Chattanooga’s evolving South Broad District welcomed a group of distinguished visitors last Friday, as leading engineers from across the state toured the future site of the Chattanooga Lookouts stadium. The visit was part of the Leadership PE program organized by the American Council of Engineering Companies of Tennessee (ACEC Tennessee), offering participants a firsthand look at one of the state’s most ambitious mixed-use development projects.

The new stadium, currently under construction, is already transforming the western entrance to Chattanooga and driving redevelopment efforts throughout the area, local officials noted. Engineers walked the site to learn more about the unique design and infrastructure challenges associated with the facility, which blends modern amenities with adaptive reuse elements.

“I want to thank the Lookouts and Perimeter Properties for making it easy to show off Chattanooga to our visitors who we convened from across the state to learn about this exciting project,” said Mark Harrison, P.E., P.G., director at large at ACEC Tennessee.
“From the innovative adaptive-reuse aspects to the grade-level concourse, we are leaving impressed and excited to return for a ballgame.”

The stadium, a joint project between the City of Chattanooga and Hamilton County, is expected to have a massive economic ripple effect. According to an independent analysis by Younger, the development could generate $1 billion in new investment and an estimated $2.3 billion in long-term economic impact. Officials also highlighted that through a tax increment financing (TIF) model, the stadium is projected to pay for itself over time, all while creating $186 million in new education funding for Hamilton County Schools and $102 million in new tax revenue for the city and county—without raising taxes.

“Our community’s new multi-purpose stadium is attracting regional attention a full year before the first pitch has been thrown,” said Rich Mozingo, president of the Chattanooga Lookouts. “We have always said this project is about much more than baseball – it’s about honoring our industrial past and building something unique for the next generation of Chattanoogans. We’re proud to show it off even during construction.”

Andy Stone, partner at Perimeter Properties, echoed the excitement and emphasized the impact the project is already having on the community.
“The best part of my job these days is showing people the incredible progress we’re making at this historic site, which is already driving local investment to the South Broad District,” Stone said. “It was a pleasure and an honor to show the members of ACEC Tennessee what we are building here because as our state’s top engineers, they fully appreciate the vision and challenge of this remarkable project.”

The redevelopment effort is being led by Jim Irwin, a nationally renowned developer known for reimagining historic properties like Ponce City Market in Atlanta and Neuhoff in Nashville. Under Irwin’s guidance, the Chattanooga project has committed to a Development Agreement to ensure it hits key investment milestones, as well as a Community Benefits Agreement—the first of its kind in the city—aimed at ensuring the broader community shares in the project’s success.

Originally reported by Chattanoogan.