A field of dreams for Knoxville entrepreneurs | New multi-purpose stadium opens in Old City
The Covenant Health Park opened with thousands of visitors and fireworks on Tuesday evening, marking a historical day in downtown Knoxville.
It was an emotional day in Knoxville—especially for the businesses and partners who helped bring the long-awaited dream of a multi-use downtown stadium to life.
Thousands of people flooded downtown on Tuesday evening for the grand opening game at Covenant Health Park. The long-anticipated project finally came to fruition, creating a powerful sense of unity throughout the community. The stadium will now serve as home field for both the newly-renamed Knoxville Smokies minor league baseball team and One Knoxville SC of the United Soccer League (USL).
The first event at the new stadium featured a matchup between the Knoxville Smokies and the Chattanooga Lookouts. Nearly every seat was filled—from the balconies to the bleachers.
The night was a testament to the hard work, collaborative spirit, and community partnerships that make Knoxville so special.
The stadium project reflects the combined efforts of the City of Knoxville, Knox County, the Sports Authority, Boyd Sports, GEM Community Development Group, the Knoxville Area Urban League (KAUL), the Beck Cultural Exchange Center, Partners Development, Denark Construction, Barton Malow and Elite Diversified Construction, Inc., BarberMcMurry Architects, DIA and Populous, local elected officials, and many, many other small businesses in the region.
Perhaps one of the most impactful collaborations was with KAUL. The Urban League partnered with the stadium project team to encourage participation from contractors and subcontractors classified as “disadvantaged business enterprises” (DBEs). Their shared goal was to identify minority entrepreneurs who wanted to grow in the development industry and provide them with training, mentorship, and opportunities to scale their businesses.
Ahead of the grand opening, teknovation.biz met with Kimberly Black, the Founder of Trusted Field Services, to walk through how the KAUL – Boyd Sports – and Denark Construction partnership altered the course of her business.
teknovation.biz featured Black in December of 2024. Her company offers renovation, construction management, remodeling, cement work, ramps, benches, and more. She also shared her mission: to provide critical jobs to people in the community and create pathways to prosperity.
“This partnership through the Urban League has changed the trajectory of my business,” Black said.
Trusted Field Services was contracted to install about 80 benches across the site, as well as all the bike racks and pedestrian-protection cement work near the curbsides.
Before landing the contract, Black ran a small business on the east side of Knoxville. Today, new opportunities are arriving at her doorstep.
“KAUL did a community outreach to engage small businesses like mine to do work with the stadium,” she said. “Then, the offered courses to help us learn about things like bonding, contracts, financing, credit, blueprint reading, and stuff like that. We were very happy to participate in those courses.”
Black was not alone in the courses. She was joined by other business owners like Ronisha Guest Beljou of KCS Janitorial and Maintenance (featured in teknovation.biz), and Ken Frazier of KMF3.
Above all, Black said she valued the mentorship she received from Randy Boyd himself.
“Mr. Boyd has just been phenomenal through this whole ordeal. He offered me business mentorship and helped us make sure that we were prepared to take on a project of this magnitude,” Black said. “Both Boyd Sports and Denark were not only accessible to me, but they also really committed to growing small businesses – not just for the stadium – but for a continued partnership.”
As she walked around the site, admiring her team’s work, Black reflected on how far her company has come.
“It’s change our lives – and we’re not the only ones,” she added.
Kimberly Black’s story is just one of dozens from entrepreneurs and small business owners across the city who have been personally and professionally impacted by the multi-use stadium project. More than just a ballpark, Covenant Health Park has served as a launchpad for local dreams.
Like what you've read?
Forward to a friend!