As the city of East Ridge works toward $2.3 million in improvements to the Camp Jordan athletic complex, a new player plans to build a brand-new soccer stadium near the Interstate 75 exit, turning the entire area into a destination.
In addition to the 5,500-seat facility, the owner of the Red Wolves soccer team is planning an array of restaurants, apartments, hotels, condominiums and stores to help draw fans.
Bob Martino, the owner of Star Community Builders in Park City, Utah, and owner of the USL soccer team in Chattanooga, said he plans to eventually build or attract up to $125 million of entertainment, housing and hotel projects on the roughly 100 acres he has under contract to buy along Interstate 75 and Interstate 24.
Martino’s plan includes 400 apartment and condominium units, 375 hotel rooms, 475,000 square feet of commercial space including the stadium, and a network of walking and nature trails that could connect under I-75 with Camp Jordan on the other side of the freeway from the site.
Plans for Red Wolves Stadium in East Ridge. / Contributed Renderings via Waterhouse Public Relations“We’re really focused on a community that you can work and play in with access to Camp Jordan and the visibility of Interstate 75,” Martino said. “The objective is to create an area that thrives when there are soccer games, but also is very attractive on other days to walk in a pedestrian-friendly area with options for lunch or dinner or other recreation opportunities.”