Knoxville Smokies gameday parking lots, garages at Covenant Health Park

• The Smokies, along with the city and county, announced a parking plan March 11 that includes a free shuttle from some four downtown parking garages to the stadium.
• Two parking lots near the stadium, the Old City North and South Lots, will be converted to reserved parking on game days.
• Central Street will be closed between Jackson and Willow Avenues on Smokies game days and at least five One Knox games.

The Knoxville Smokies‘ parking plan addressed many concerns about how people will get to and from the new downtown stadium, but with Covenant Health Park opening in less than a month, there are still questions from fans who want to be a part of the action.

As the ballpark prepares to open for the first home Smokies game April 15, Knoxville residents are eager to discover how this generational development will change the identity and trajectory of downtown.

With more people than ever expected to visit the Old City on a regular basis for Smokies and One Knoxville SC games, as well as to visit the growing number of restaurants and shops when games aren’t happening, we all can expect more cars.

With a capacity of nearly 7,000 people, Covenant Health Park will have 1,100 dedicated spaces nearby for Smokies fans, while a shuttle will transport ticketholders to and from the stadium and city garages. But with no additional parking built for the stadium, the dedicating spots mean some traditional parking will go away (at least, as we knew it).

It’s a lot to unpack, so let us answer some of your burning questions about how the stadium is changing downtown parking.

Does plan replace free parking under the James White Parkway?

Partially. The two parking lots under James White Parkway near the stadium are the Old City North and South lots. Both lots had free 24-hour parking, with the North Lot sometimes being reserved for special events, according to the Downtown Knoxville Alliance.

The city’s plan is for the South Lot to become paid parking during weekdays when there aren’t stadium events, with free parking on nights and weekends when there are no games or concerts. On game days, this lot will be used for ADA and Smokies season ticketholder parking.

The North Lot will become reserved monthly parking at all times. Up to 50 spaces in this lot will be leased by Smokies owner Boyd Sports for the team and staff, and at least 65 spaces will be reserved for the city’s Discounted Downtown Workers Parking Program announced March 7.

The lots along West Magnolia Avenue beneath Interstate 40 will have free parking.

How does the Knoxville Smokies gameday shuttle service work?

Those who won’t have parking reserved can use a free shuttle provided by Knoxville Area Transit that will run every 10 minutes on Knoxville Smokies game days, taking ticketholders on a five-minute ride from these four parking garages to Covenant Health Park:

• Langley Garage
• Locust Street Garage
• Market Square Garage
• Summer Place Garage

When does the Knoxville Smokies parking plan go into effect?

The parking plan will be implemented April 15 for the home opener, the first of six consecutive games against Chattanooga. Parking lots near the stadium may be inaccessible at times over the next few weeks as construction continues.

Why was no additional parking built for Smokies stadium?

Based on their years of experience operating a downtown stadium, officials with a peer minor league baseball team in Durham, North Carolina, warned Knox News people’s parking habits are hard to break, and what constitutes “enough” spaces should not be underestimated.

Still, Smokies owner Randy Boyd has confidently pointed to the “sea” of parking already available around the Knoxville stadium, and the team commissioned a study to back up this take. The study, shared with Knox News in 2022, shows 1,333 parking spaces are available within a 0.25-mile radius of the Knoxville stadium site, and 7,675 are within a half-mile radius. 

For perspective, urban planning models recommend one parking space for every 2.5 attendees, according to a March news release from the Smokies and local government leaders. That means even a sellout would require only about 2,800 parking spaces.

“Between the 1,500 dedicated parking spaces for Covenant Health Park and the nearly 7,400 additional available parking options surrounding the facility, there are nearly 9,000 area spaces identified,” the news release said.

The extra 400 “dedicated spaces” are for staff, vendors and season ticketholders (with 1,100 for the public).

Where is reserved public parking for Knoxville Smokies games?

Summer Place Garage at 500 W. Summit Hill Drive will have 450 spaces reserved for Smokies fans, will the Langley Garage at 530 Summer Place will have 650.

That gets you to 1,100 spaces between both garages, which each are a 0.7-mile walk or free shuttle ride to the stadium.

How much does Smokies parking cost? Can I prepay?

The reserved spots at the Summer Place and Langley garages are a $5 flat, prepaid fee. The city of Knoxville said more information about how to reserve and prepay for parking online will be announced in the coming weeks.

When will Central Street be closed?

Central Street between Jackson and Willow Avenues will be closed during games, including for at least five One Knoxville SC games. Those games are on April 25, June 13, July 19 and Aug. 2. The length of closures before, during and after Smokies and One Knox games will depend on the time and day of each event.

A preseason Central Street block party hosted by One Knox on March 8 gave Knoxville its first taste of what these closures will look like. At the party, the club announced a new women’s team will play at Covenant Health Park starting this season.

Is it true Jackson Avenue will be a one-way street on game days?

Yes, but only a portion, and Willow Avenue, too.

Jackson Avenue east of Central Street will only serve eastbound traffic on game days, according to a map for the parking plan, while Willow Avenue will become a westbound loop on game days that connects to Summit Hill Drive on both sides.

Will One Knoxville SC games have shuttle service?

The city said more information will be shared soon about whether shuttles will service other events at Covenant Health Park.

How do I know what’s parking for Smokies fans? Will there be signs?

All reserved parking facilities, including the Summer and Langley garages, will be staffed on event days.

Temporary signs will be installed for events, and most should be up by April 15. Permanent traffic and parking signs will be installed in the coming weeks.

Will ADA parking under James White Parkway always be ADA?

The Old City South Lot will reserve 70 spaces for ADA parking on event days. When events aren’t happening, the lot will revert to its typical nine ADA spaces.

Are there dedicated parking spaces for the apartments and condos at the stadium?

Residents of the Yardley Flats apartments and condos within the Beauford Delaney Building, both overlooking Covenant Health Park, will have access to a private parking garage.

Does this plan replace parking for Old City employees and residents?

If employees and residents relied on the free parking under James White Parkway (Old City North and South Lots), then yes.

The South Lot will remain free on nights and weekends but is being converted to paid parking during the day. The North Lot is being reserved for Boyd Sports and the Discounted Downtown Workers Parking Program.

Joanna Hayes is the restaurant and retail reporter. Email: joanna.hayes@knoxnews.com. | Sign up for the free Eat65 newsletter

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