Tourism agency presents Keer Sports study recommending $53M–$63M indoor complex and expanded fields; study forecasts $18M–$23M in direct annual spending

Susan Harris, interim CEO of the Chattanooga Tourism Company, told the City Council that a state-funded study by consultant Keer Sports found the region lacks tournament-ready, centralized sports facilities and that targeted capital investment could grow visitor spending and resident amenity access.

Harris said the grant came from the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development and was funded with ARPA dollars allocated for tourism research. She summarized Keer Sports’ top recommendations: an 8–10 acre, multipurpose indoor facility with 10–12 basketball courts (convertible to 20–24 volleyball courts) and a contiguous outdoor complex of synthetic turf rectangular fields. "None of our tax money, none of our visitor money. This is coming ... from the state," Harris said, describing the funding source for the study.

The study estimated the indoor facility would host about 30–32 events annually and generate between $18 million and just under $23 million in direct spending; Keer provided a development cost range for the indoor option roughly between $53 million and $63 million. Harris cautioned that the outdoor recommendation is a range: nine fields corresponded to a lower direct-spending estimate and 13 fields produced a higher estimate (the report cited a $13 million vs. about $26.2 million direct-spending comparison depending on field count). Keer framed the figures as direct spending by visitors, not a full economic-impact total.

Harris and Keer emphasized two operational themes: centralization (tournament operators want venues clustered together) and reliability (indoor or synthetic surfaces reduce weather cancellations and increase event turns). "If it rains ... you can't play anymore 'cause if you do, you're going to tear up what we've already invested in," Harris said, explaining why turf and indoor options increase marketability to event operators.

The presentation named local assets (Warner Park, Summit, Camp Jordan, Champions Club) and noted opportunities to renovate existing city-owned facilities—for example, adding six renovated courts adjacent to Champions Club to create contiguous tennis volume. Keer’s analysis treated ice rinks as feasible but costly with lower returns, while tennis and selective renovations appeared as quicker, lower-cost options to capture some new tournaments.

Council members pressed for clarifications during Q&A. Questions included whether privately owned complexes such as Batter’s Place could be partners (presenters said private operators could be engaged and that public–private partnerships are viable), whether the report listed candidate sites (answer: the study is location-agnostic), and how the tourism agency coordinates with the Sports & Events Corporation and the Tennessee Sports Commission on event operations (presenters described ongoing communication and operational handoffs between local entities).

Greta Hayes of the city’s parks and recreation staff confirmed department participation in the study and said city inventory analysis and a parallel recreation strategic plan will inform feasibility and implementation decisions. Councilmembers also raised resident-access concerns, pointing to North River Soccer Association and Rivermont ball fields; presenters and parks staff stressed the need to pair event-focused investments with community-use agreements and scheduling protections to avoid displacing neighborhood recreation.

Harris closed by offering hard copies of the report and one-on-one briefings for councilmembers. The study provides a menu of options—build new, renovate existing, or a hybrid—so city leaders can weigh capital costs, potential direct spending and resident benefits as they evaluate priorities.