space could also be used for concerts, conferences and university events.
Perhaps the only potential downside for UT fans is that the entertainment district will be built on the upper level of the G10 parking lot, a former holding area for Vols home games.
But UT said in a statement that it will replace parking spots lost to the development and identify alternative parking if G10 is temporarily unavailable during construction.
Additional parking will be added to support the entertainment district and game day parking, and student spaces will not be reduced.
Do other SEC stadiums have hotels?
A hotel that stands next to Neyland Stadium will be quite the sight, and its rooftop restaurant will offer unique views on game day.
It’s not a new concept, but it’s more common in professional sports than on college campuses.
There are a few hotels on the SEC campus. However, most are not located as close to the football stadium as the hotel next to Neyland Stadium will be.
- A Marriott hotel overlooks Vanderbilt Stadium, where hotel guests can watch football games from their window overlooking the end zone. The football team stays there the night before home games, and recruits stay there on official visits.
- In Alabama, the Capstone Hotel is located on campus along Paul Bryant Drive, across from the Alabama Basketball and Baseball Stadium and a half-mile walk from Bryant-Denny Stadium. The Alabama football team stays at the Capstone Hotel the night before home games.
- The Georgia football team stays at the University of Georgia Continuing Education Center and Hotel before home games. The hotel is located on campus, less than a half mile from Sanford Stadium.
- The Auburn University Hotel and Dixon Conference Center is located on the Auburn campus, across from the university library and a half-mile walk from Jordan-Hare Stadium.
- In Arkansas, the Inn at Carnall Hall is a former women’s dormitory and men’s fraternity house on campus, a half-mile from the football stadium. The 118-year-old building is now a boutique hotel and a pricey option for fans attending home games.
- South Carolina’s Williams-Brice Stadium, adjacent to the state fairgrounds, is surrounded by condominiums.
Adam Sparks is Tennessee’s football reporter. Email [email protected]. X, formerly known as Twitter@AdamSparksSupport strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.
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