Featured image credit: UT Sports
The 865 Neyland Project Team, a group consisting of experts in real estate development and sports entertainment, has been selected to oversee the University of Tennessee’s wide-ranging entertainment district spanning the Tennessee River waterfront near Neyland Stadium.
The team is led by Dixon Greenwood and also includes Jake Miller, Taylor Gray, the Hartland Hotel Group and Johnson Architecture. The university has issued a notice of intent to award the project to the 865 Neyland Project Team following a request for proposals.
The project will be anchored by a planned condotel adjacent to the south end of Neyland Stadium, which has a capacity of 101,915 and serves as the home of the university’s American football team, the Volunteers.
Plans for the project were first revealed in May 2023. The mixed-use district is designed to enhance the game-day experience for Volunteers fans and transform the riverfront area.
The project will seek to improve the aesthetics of Neyland Stadium’s exterior façade and strengthen the university’s connection with the Tennessee River. The vision also features the potential development of a “tabletop” above the existing G10 parking garage to support additional tailgating, restaurants, retail and family-friendly activities.
The entertainment district will span nearly 175,000 square feet and will be managed by the 865 Neyland team, which has experience with various retail and sports entertainment districts across the US, including with the Texas Rangers, St. Louis Cardinals and Atlanta Braves.
The condotel will feature around 240 rooms and 60 luxury condos. The district will also connect Neyland Stadium to the nearby Thompson-Boling Arena, home to the university’s basketball and volleyball teams.
Once the Tennessee State Building Commission has granted approval, the creation of specific designs and construction schedules can begin.
Danny White, vice-chancellor and director of athletics at the University of Tennessee, said: “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 endeavour, 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.”
Neyland Stadium is the eighth-largest stadium in the world. The stadium itself is already in the midst of a major renovation project, and in July last year the university’s board of trustees approved a request from its athletics department to increase the budget for the first phase of the stadium’s revamp.
The stadium renovation project will be carried out in phases and is scheduled to conclude in the autumn of 2026.
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