KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — The University of Tennessee has announced the "865 Neyland Project Team"—a group of real estate and sports entertainment experts tasked with creating the Neyland Entertainment District.
The team is led by Dixon Greenwood, along with Jake Miller, Taylor Gray, the Hartland Hotel Group and Johnson Architecture. The entertainment district is expected within five years.
"I've been going to Tennessee sporting events since I was, since my first memories. And we certainly will respect the traditions and enhance them," said Greenwood.
The Neyland Entertainment District would dramatically change the south side of the UT Knoxville campus along Fort Loudoun Lake by adding a "condotel" (a condo and high-end hotel) and 15,000 square feet of retail, restaurant and entertainment space in between the football stadium and the basketball stadium.
"This is gonna be a real game-changer," said Greenwood. "It needs to work for everybody, that's the design philosophy behind it."
"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," UT said in a press release.
The condotel would feature approximately 240 rooms and 60 luxury condos. The popular G10 parking lot would be fully replaced as well. Leaders said it will be replaced with restaurants, shops and entertainment centers.
"We've not developed the waterfront as good as we could have, and this is an opportunity to do something pretty special," said Greenwood.
UT said the 865 Neyland Project Team comes after the college had a thorough review of submissions from private developers wanting to participate in the public-private partnership of developing the district.
"We are absolutely thrilled to witness our vision for this groundbreaking project taking tangible shape," UT Vice Chancellor Danny and Director of Athletics Danny White said. "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."
The creation of specific designs and construction schedules for the district can begin once approved by the Tennessee State Building Commission, according to UT.