As part of a strategic study of possible future uses of Chilhowee Park and Exposition Center, a consulting team will be talking with stakeholders, concluding with a community meeting, on Tuesday, Feb. 5.

The listening sessions throughout the day Tuesday with representatives of Convention Sports and Leisure International (CSL) will include current park tenants, event planners and other stakeholders. Then, from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at the Jacob Building, there will be a community meeting. Anyone wishing to share ideas on Chilhowee Park’s current and possible future uses is invited to that 5:30 p.m. meeting.

Last month, City Council authorized Mayor Madeline Rogero’s administration to execute a contract of up to $200,000 with CSL to review the current uses of Chilhowee Park and existing market conditions, then to develop a strategic business plan and facility plan.

CSL previously provided recommendations to the City on ways to more fully maximize public enjoyment of an under-utilized older City-owned facility. Three years ago, prior to the City investing $10 million in renovations and upgrades to the complex, CSL completed a market and feasibility study that outlined options for the future of the Knoxville Civic Auditorium and Coliseum.

“We want to hear from the stakeholders and families who cherish Chilhowee Park as we hone a strategy that will guide the park’s future development,” said Chip Barry, the City’s Deputy Chief of Operations. “This is the first step, and as this study moves ahead, there will be many more opportunities for people to weigh in and be a part of the discussions.”

Chilhowee Park and Exposition Center has a rich history, dating back to national expositions in the early 1900s that drew the likes of Theodore Roosevelt and Helen Keller.

The 81-acre park serves as home to the Tennessee Valley Fair each fall and to The Muse and Golden Gloves Charities year-round. Adjacent to Chilhowee Park is the 53-acre Zoo Knoxville, the city’s top attraction, which welcomed 512,112 visitors in 2018 and set a new attendance record for the fourth consecutive year.

Learn more about Chilhowee Park & Exposition Center at www.chilhoweepark.org.