KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Knox County leaders met on Monday just down the road from Bower Field, announcing that the Legacy Parks Foundation now owns the 107 donated acres near the field.
Thunder Mountain Properties, a development company, donated the acres to Knox County. The company also owns the land of Bower Field and leases it back to the county. The company is asking for that land to be rezoned for commercial use and said it would build a new recreational sports facility on 20 of those donated acres, the company says.
Many neighbors are unhappy with the rezoning, saying there is too much development in the area. They also have concerns about whether or not a new ballpark would be built on that land. One resident said the 20 acres donated for a new sports facility are effectively swampland.
"We want to know for certain that we will get a ballfield before they grant them the rezoning," said Dawn Close, a South Knoxville resident. "We feel overwhelmed and not listened to by our county commissioners."
Close doesn't fully believe that the new ballpark will be built. She thinks developers are focused on getting the current Bower Field land rezoned.
New apartments and homes are flooding the area, residents say.
"It's just way too dense for this community. This is a farming community," said Nancy Kaliszewski, who lives in Seymour. “This is called a rural community for a reason, and it needs to stay rural. I understand we can’t stand in the way of progress but we can stand up and have a say.”
Bower Field provides a sense of community for South Knoxville, Kaliszewski added. Carson Daily, the Ninth District Knox County Commissioner, said a new ballpark would be built if Thunder Mountain Properties redevelops the land around Bower Field.
"There will be softball and baseball for generations to come," he said. "It's not going away. More recreational opportunities are coming to South Knoxville."