I'm writing to voice support for the proposed improvements to Camp Jordan. I've participated in recreational league sports there for years and have enjoyed watching the progress and evolution of the facilities.
I think the city of East Ridge and the personnel who manage the park have done a fine job providing a local outlet for many sports and recreation enthusiasts, but the plans on the drawing board have the potential to springboard our entire city into a regional and even national spotlight with regards to sporting events. As a board member of the Chattanooga Flying Disc Club, I was involved in a bid to host The USA Ultimate Regionals-level competition several years ago. One of the main areas where the bid fell short was regarding the number of fields available.
Last August, CrossFit headquarters staff came to Chattanooga to consider hosting The CrossFit Games in our city. Among the places they toured was Camp Jordan. While we were among the finalists out of five cities, the event was ultimately awarded to Madison, Wisconsin. Madison has a three-year contract to host the event. The proposed improvements to Camp Jordan could very well support the needs of this event and the impact on our city would be phenomenal.
A new stadium, an eight-lane track, and additional fields could also position the park to be the host to the TSSAA Spring Fling.
In closing, we can make a good park a great park and the benefits will extend well beyond the impact on the athletes and spectators who use it. Let's do this.
Mike Alley
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Please don't invest millions in a park that will flood and cause the promised tournaments to look elsewhere after the first event gets canceled. Please don't saddle us with that debt. m
If this were viable, a businessman would have already invested in it. Local municipalities should not be in the sports tourism business. Pimp the idea to a business person with the capital and sit back and enjoy the tax revenues without the liability. Lake Point Sports Community, an hour south of Camp Jordan, has done just that. Emerson, Ga. is not on the hook for it and the developer chose a place that doesn't flood. How can we compete with a private entity with low risk? (see Chattanoogan Hotel). The answer is the tax payers subsidizes it.
Mr. Alley, go talk to Lake Point about hosting the flying disc regionals or the crossfit games. They are well equipped and it doesn't cost us a dime. Best part is that it's only an hour away.
Let's keep a great park a great park and avoid selling out to the highest bidder to the point that the locals can't enjoy the only bright streak in East Ridge.
Tim Giordano