Sculpture Fields officials in Chattanooga are going on offense as they continue to compete with the Chattanooga FC Foundation over the future use of 13 acres at the city's Montague Park.
An official for the sculpture garden that's located on part of the park just outside downtown said they've scouted alternate sites where the foundation could build its proposed new soccer fields other than at Montague.
Sculpture Fields board member Warren Barnett said three sites have been identified, including a 22-acre tract about a quarter mile away from the park. That flat, empty parcel is located near Howard School, and he said he believes it's already owned by the city.
"If there is property, I don't understand why it's not considered," said Barnett, who noted the Sculpture Fields officials have their own ambitious expansion plan for the Montague tract and feel like the garden is landlocked.
But the director of the soccer foundation that's affiliated with Chattanooga FC said the city already has gone through the selection process for the vacant 13 acres at Montague at East 23rd and Polk streets, and his group's proposal was picked.
Krue Brock, who heads the nonprofit foundation that offers an after-school and summer soccer program set up in 2015 by the team, said there was "a rigorous process" by the city for choosing what's to go at the site.
Brock said he'd take a phone call from Sculpture Fields officials' if they want to talk. But he said he thinks the Sculpture Fields already has space to expand on its existing site.
Late last year, while Andy Berke was mayor, the foundation's plan was named the winning one in a request for proposals put out by the city for use of the Montague Park parcel, beating out the Sculpture Fields bid.
In May, the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission backed a proposal for a lease agreement between the city and the foundation for use of the parcel. Details of the agreement are being hammered out now and the matter could go before the City Council for its approval potentially within a month or so, Brock said.
Barnett said that a lot of people think the decision is "a done deal" because new Mayor Tim Kelly co-founded CFC and was its chairman until recently stepping down after his election.
But Barnett said that if enough Sculpture Fields supporters make their presence known, the process can be slowed down.
He said plans are to sit with City Council members one on one, show them an information packet and explain the issue to them.
City Councilwoman Jenny Hill said Friday she has already met with some Sculpture Fields leaders to better understand their long-term plans.
"I'm a big supporter of the arts," she said. "To have a world-class sculpture garden in our community is a genuine asset."
But Hill said the city already has gone through the RFP process and "that decision has been made in a thoughtful way."
"The next step is how can Sculpture Fields maximize its vision within the space it has," she said. "I see both soccer and the Sculpture Fields as great assets to the community."
At the same time, Hill said, the City Council hasn't acted yet on a lease.
Barnett said the other two parcels identified as potential uses for the foundation are off Rossville Boulevard and one is city owned and the other state property. He said they're both wooded so there would be added expenses to prep and grade the sites.
Barnett said the Sculpture Fields goal is to have a decision on Montague Park tabled when it comes up before the City Council so the panel members can go look at alternate properties and make a determination.
"We shouldn't pit the Sculpture Fields against CFC Foundation because there are other locations," he said.
The Sculpture Fields plan calls for new art pieces, a 2,000- to 3,000-seat amphitheater and a welcome center in an $8 million to $10 million project. It currently occupies about 33 acres at Montague.
The foundation has a multimillion plan for soccer fields, a 22,000-square-foot pavilion, restrooms, concessions area, lights and 180 parking spaces, plans show. Foundation programming would be similar to what it already manages at Highland Park Commons in the Highland Park neighborhood, Brock said, where about 1,000 people a week play.
Contact Mike Pare at mpare@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @MikePareTFP.