The status of the Spanish national soccer team means their arrival and stay in Chattanooga for a month of training is likely a higher security event than many locals probably expect.
For devoted soccer fans in Chattanooga, the arrival of the Spanish team is akin to being a teenage girl in the 1960s waiting for The Beatles to touch down.
Instead of John, Paul, George and Ringo, these all-stars are Lamine, Nico, Rodri, Pedri and a host of other top Spanish athletes preparing for the World Cup to kick off June 11.
(FOLLOW SPAIN COVERAGE: timesfreepress.com/spain)
The team was set to arrive Friday at a private part of the Chattanooga Airport away from the public terminal building. The team was to be driven from the airport to the Embassy Suites downtown, fans and a swarm of media were waiting.
The team is training at Baylor School for the month of June between matches in Atlanta and Mexico. Chattanooga is one of 45 cities in North America serving as a training base camp for the 48 national teams competing in the world’s biggest sporting event.
But Spain isn’t just any team. It’s ranked No. 2 by FIFA and is a betting favorite to win the World Cup.
Here are five things locals should know about the team’s stay in Chattanooga, from closures to events and security measures.
NO OUTSIDERS
While the city invited fans to line up outside the Embassy Suites downtown to welcome the team on Friday, the hotel is essentially on lockdown for the month of June.
The Spanish team and its staff will be the only guests at the hotel through the initial phase of the World Cup, called the group stage, which is scheduled to last until June 27.
“The hotel and restaurants are specifically reserved for the Spanish national team from June 4 through the end of the group stage,” Mary Beth Cutshall, chief growth officer at Vision Hospitality Group, said in an email. “Due to mandated heightened security, visitors should know there will be no unauthorized access to the hotel during their visit.”
If locals or visitors try to book a hotel room online, it won’t work. And if fans or media try to get inside, they will likely have a memorable interaction with security personnel.
The $60 million Embassy Suites, developed by Vision, a local group, opened last year on a former parking lot as the largest new downtown building in more than 15 years.
NAVIGATING DOWNTOWN
The southbound block of Broad Street in front of the Embassy Suites, between Third and Fourth streets, will be closed through June 29 for the team’s stay.
The Chattanooga Police Department is helping coordinate security for the team with the city’s Division of Transportation, police spokesperson Elisa Myzal said in an email. Increased security will be visible by Baylor off Signal Mountain Road as well as downtown.
(READ MORE: Meet ‘La Roja’: 7 things to know about the Spanish national team)
“For safety and security reasons, CPD is not providing operational details regarding movements or related logistics,” Myzal said. “One can expect periodic traffic impacts, temporary road closures and an increased law enforcement presence in and around designated team locations, and surrounding downtown areas.”
The city has set up detours on Chestnut Street, Market Street and Aquarium Way while a portion of Broad Street is closed.
“And if you see something, say something,” Myzal said.
5 things to know about closures, events as Spanish team arrives in Chattanooga
NO-FLY ZONES
One particular group that should pay attention to local security measures during the World Cup is drone operators.
The Federal Aviation Administration has placed temporary flight restrictions in a 1.15-mile radius around the Embassy Suites and Baylor. The zones cover virtually all of downtown Chattanooga, including Coolidge Park in North Shore, a popular place to fly drones.
Drone operators who enter restricted air space below 400 feet without authorization can face fines up to $100,000, drone confiscation and federal criminal charges, according to the FAA. Federal law enforcement, including the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice, will coordinate to identify operators, seize drones and prosecute violators.
“My biggest concern isn’t for professional pilots,” said Nate Jordan, founder of drone services company Views From Above, in an email. “It’s for the hobbyist who flies at Coolidge Park every weekend and has no idea these restrictions are in place.”
The restrictions will be in place through July 20, the day after the World Cup final in New Jersey. The Spanish team is scheduled to stay in Chattanooga through the tournament’s group stage, set to end June 27.
COMING TOGETHER
Despite the high security measures, one top soccer official from Spain told CNN the team may have opportunities to explore the city and engage with locals.
Baylor was selected partly because of its seclusion, but the Embassy Suites is in the heart of downtown.
“We are going be in the hotel in the middle of the city, which is also good for the players to live and to go for a walk or to meet the people there if they have any time, and for the people in Chattanooga, the same,” Aitor Karanka, technical director of development for the Royal Spanish Football Federation, told CNN Sports. “To feel that we are friendly, we are close to them and knowing that going together is going to be easier.”
Local tourism officials are hoping the team’s visit, and a visit from their staff, family and foreign media outlets, will generate online interest in the city as a tourist destination.
CITY INVESTMENT
The only direct funding the city is proposing for the Spanish team’s stay is $600,000 in the upcoming city budget for security costs.
The funding will come from the hotel motel tax, paid mostly by visitors to Chattanooga, and is not a check to the team, Mayor Tim Kelly said in a phone call. The money would go to cover overtime for police officers as they coordinate moving around one of the world’s most famous teams.
“The security consideration was obviously a fairly big commitment,” Kelly said. “Having a team of that stature here with players of that stature is going to draw a lot of attention to Chattanooga.”
Organizers of the team’s stay, including the Chattanooga Tourism Co. and the Sports and Events Corp., are coordinating a community training session at 6 p.m. Saturday at Baylor. Some members of the public who entered a random drawing will attend the event for free. The drawing closed Monday.
Contact business reporter Daniel Dassow at ddassow@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6318.