River City holds $200 right to old stadium site; Sports Authority receives Hawk Hill redevelopment update

At its June 11 annual meeting, the Sports Authority of the City of Chattanooga received an update on the new stadium and the status of the old stadium parcel on Hawk Hill, including River City’s $200 right of first refusal and preliminary developer outreach for redevelopment.

The update matters because the old stadium parcel sits on previously underused riverfront land that could return to the property tax rolls and support new housing, commercial space and parkland if River City or another developer proceeds with redevelopment. Authority members discussed demolition and equipment removal issues, a recent request-for-information process, and an anticipated request for proposals.

“The structural steel is up, so it is underway,” the Chair said, describing progress on the new stadium. The Chair said the new venue is being built on schedule and that “the last I heard, they are looking at completion and opening in June of 2026.”

On the old stadium site, the Chair summarized the authority’s lease arrangement and River City’s contractual right of first refusal to purchase the property for $200. The Chair said that a clause in the original contract about franchise obligations was removed and replaced by a provision about stadium equipment, and that this change has produced “a lot of legal action” and questions about who must remove or pay to remove stadium equipment and demolition debris.

“They could turn it down,” the Chair said of River City’s right to acquire the property, and the Chair added that if River City declines, the authority would face decisions about the vacant structure and cleanup. The Chair said River City had not officially voted on the matter at the time of the meeting.

River City has issued a request for information (RFI) and has received responses that will inform a forthcoming request for proposals (RFP). “They've already done the RFI, gotten the comments, putting them together, and they'll issue the true RFP from that. I think she said early to mid fall, if I'm not mistaken,” the Chair said, describing the prospective timeline for issuing an RFP to developers.

Panel members discussed possible uses being considered in conceptual schematics prepared by an urban design studio: mixed-use development with apartments or condominiums, commercial space, recreation and some open park space. The Chair referenced an internal projection from “Eric” about potential development scale, saying, “I've seen the number on what Eric has projected for that development. And I'd—it's like, what, $2,000,000,000 thing.”

Authority members asked for ongoing briefings as planning advances. The Chair said the authority will be kept informed and suggested an educational session or official meeting before an RFP is issued so members can review schematics and understand likely community impacts. The Chair also said Bill Payne, the city engineer, has been working with the authority and will be asked to provide a construction-status briefing for the new stadium.

No formal action was taken on redevelopment during the meeting; members received the update and discussed next steps. The Chair said River City’s eventual acceptance or rejection of the $200 right would trigger further formal action by the authority if transfer of the old stadium site required acceptance or rejection of River City’s offer.

Next steps identified at the meeting included continued coordination with River City staff, an informational briefing or site visit for authority members before issuance of an RFP, and a construction-status update from the city engineer.