The city of Knoxville is taking a serious look at using a large part of its public golf course for a public-private multisport complex, which would help to alleviate a serious lack of space for team sports.
Knoxville is facing a "substantial" shortage of rectangular sports fields, according to studies conducted by Visit Knoxville. The tourism bureau wants to work with the city-county Sports Authority to request proposals from private developers to reimagine the Knoxville Municipal Golf Course.
The goal is to meet the local demand for practices, league games and large-scale tournaments in flag football, lacrosse and soccer. The city and county will rely on the private proposals to determine how many fields make sense for the complex after trimming
the course from 19 holes to nine.
"I hope people see this as an exploratory exercise," Knoxville City Councilmember Nathan Honeycutt told Knox News. "We’ll see what interest is out there. There will be discussion at the council meeting around requiring a further definition of public process in the upcoming (request for proposal) and harder definitions around the land use."
The city council will vote Aug. 18 whether to allow the Sports Authority to seek those proposals.
What is the plan for the Knoxville golf course?
City leaders believe the public golf course, in its current form, doesn't match the evolving needs of the golf community. Repurposing part of the course would mean a refresh for golfers while capitalizing on hosting other sports.
"The goals of this initiative are to expand recreational opportunities for residents, support complementary commercial development, and generate additional occupancy and sales tax revenue," the agenda reads.
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Knoxville has long lacked enough large, open spaces for sports fields, Visit Knoxville President Kim Bumpas told Knox News. That gap led officials to take a serious look at how the municipal golf course is used.
Knoxville already hosts some team tournaments, Bumpas said, but they must be spread across fields throughout Knoxville and Knox County. A centralized complex could allow Knoxville to host local recreational teams during the week and draw in regional and national tournaments on the weekends. That means money from visitors who stay in hotels and dine at local restaurants.
The golf course would remain open to the public.
"Tournament play for soccer is a big deal, and tournament play for other sports is a big deal," Bumpas said. "People travel all over the country for it, so it would be awesome if Knoxville was able to start hosting some of that, too."
The proposed reconfiguration would follow a pattern replicated across the country to redevelop golf courses into other uses. GAI Consultants, which works on golf course conversion prospects, says reducing 18-hole courses to nine-hole courses can "speed up the game, better accommodate varying skill levels, and free up acreage for other purposes."
Knoxville Municipal Golf Course, a 6,413-yard, par-72 course, has been owned by the city of Knoxville since its inception in spring 1984. Its proposed new form does not have dimensions because an RFP is needed to determine the best plan.
Williams Creek Golf Course, a city-owned par-3 course, measures 2,718 yards for 18 holes.
Who would pay for the redevelopment?
The Sports Authority would retain a financing team to pay for the redevelopment on debt if the city council and county commission approve. The financing plan would be paid back through revenue generated by the redevelopment.
The commercial portion could generate property tax revenue, and the city and county would be responsible for any shortfalls.
Honeycutt said the land is expected to be a long-term lease and not a sale. There is no estimated cost for the project at this point and a financing plan does not exist because proposals would come first.
How will the community have a say?
Councilmembers will discuss how to incorporate public input, Honeycutt says.
The Sports Authority will hold a hearing to receive public comments before finalizing the plan, according to a terms sheet. If a private party submits a proposal, the responses will be made available to the public.
All eventual redevelopment proposals must come back to the city council for consideration and approval.
What is the expected timeline?
Since the proposal is in the early stages, the city council must vote to move the project to the next phase. No target completion date is set at this point.
If the vote passes Aug. 18, the Sports Authority will consider whether to move forward when it meets later this month, Bumpas said. If it does, the authority will develop a request for proposals for the site, followed by a public process. Bumpas says a clearer timeline would be laid out if the measure passes.
Trevor McGee covers the Knoxville Smokies and One Knox SC for Knox News. Email: trevor.mcgee@knoxnews.com; X: @TrevorMcGee12
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville golf course could be reimagined as a new multisport complex
