Reaction to community benefits agreements for South Broad Stadium

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- The future home of the Chattanooga Lookouts is currently being constructed.

However, one key piece of the puzzle has been completed with the Community Benefits Agreement.

Rich Morzingo, the President of the Chattanooga Lookouts, said, “I think it’s fantastic for our organization, these are things we wanted to be a part of. These are a part of the whole design of the Southside is that we kept the Southside intact and doing things for the Southside community.”

This legally binding document is the first of its kind to be approved in Chattanooga.

The agreement was between the team, developers New City Properties, and the community organization Bethlehem Center in the place of the coalition group CALEB.

Essentially, what the CBA does is create a series of provisions between the team, developers, and community in an attempt to positively enhance the stadium’s impact on South Chattanooga.

One of the provisions include the Lookouts committing to attempt to hire 30 percent of all of their staff from South Chattanooga residents, and creating mixed-income housing for South Chattanooga’s workforce, 

“This kind of gives us a road map, it gives us an opportunity to say, “Hey, this is a legally binding document, these are the things we have to do.” So it’s good not only now, but in the future when I’m gone, or Jason’s gone, or whoever it may be, we’ll still have this written down to make sure that we’re making sure that we’re doing what we are supposed to do to support our community,” said Morzingo.

Additionally, Lookouts staff will be holding events at nearby Howard High School and donating 300 hours a year of volunteer work to the Southside.

“This kind of gives us a road map, it gives us an opportunity to say, “Hey, this is a legally binding document, these are the things we have to do.” So it’s good not only now, but in the future when I’m gone, or Jason’s gone, or whoever it may be, we’ll still have this written down to make sure that we’re making sure that we’re doing what we are supposed to do to support our community,” he said.

There will also be an increasing focus on honoring past players in the Negro Leagues.

“The Negro Leagues is one of our favorite lookbacks we can do. What those men went through and what they did for our community and what they persevered through, in order to play the game they loved, we’re going to continue doing that,” said Morzingo.

First pitch at the South Broad Stadium is still expected in 2026.