Mark down April 15 for Knox pro baseball return, as CEO of Smokies at RCF meeting
He presented the club’s plans to The Rotary Club of Farragut members during their meeting in Fox Den Country Club Wednesday, Nov. 13.
Kirchhofer said the formal groundbreaking for the new stadium was June 13, 2023; but demolition of buildings on and along the property started in 2021.
‘There was mass grading in preparation for construction starting in summer of 2022,” he added. “Formal construction began in March 2023. It’s about a 24-month construction period.”
Construction is ongoing for the $114 million park, which in addition to hosting the Smokies will be the home of OneKnox soccer program, concerts and festivals, and will be able to seat up to 9,925 fans. The April 15 Smokies home opener “will be the first event on the field,” Kirchhofer said.
Surrounding the park are private development projects, such as a restaurant, retail, public plazas and a nine-story structure housing the Smokies head office and condos, which currently are available, and a five-story apartment building. There also will be community space, with views of the park, for apartment residents.
However, “we may have some smaller soft-opening type of events with spaces around the stadium,” Kirchhofer added.
Individual ticket prices, excluding club areas, for Smokies games range from $10 to $18.
“One of the interesting elements of the stadium is a club area on the second level overlooking the field,” the CEO said.
Bill Meyer Stadium club area, former home of the Smokies in East Knoxville through 1999, “probably was 1,200 square feet with a capacity of 50 or 60 people, but this (new) one has a club area that’s about 5,300 square feet with a capacity of 350,” he added, noting the club area provides the capability to bring downtown events to the stadium.
“It would be a very unique environment and atmosphere for those type of events. We think there are a lot of opportunity for business meetings, parties, receptions and those types of things … on non-game days.”
Looking back, ahead
Kirchhofer has been with Smokies for 24 years, according to RCF president-elect Candace Viox, during which the Smokies have been located in Kodak (Sevier County), taking Exit 407 off I-40.
“He has played a key role in the growth and direction of the Smokies organization,” she said.
“I have enjoyed my involvement with the Smokies over the past 24 years,” said Kirchhofer, who started with the club in 2001, a couple years after the team moved from Knoxville to Kodak — 2 miles east of the Knox County line.
“Many of you have probably been to the existing Smokies Stadium,” he added. “Many of you probably also remember 25, 27 years ago, when conversations were ongoing about whether there would be a new ballpark someplace adjacent or around Knoxville or Knox County to replace Bill Meyer Stadium.”
Bill Meyer Stadium originally opened in 1953 as Knoxville Municipal Stadium and later was renamed after the late Knoxville catcher and manager in Major League Baseball and long-time Minor League skipper. It was demolished in 2003 and the property is being eyed for new development.
“Timing is everything, and the timing wasn’t right (27 years ago) for lots of reasons,” Kirchhofer said about keeping the Smokies in Knoxville. “I think the reaction probably ranged from ‘it’s a disaster’ to ‘who cares?’ and everywhere in between.
“But, 25 years later, the timing is right,” he added.
