CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. – (CLARKSVILLENOW) In a special called session Thursday that became heated at times, the Clarksville City Council voted 8-5 to purchase land for a proposed Clarksville Family Athletic Complex.
Voting in favor of the purchase of the property were council members Richard Garrett, Tim Chandler, Valerie Guzman, Geno Grubbs, Jeff Henley, Bill Powers and Jeff Burkhart. Voting against the measure were Deanna McLaughlin, Ron Erb, Wanda Smith, David Allen and Mike Alexander.
Mayor Kim McMillan, who led the push for buying of the property, was the eighth yes vote. Thursday was the first reading on the new ordinance and a City Council second reading vote, expected Friday, May 18 will be needed for the purchase of the property to pass.
The former ordinance for buying the property on Rossview Rd. near Exit 8 on I-24 involved 409 acres at a cost of around $6 million and failed to pass on second reading by a vote of 7-6 at the May 3 City Council session where Garrett and Burkhart voted against the plan. The new property proposed in the ordinance contains around 300 acres at a cost of $4,083,000.00.
The site would hold a proposed Tennessee State Soccer Association state soccer park and a baseball stadium complex to attract a Prospect League summer collegiate baseball team. The partnership with the soccer association could lead to a number of tournaments being scheduled.
The city says though the site is smaller, the new proposal preserves the economic development potential of the plan in which increased sports tourism-related tax revenues would offset costs of building the athletic complex and it would also provide much-needed new facilities that could be used extensively by Clarksville youth leagues and teams.