Jim Haslam Sports Center baseball fields, a centerpiece of Knoxville's Lakeshore Park, are open

Lakeshore Park has long been a community gathering place with more than 1,000 trees of nearly 100 species spread across 185 acres. Now an enhanced sports center and fieldhouse donated by the Haslam family is ready to welcome thousands of families each summer.

The Jim Haslam Sports Center and Haslam Fieldhouse opened Aug. 16 as another piece of the $35 million overhaul of the scenic park on Knoxville's west side along the Tennessee River.

The new sports center on the south side of the park relocates the four popular Little League ballfields and adds a field for children with disabilities, a new parking lot and a fieldhouse, which can be used as an event venue and hub on game days. Of course there are picnic tables and concession stand, which is at the heart of summer baseball fun.

Former Gov. Bill Haslam remembers when the site was a mental health facility and first turned into Lakeshore Park. He coached his son’s baseball team then, he told Knox News.

Haslam said public-private partnership has helped make the park a success.

“Everybody talks about public-private partnership. When it works, it’s the best,” he said, “because you can leverage the ability of what governments can do with what private philanthropy and sweat and toil can do beyond what the city can do.”

Knoxville Mayor Indya Kincannon thanked the Haslam family members in attendance for their generosity.

“When I talk about perseverance, I talk about the continuity of this (park development’s) vision over many generations of leaders and donors,” Kincannon said. “I recognize a good thing when I see it, so I’m very glad to continue the city’s contribution of over $2 million a year for the park’s road and infrastructure, which complements the huge private donations that have been raised by the conservancy.”

The fieldhouse along the Outer Loop Trail has easy access to restrooms and outdoor seating. Coming up in the next month: A garden pavillion that will celebrate native Tennessee species and a pickleball court.

Areena Arora , data and investigative reporter for Knox News, can be reached by email at areena.arora@knoxnews.com . Follow her on X @ AreenaArora and on Instagram @areena_news .

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Jim Haslam Sports Center baseball fields, a centerpiece of Knoxville's Lakeshore Park, are open