Members of the press gathered at the new multi-use stadium yesterday for a meeting with officials from all parties involved in the stadium, along with officials from Covenant Health. The purpose was to make official the word that had leaked the day before: Our new multi-purpose stadium now has a name. Covenant Health and Boyd Sports have teamed up to present Covenant Health Park.
Doug Kirchhofer, Boyd Sports CEO, pronounced the naming of the stadium to be a milestone between groundbreaking (spring of 2023) and the first pitch (spring of 2025). Randy Boyd thanked Doug and others and said construction is “ahead of schedule” and “I’ll plant a flag in the ground and say on April 15 we will have our Grand Opening and at 7:00 pm we will play ball!”
He said he sees the project as having four parts including the stadium, the 233 apartments at Yardley Flats, the nine-story Beauford Delaney condo building, and the plaza which he said, “is about fifty percent bigger than Market Square.” He also noted that this massive economic impact will likely be increased exponentially by development around those four centerpieces. He said properties have been purchased for development both by people he knows and many he does not, and he expects they will develop them sooner rather than later.
Of their new partner, Covenant Health, he said he feels it is a perfect fit because of their commitment to wellness, which he shares. He added that he had run fifteen consecutive Covenant Health Knoxville Marathons. Jim VanderSteeg, President and CEO of Covenant Health agreed, noting their shared values, commitment to excellence, and teamwork. He said they are proud to offer a local connection in the name and they anticipate being a partner in events promoting wellness at the new stadium.
In an interview after the initial presentation, Boyd referenced Parkview Field in Fort Wayne Indiana as an example of a stadium that has transformed the area around it. He said he thinks this project has the potential to be even bigger for Knoxville. He called the Old City “one of the most vibrant parts of our city and said he is “proud of his 20-year commitment to the area.” He also said, “I am a baseball fan, but I bought a team to bring the community together.”
Also mentioned was what I’d call another milestone along the way: In October the Tennessee-shaped scoreboard will be installed and the field will get its first turf. I asked, “artificial or real?” and was told it will be a very nice Bermuda grass.