What will happen to the old Smokies Stadium when the team comes to Knoxville?
The Tennessee Smokies will become the Knoxville Smokies (again) when they move to the new Old City baseball stadium in 2025.
But what will happen to their stadium and home in Kodak?
Well, once the Smokies leave, the stadium and surrounding property will be sold or leased for redevelopment, Sevierville City Administrator to Russell Treadway told Knox News. The exact fate of the structure is unknown, but it's expected to be demolished.
The stadium and its property are owned by the city of Sevierville and Sevier County, which own 70% and 30% respectively.
There have been a number of inquiries from interested parties, Treadway said, and proposals for the site range from mixed use to commercial spaces to amusement attractions.
Plans will be evaluated on what the proposed use is, the potential of its economic impact and how it fits into the overall Exit 407 area, Treadway said. The team's lease ends in March 2025, and decisions about what comes next for the stadium and property will not be made until then.
Where is the stadium located?
The stadium is located at 3540 Line Drive (a fantastic pun, by the way) near Interstate 40 Exit 407, which has become a major tourism hub for Great Smoky Mountains visitors.
Between the massive Buc-ee's that opened in June and The 407: Gateway to Adventure, which broke ground in April and is expected to open in 2025, that area of Kodak is popping. The stadium is right across the interstate from both.
In 2022, 15.76 million cars used Exit 407. About 1.3 million visitors stopped at the beaver-themed travel center in its first two months. So many people have used the exit, Sevier County desperately wants to construct a new interstate exit down the road a bit to ease traffic congestion.
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When did the Kodak stadium open?
The baseball stadium opened in 2000. It was built specifically for the team. The land was vacant before the stadium was built.
Including land acquisition, design and construction, Treadwell said the cost to complete the stadium was $15.8 million. Including costs for ancillary items and contributions for additional buildouts from the Smokies, the total cost came to $19 million.
For comparison, the new downtown Knoxville stadium is estimated to cost $114 million.
The team pays a $300,000-per-year lease to use the Kodak stadium. The team will pay $1 million a year for the new downtown Knoxville stadium, according to previous Knox News reporting.
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Silas Sloan is the growth and development reporter. Email silas.sloan@knoxnews.com. Twitter @silasloan. Instagram @knox.growth.
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: What will happen to the old Smokies Stadium when the team leaves?
