Art or soccer.
That’s a decision that Chattanooga officials face concerning the future of the 110-year-old Montague Park.
On Monday, supporters of the Sculpture Fields at Montague Park said they plan to try to convince city planners to see their vision to expand to an adjacent 13-acre tract on the property. The parcel would hold new art pieces, a 2,000- to 3,000-seat amphitheater and a welcome center in an $8 million to $10 million project.
“My opinion is that we’re pro-Sculpture Fields,” said Anne Rushing, who directs the nonprofit’s more than 30-acre site at the park that includes an array of art and green space. “We’re not opposed to anyone else. We do have a vision of expanding to the whole park.”
But to do so, the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Regional Planning Commission will need to put off recommendations that the Chattanooga FC Foundation use the space next to the Sculpture Fields. That nonprofit wants a long-term lease to build soccer fields, sand volleyball courts, a pavilion, restrooms, and parking on the 13-acre tract at the park at East 23rd and Polk streets.