By Steve Woodhouse
Pennie Sommar with the Save Our Stadium Committee presented the group’s plan to move Ken Locke Stadium into its next phase. As background, the stadium is named after a Knoxville football player who lost his life in a game. The stadium was built as part of a Works Progress Administration, a federal program in the 1930s aimed at Great Depression recovery. The stadium is on the National Register of Historic Places, the stone seating originally used has been replaced on the home side and other work has been done to keep it useful. However, to truly restore the stadium to peak usefulness for the Knoxville Community School District – owners of the property – would cost several million dollars. Decision makers believe there are more efficient ways to spend the taxpayer money intended for facilities. Generations of Knoxville students have played football, or otherwise participated in activities, in the stadium. Its unique look and history have many in the community eager to maintain it. In September 2023, the school board approved an agreement with SOS that gives the private organization five years to raise funds for improvements.
“This is a totally private fundraising endeavor,” Sommar said. The committee believes the property needs to be utilized and presented in the best light, as it is located on the northeast corner of Lincoln (Highway 14) and Robinson, two of Knoxville’s main thoroughfares. She believes efforts should be made to improve the entire property – including the pool house, driveway, etc. Part of the plan is to rename it “The Locke” and turn it into a multipurpose venue that can include a community building that includes new restrooms, a concession stand, and a 120-person community room. With the building, the group would also like to install pickleball courts, resurface the track with asphalt, improve visitors’ side seating (east side), paving the gravel road on the west side of the stadium and installing a ramp on the southwest corner to make it more handicap accessible. Further visions include a new main entrance, field improvements (including drainage) and remove limitations of it being used solely for football. Ice skating, concerts, community events, other sports would be held at The Locke.
“We’re hoping we can move past the football stuff,” Sommar said. The stadium and grounds belong to the taxpayers. She hopes the community provides support that it can become an area everyone can use. “We want buy-in,” she said. “This is not a secret society.”
SOS has obtained the services of a grant writer. It is a nonprofit organization, donations can be tax-deductible and can be made via Paypal, Venmo and traditional forms.
