City Council approves Legacy Sports and Entertainment zoning request on first reading

The Murfreesboro City Council voted Thursday, April 7, on first reading to approve the plan of services, annexation and zoning requests for the proposed Legacy Sports and Entertainment Park. The vote followed a public hearing. The property is being sold by members of the Hord and Haymore families, descendants of the Benjamin Hord family that has owned the property for over 180 years. The property is being zoned Commercial Highway (CH) and Gateway Design Overlay (GDO-1) for the new development. The zoning allows for construction of the proposed sports complex, which is classified as a commercial outdoor amusement use.

GDO-1 zoning is intended to ensure high quality design and site planning for the property and help regulate the uses. The development is expected to add to Murfreesboro’s already strong reputation as a sports and recreation destination.

The $350 million, 258.8-acre park, to be developed along the east side of Northwest Broad Steet near I-840 and the Stones River, will feature multiple recreational and professional sports facilities, a fitness and wellness center, multi-use gaming and arcade area and a 6,000-seat arena and outdoor amphitheater for events and concerts. Shopping and restaurants will also be featured.

“We are excited about finalizing annexation and zoning for this new development with Legacy Sports Tennessee that is expected to be a game changer for our community,” said Mayor Shane McFarland. “We are delighted that Legacy Sports committed to Murfreesboro and believe the development with a family-oriented philosophy balances the need for sports and entertainment facilities in our growing community along with economic and tourism development in the Sports Capital of Tennessee.”

An economic impact analysis conducted by CH Johnson Consulting for Legacy Sports projects over 5 million annual visitors and over $350 million of direct economic impact by the fifth year of operation. In providing these estimates, Johnson analyzed the early attendance numbers and future reservations and bookings at Legacy Sports operation, Bell Bank Park in Mesa Arizona, as well as attendance and utilization of similar sports and entertainment venues nationwide.

Legacy Sports, a prominent national sports and entertainment facility development company, announced in the City Hall Rotunda Dec. 9, 2021, that Murfreesboro had been selected for the state-of-the-art indoor and outdoor complex. Legacy Sports USA opened a similar venture in Mesa, Arizona in January and hopes to break ground on the Middle Tennessee complex in 2022 with a potential grand opening in 2024.

Legacy Sports CEO Chad Miller has said, “After visiting numerous locations, Legacy Sports Tennessee found a home in Murfreesboro, an ideal location with visionary leadership and growth. The complex will provide facilities and fields for youth sports leagues and camps with anticipated tournaments on weekends.”

“The Legacy Sports Tennessee development will be one of the premier tourist attractions in Tennessee. It is anticipated that substantial commercial development and job opportunities will be associated with this project,” said City Manager Craig Tindall. “The Legacy group has assembled a superior development and management team. Its facilities offer athletic and entertainment experiences that both participants and spectators will find nowhere else. Located in the very heart of Tennessee, Legacy Sports in Murfreesboro will be a major draw for visitors across the US and internationally while also providing a world-class venue for local and Middle Tennessee athletes.”

“We look forward to being a part of this community,” added Miller. “We want the City of Murfreesboro and area neighborhoods to feel like this is your development as much as ours.”

The Legacy Sports Tennessee complex will showcase a variety of outdoor and indoor athletic activities, including soccer, baseball, softball, basketball, football, hockey, lacrosse, volleyball, obstacle course racing, pickleball, cheer, dance, e-sports, family fitness, and recreational sports with leagues, camps and tournaments of US Soccer, US Baseball, AAU basketball, TSSAA expected to utilize the facilities.

The Murfreesboro Planning Commission voted 6-0 Feb. 2, 2022, to recommend approval for the annexation and zoning requests for the new Legacy Sports USA and Entertainment Park. The unanimous votes followed public hearings on the 258.8-acre property.

Miller and Legacy Sports consultant Russell Riebeling answered questions from homeowners living in nearby subdivisions about the future athletic and entertainment development during a Public Neighborhood Meeting, Jan. 18, 2022, at New Vision Baptist Church on North Thompson Lane. The Murfreesboro Planning Department and the applicant held the neighborhood meeting to give the applicant, neighbors, and businesses in the area the opportunity to review and discuss the request prior to review by the Planning Commission.

SEC Inc. Engineer Matt Taylor, who represented the applicant during the planning process, told residents of subdivisions near the development that a planned arena will be oriented away from the surrounding residential areas and toward Northwest Broad Street.

Attorney Bricke Murfree, who helped the Hord family finalize the property sale, was in favor of the zoning application at the Feb. 2, 2022, public hearing before the Planning Commission and the April 7, 2022, public hearing before Council. Bricke expressed optimism over the proposed development for the Murfreesboro community and the planning regulations the City plans to uphold pertaining to lighting, noise, traffic and drainage.

The applicant will still be required to present a Site Plan for review before the Murfreesboro Planning Commission consistent with City Code pertaining to GDO-1 standards, including lighting, noise, signage, and drainage.

For more information on Bell Bank Park in Mesa and Legacy Sports USA, visit www.BellBankPark.com and www.LegacySportsUSA.com.