University of Tennessee moving forward with Neyland Entertainment District Project

The University of Tennessee announced on Wednesday that it is moving forward with the Neyland Entertainment District project, and that it is awarding the project to the 865 Neyland Project Team, led by Dixon Greenwood, along with Jake Miller, Taylor Gray, the Hartland Hotel Group, and Johnson Architecture.

UT’s idea for the project first appeared in its 10-year-plus master plan that was presented to the UT System Board of Trustees last February. At the time, it was designated as a “near-term priority,” meaning it would come into play within five years.

Tennessee then announced last May it had started the exploratory phase of the project, before following up in December with an announcement that the university was seeking a master developer to develop, finance, operate and maintain the Neyland Entertainment District through a public-private partnership.

The district is planned for the area between Neyland Stadium and Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center.

“We are absolutely thrilled to witness our vision for this groundbreaking project taking tangible shape,” White said in a Tennessee press release. “The development team understood our vision and designed a legacy asset that will significantly impact our campus and overall community. We eagerly anticipate the upcoming phases of this historic endeavor, which is set to influence our campus and the city of Knoxville deeply. The Neyland Entertainment District is poised to become a valuable asset to America’s College Sports City.”

The current scheme highlights the project team’s conceptual design. Further planning development of the district will proceed pending Tennessee State Building Commission approval. Once the State Building Commission approves, the creation of specific designs and construction schedules can begin.

“Anchored by a planned condotel adjacent to the stadium’s south end, the mixed-use Neyland Entertainment District would enhance our student experience and Tennessee Athletics gameday atmosphere,” a UT press release stated. “It would also transform the riverfront and connect and supplement Knoxville’s gathering spaces and multimodal infrastructure with another attractive leisure and entertainment hub.”

The proposed development include three major components:

• Entertainment District: Nearly 175K Square Feet. Managed by Brick + Bev, who has experience with a multitude of entertainment districts across the country. (Xfinity Live, KC Live, Ballpark Village Live, Live by Loews, Texas Live, and Live at The Battery, among others.)
• Parking: Full replacement of G10; additional parking will be added to support the entertainment district and condotel needs (specifically not reducing student parking stalls). The university would identify alternative parking solutions for use if G10 is temporarily offline.
• Condotel: Full-service Hotel, Rooftop Restaurant & Bar, Pool & Terrace, Conference Center, Lounges, Fitness Center, Hotel Spa—Hartland Hotel Group will develop this aspect of the project. The group developed the Hotel Figueroa, located next to LA Live. It would feature 240 rooms and 60 luxury condos.

Here are more updated renderings for the project: