The City of Knoxville released a statement yesterday announcing councilmember Gwen McKenzie’s intentions to make a motion at next week’s City Council meeting to postpone a vote allowing the city to sell just under 13-acres of land in Chilhowee Park to the Emerald Youth Foundation for a $20-$30-million-dollar sports complex and wellness center.
According to the news release, McKenzie’s decision will, “provide her colleagues on the City Council, community members, and herself more time to listen to questions, suggestions, and concerns.”
McKenzie – who represents northeast Knoxville – originally postponed the vote on the sale and proposed a town hall meeting during the city council’s meeting on August 19. This was due to an intense display of community backlash from community members, who complained about a lack of transparency.
The town hall took place at the Los Portales event center in northeast Knoxville earlier this week and drew in nearly 200 people. City council members Tommy Smith, Lauren Rider, Debbie Helsley, Amelia Parker and Charles Thomas were in attendance. Most of the community members were against the sale, which caused friction during the meeting’s Q&A segment with Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon and Chief of Staff David Brace.
Although Kincannon admitted more community input was needed during the meeting, she maintained the proposed complex would be a “gain” to the park and East Knoxville. Most of her responses to a variety of questions submitted by attendants were met with interruptions. When mentioning Emerald Youth’s Sports Complex in Lonsdale, which serves as the model for the proposed Chilhowee Park location, a wave of yelling and boos drowned out her answer.
“We are not Lonsdale,” someone yelled.
The Q&A segment was ended by the moderator and meeting organizer Tanisha Baker, after just eight questions.
Shortly after the segment ended, Kincannon quietly left the meeting, drawing ire from the public.
McKenzie told WUOT News she requested Kincannon to leave to allow for attendants to, “speak more freely.”
“I didn’t want the mayor’s presence during that portion of the meeting to be a distraction or for people to focus on the mayor as I have heard frustration with the process,” she said.
WUOT News learned that 35 questions total were submitted for the Q&A, with some similar in nature. Baker said the rest of them will be answered on a FAQ page on the city’s website.
Community members also raised concerns that parts of Chilhowee Park have been off-limits to the public for decades.
“This park has been underdeveloped, under-resourced and underutilized," said one attendee. “I would use it if it were unlocked.”
Last summer, the Emerald Youth Foundation was the only applicant to respond to the city’s Request for Proposal for a portion of land within Chilhowee Park. The proposal was requested by council member McKenzie and a group of stakeholders formed by Emerald Youth Foundation, who were seeking feedback to build a second sports complex.
Kaylin Chesney, a director for Emerald Youth, said the proposed complex was shaped by feedback from 500 people in East Knoxville.
“We really want to get ideas from the young people,” he said.
According to the sale agreement, Emerald Youth would purchase 12.7 acres of land within the park on the south side of Magnolia Avenue for $913,000, a number generated by comparing separate appraisals conducted by the city and the foundation. The nonprofit would be responsible for building and operating the complex for 20 years. Once complete, the facility would have two ball fields, a gymnasium, and a medical office, among other amenities.
Emerald Youth provides after-school programming for kids, including sports activities, career coaching and tutoring. According to their website, the faith-based nonprofit served over 750 kids in East Knoxville last year. Chesney said they’re looking to expand their reach in East Knoxville from 13% to 30%, but more space is needed.
“There's nowhere else for us to be able to put young people that we can still operate within ratios,” said Chesney.
He added the ultimate goal would be to reach at least 75% percent of East Knoxville youth.
Community members like Tanika Harper, the founder and leader of nonprofit youth program Shora Foundation, argued the proposed complex makes it seem East Knoxville is lacking in opportunities for kids.
“There are several grassroots nonprofits who are doing great work in the East Knoxville community,” she said. “And so to say that Emerald will bring these great things into the community, it's as if good things aren't already happening.”
The proposed sale comes at the heels of the annual 10-day Tennessee Valley Fair, which brings in tens of millions of dollars to the local economy.
The city is in the middle of a three-year lease agreement with the fair’s organizers to continue its annual event at Chilhowee Park. From 2027 to 2029 the city would provide a 6-month notice to fair organizers on what property is available to use. Fair organizers say it takes more than a year to plan the annual event.
As part of that lease, the city bought land the fair owned that was within the proposed location for the complex for $115,000. According to the lease, purchasing the land was part of a larger development plan for East Knoxville.
“We were told ‘if you don’t sell that land... There’s going to be no more fair for 2024 and beyond,’” said Tennessee Valley Fair executive director Scott Suchomski during the meeting.
He added fair organizers were not included in negotiations over the proposed sale.
“We’ve been at Chilhowee Park for over 100 odd years,” he said.
Talks of pushing the fair out of the park have been ongoing since the city published a master plan of Chilhowee Park in 2019. The plan recommended Tennessee Valley Fair to relocate to maximize “year-round market and economy opportunity” at the park.
Kincannon expressed support for the fair if it decides to stay in the park but said they will need to “evolve with the times.”
