Finley Stadium officials said $1 million has been reinvested in the facility for the second year in a row.
A master plan is in the process of being developed by Executive Director Brian Wright to guide the growth while at the same time maintaining the facility and making improvements.
Recent work that has been completed includes putting new seating in the sky boxes. And improved lighting in the Ultra Club. A new PA room has been added to the facility that controls audio equipment and also security cameras. It is seen as a way to manage crowds and security issues can be detected from a single location that are unseen by the public. But response can be made quickly dispatching help directly to a specific location.
Friends of Finley has developed a three-year arrangement with Erlanger that will renovate the first aid room, build a mother’s room for nursing mothers and a sensory room for children with issues to calm the down during an event.
But the master plan is looking at the way the stadium campus fits into and interacts with the city around it. The study is named “Pay it Forward for the Next Generation.” The way it blends into its surroundings is being looked at to make sure it maintains the character of the city of Chattanooga, incorporating trees and shade in the boundaries as the campus connects to the city. A location for food trucks will be part of the plan and the east end of the stadium where a hill side is now, offers opportunities. Finley Stadium as a whole is being looked at as a year-round facility. Some items in the plan will need to be in partnerships with the city of Chattanooga and have involvement of agencies such as TDOT.
The newest opportunity to present itself to Finley was when Mr. Wright was approached by Blue Cross Blue Shield of Tennessee about an available grant with the aim of supporting projects that create and revitalize public spaces. These spaces are meant to bring communities together and promote health. In this case, the focus would be for a playground partnering with Playcore. This would be a 100 percent grant with no match required from Finley Stadium for the new park. But Finley would be responsible for maintenance and insurance. There is a condition that it must be accessible to the public everyday not just game day, so it could not go inside the stadium. Mr. Wright said he would want it to be open every day, because it would add to the foot traffic throughout the day. A specific location would need to be identified for the playground if the grant is received. Chattanooga already has a dog park and a skate park in the area.
The board voted to apply for this grant which is the first step, but it will require a second vote to accept it. That vote will be at the next board meeting on Oct. 21.
Mr. Wright said that the end of December 2024 was slow but the first half of 2025 has been great financially and is expected to finish a little ahead of last year. Drivers of the successful 2025, include the Chattanooga high school jamboree over two weekends at the beginning of August, a well big CFC match, and booking the pavilion for events every Saturday through the fall and the Chattanooga Market. There are also some special, non-repeating events scheduled. Some that are booked include the King of Chattanooga Car Show in August, Blueprints for the Future, a fundraiser for Habitat for Humanity in September and the Bands of America competition in October.
Mr. Wright told the board that a change this year will be that the facility will be using some people from outside to support operations. Events with Taste will be a preferred vendor to cater, although owners of sky boxes will have the option to use their own catering services. Other businesses integral to running the facility that are not employed by Finley include parking, food trucks, private security, and Chattanooga Police officers.