Covenant Health Park spotlighted during 865 Fest
There were challenges but also great satisfaction expressed by the panelists.
Cooperation, collaboration, and communication were the secret ingredients that facilitated the development of Covenant Health Park.
That was the consensus from a panel that discussed the less than one-year-old park during a panel discussion during the inaugural 865 Fest event on Tuesday at Bridgewater Place in West Knoxville. The panel, moderated by Kim Bumpas, President of Visit Knoxville, also included:
- Mohamed Abbas, Vice President of Special Projects at Denark Construction;
- Chris Allen, President and Chief Operating Officer of Boyd Sports LLC;
- Joan Cronan, Women’s Athletics Director Emeritus and a member of the Visit Knoxville Sports Commission; and
- Drew McKenna, Managing Partner at One Knoxville SC.
The facility was recently named the best baseball park in the country, major or minor league, for 2025.
Both Allen and McKenna said that the first season was a success for both baseball and soccer, even though they also described the challenges of changing the field every time it was changed from one to the other.
Noting that only six or seven stadiums are dual use, McKenna added, “Field conversion has been a challenge.”
Allen added that the newness of a venue wears off after four or five years. Explaining that the second year is usually the biggest year for a new stadium, the challenge is to keep innovating as the years go by.
Bumpas added that the mound that can be lowered or raised is a real differentiator, but admitted that it is not that fast, going up or down an inch a minute.
There are 375 events scheduled for the year.
“People told us it was a better fan experience than they expected,” McKenna said, noting that people say the park feels safe.
Like what you've read?
Forward to a friend!