Coming soon

Finley Stadium 2.0

Play It Forward: A Vision for Everyday Excellence

A shared stage for a shared city

Finley Stadium is already one of the most active outdoor venues in Tennessee, hosting more than 200 events a year and drawing 400,000 visitors annually. But its true potential goes far beyond sports. As Chattanooga grows in energy, diversity, and ambition, Finley Stadium 2.0 can be poised to play a greater role as the city’s shared stage that welcomes families, students, fans, artists, and entrepreneurs into a district where civic life can unfold.

This master plan builds on an emerging momentum. It envisions a reimagined West Stadium, where game day and everyday share the same infrastructure, and where investments made in one corner ripple across the whole campus. Guided by stakeholder alignment and market pulse, the vision “plays it forward” by honoring legacy, embracing flexibility, and unlocking economic and emotional return on place.

Guiding vision through principles and priorities

The team coalesced around clear design guiding principles to steer decision-making and prioritize investments:

  • Celebrate the cultural, collegiate, and civic roots that shaped Finley Stadium and the West End. Every move is designed to carry forward the community’s stories and symbols while adapting to today’s needs.

  • Stitch together neighborhoods, institutions, and greenways to make Finley a vital connector in the urban fabric.

  • Expand the campus’ purpose through flexible, intergenerational programming that thrives on both routine and celebration.

  • Unite stadium, pavilion, parking, and open space into a seamless, intuitive whole that is grounded in place and scaled to people.

  • Ensure that short-term upgrades support long-term goals by designing frameworks that can evolve with changing needs.

Campus as Canvas

The plan repositions Finley as a cornerstone of the West End, going beyond a standalone venue. Three facets shape this transition:

  • West Stadium Renovation: Upgrades emphasize equity, performance, and a dynamic fan experience.

  • Public Realm Integration: Strengthened links connect UTC’s Greenway, First Horizon Pavilion, and surrounding streets into a walkable campus.

  • Gold Lot North Development: A mixed-use edge frames Main Street with presence and long-term potential.

Over the course of the recommendations phase, the project team advanced three distinct development scenarios that explore different configurations of circulation, activation, and built form around the West Stadium, the First Horizon Pavilion, and surrounding campus. These scenarios were evaluated against core guiding principles.

This gave shape to final recommended moves that blur boundaries between game day and every day, ensuring that infrastructure investments support both sports and spontaneous community life. Each element reinforces the stadium as a venue for all seasons - from football games to festivals, soccer matches to civic gatherings.

Shaping the Fan Journey

Every design decision centers the experience of the fan, the family, the flaneur. Key moves include:

  • Reconfiguring entry zones and elevator cores to improve accessibility.

  • Enhancing pedestrian zones on 19th Street and Reggie White Boulevard while preserving emergency access.

  • Elevating view corridors and overhangs to ensure visibility for officials and vibrancy for crowds.

What emerges is a stadium that invites - not intimidates.

A football stadium named Finley Stadium with spectators on the upper and lower levels. Players in white uniforms on the field, and a large scoreboard and banners with slogans. The sky shows a sunset with clouds.

The playful public realm

Public feedback underscored the desire for amenities that serve families and intergenerational gatherings. From family-friendly play zones to a potential water feature near the First Horizon Pavilion the public realm signals a joyful intent. These aren’t planned as passive amenities; they are invitations to linger, connect, and belong. They are expressions of Chattanooga’s values: joy, family, music, and movement. A bluegrass-ready plaza, pedestrian focused 19th Street, and Main Street edges blend civic presence with everyday play. The First Horizon Pavilion becomes a cultural landmark by bookending a campus of connection, curiosity, and shared delight.

The Plan in Motion

The master plan reflects real consensus and is not hinged on abstract aspiration. Stakeholders have co-authored the vision and are ready to move. The collective crafting makes this master plan a launchpad, not a landing. It offers a consolidated framework for the Stadium Corporation to guide investment priorities, phasing strategies, and community engagement moving forward.

Crowd gathering outside the entrance of the First Horizon Pavilion at Finley Stadium, with a sign displaying the venue's name, people walking and socializing, and a clear sky with some clouds.

To play it forward is to invest holistically with hope, build with care, and design with passion for what comes next. Finley Stadium 2.0 is Chattanooga’s chance to do just that.