The University of Tennessee announced today the next big step in the process of transforming the waterfront at Neyland Stadium by issuing its notice of intent to award the Neyland Entertainment District project to the 865 Neyland Project Team, a group consisting of experts in real estate development and sports entertainment, led by Dixon Greenwood, along with Jake Miller, Taylor Gray, the Hartland Hotel Group, and Johnson Architecture.

As Tennessee Athletics continues to aggressively pursue its mission of leading the way in college sports, University of Tennessee Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White worked with other UT Knoxville leaders and the UT System to initiate a request for proposals. The notice of intent follows a thorough review of submissions to attract private developers for a public-private partnership to develop a first-in-class entertainment district spanning the Tennessee River north waterfront near historic Neyland Stadium.

We are absolutely thrilled to witness our vision for this groundbreaking project taking tangible shape. 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.

Vice Chancellor/Director of Athletics Danny White

Pending Tennessee State Building Commission approval to proceed with further planning development of the district, the current scheme highlights the project team’s conceptual design. 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. It would also transform the riverfront and connect and supplement Knoxville’s gathering spaces and multimodal infrastructure with another attractive leisure and entertainment hub.

Some components of the proposed development include: 

Entertainment District: Nearly 175K Square Feet. Managed by the 865 Neyland team, which has experience with a multitude of retail and sports entertainment districts across the country, including the Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals, Atlanta Braves, 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 help guide this aspect of the project. The group developed the Hotel Figueroa, located next to LA Live, among others. 

The condotel would feature approximately 240 rooms and 60 luxury condos.

One of the unique elements of the Neyland Entertainment District is its connectivity and proximity to two of Tennessee’s iconic venues: Neyland Stadium and Food City Center. The proposed Neyland Entertainment District location allows the two facilities to be serviced and tied together.

The centerpiece of this grand vision, Neyland Stadium, is one of the most iconic venues in global sport. It is the eighth-largest stadium in the world—sixth among venues in its category—with a capacity of 101,915.