The future of Bower Field in South Knox County is the center of a community debate after developers plan to repurpose the historic ballpark for commercial use. As reported by WVLT, Thunder Mountain intends to rezone the field off Chapman Highway, offering in exchange over 100 acres to Knox County, where a new park is proposed, roughly half a mile from the current site. While county officials see this donation as an opportunity for a more extensive, modern sports complex, some residents express concern over the loss of their community landmark and the feasibility of the project.
Discontent is driven by skepticism of the new site's suitability, some claiming it to be swampland unsuitable for development, "We want assurances and guarantees that this could actually turn into a ballpark," Knox County resident Dawn Close shared her concerns in an interview with WATE, echoing fears that the move could impact cherished local traditions and the community's rural character. Moreover, with the influx of new homes and apartments, locals like Nancy Kaliszewski fear excessive density, "This is a farming community," she told WBIR, highly valuing the area's rural essence.
Despite these concerns, Knox County Mayor Glenn Jacobs and County Commissioner Carson Dailey argue that the change, marked by a donated land expanse three times that of the old field, will bring significant benefits such as a safer environment and a 20-acre sports complex with trails and artificial surfaces. Dailey, evoking future prospects, stated, “There will be softball and baseball for generations to come; it’s not going away.”
Contrasted with the opposition, figures like John Lane, the president of the Bower Field Athletic Association, embrace the development as a promising chapter for community sports, "as long as we have a ballpark to play at, it’s within not even, apparently, five minutes of the current location," Lane was excited for the prospects in a statement obtained by WATE. The county has received a significant boost from the developer's donation of an additional 85 acres, which is intended to remain a natural area, as Mayor Jacobs emphasizes that Bower Field will continue in its current form for the foreseeable future, with no definitive timeline for the relocation project yet established.
