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Tennessee<\/a> athletics director Danny White said the Neyland Entertainment District<\/a> project will break ground this summer, beginning with the demolition of the G10 garage.<\/p>\n The $280 million project is still pending approval by the UT Board of Trustees. But White doesn’t anticipate any major obstacles, he said during a Big Orange Caravan stop near Chattanooga on April 28.<\/p>\n “It\u2019ll just be awesome,” White said. “We are really excited about the entertainment district \u2013 the hotel, condo, restaurant, amenities. It\u2019s a private development \u2013 about a $280 million development \u2013 that will happen on the south end of our stadium.<\/p>\n “I think it will transform not just gameday but 365 days out of the year for our student body, for our student-athletes and for the Knoxville community.”<\/p>\n The Neyland Entertainment District will be built adjacent to Neyland Stadium. The mixed-use sports entertainment district will include a hybrid condo-hotel overlooking the stadium, a rooftop bar, restaurants, shops, event space and fan experiences.<\/p>\n White said UT is on track to open the entertainment district in early 2028 and the condo-hotel in 2029. He’s eager to get started on the project that was first\u00a0announced in 2023<\/a>.<\/p>\n Before the entertainment district can be built, UT must tear down the G10 garage and rebuild it to ensure the structural integrity for the hotel on top.<\/p>\n The parking garage has been a favorite tailgating spot for fans for many years, but it’s also plagued by traffic congestion.<\/p>\n “We will break ground this summer. We will demo two-thirds of the existing G10 garage, and they will rebuild that with a garage that\u2019s actually built for events,” White said. “The G10 garage was never built for events, which is why we\u2019ve had so much trouble getting people in and out of it.<\/p>\n “The new garage will be much more efficient in that way. And the top of it will be the entertainment district.”<\/p>\n Sports entertainment districts have become very popular in recent years, but they’ve mostly been in professional sports. Tennessee is believed to be the first university to attempt a sports entertainment district on such a large scale.<\/p>\n UT is working with designers and developers with expertise in creating entertainment districts. That includes a management team that spurred the success of sports entertainment districts<\/a> surrounding stadiums for the Atlanta Braves, St. Louis Cardinals, Dallas Cowboys, Texas Rangers and Philadelphia\u2019s Phillies, Flyers and Eagles.<\/p>\n White believes an entertainment district will enhance gamedays, generate revenue and allow UT to stand out.<\/p>\n “I think we\u2019ve always been in the sports entertainment business. We\u2019ve always had concerts in our arena and in our stadium. But we have these big expensive buildings. How do we monetize them more frequently?” White said.<\/p>\n “But the entertainment district for us isn\u2019t about making money. It\u2019s about the experience we can provide for our fans and also our students. We think it\u2019s going be a really cool project. It just makes our campus even more inviting and more attractive for people to come to.”<\/p>\n Adam Sparks is the Tennessee football beat reporter. Email <\/em>adam.sparks@knoxnews.com<\/em><\/a>. X, formerly known as Twitter<\/em>@AdamSparks<\/em><\/a>. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at<\/em> knoxnews.com\/subscribe<\/em><\/a>.<\/em><\/p>\n Get the latest news and insight on SEC football by subscribing to the\u00a0SEC Unfiltered newsletter,\u00a0delivered straight to your inbox.<\/a><\/em><\/em><\/p>\nWhy Tennessee is replacing G10 garage, where fans tailgage<\/h2>\n
Tennessee working with pro sports district developers<\/h2>\n