The Daily News-Journal from Murfreesboro, Tennessee • 83

Sunday, April 2 ,2000, Daily News Journal, Murfreesboro, Tenn. 3 I I 3. Chris Shofher ffitf writer 5 TTS cspite PPsition groups, le-i'l gal challenges, tal regulations and adminis trative headaches, the $125 million superspeedway on the RutherfordAVilson counties line promises to change the face of Middle Tennessee and continues to steam roll toward an unspecified Opening day in April of 2001. I Even if a firm date has not yet been said media spokesperson Heather McDonald, Dover Downs' intent is to Ihold the first Busch series race at the Iriew facility. Meanwhile construction continues.

understanding is that they are forking on the foundation of the crash 'wall now" McDonald said, "and that's Supposed to be complete in April or 1 4fcI think they are supposed to start the grandstand foundation next she continued. 'They are still working on it." I jNow that dirt continues to be turned in earnest, changes are coming fast and to this formerly rural, and predominantly agrarian, landscape. "We're on schedule for (April) J301 media spokesman Tom Robinson said last month. "For several months they have been blasting and doing grading work on the sitc.it is indeed on schedule." Dover Downs acquired the current Nashville When finished, the new Nashville U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, owner of a portion of the property the ramp will cross, has begun an environmental study that Concerned Residents Against Speedway Havoc (CRASH), a group that has been fighting development of the track, claims tfill require four to six months to complete.

When 840 was developed, said Lu-anne Grandinetti, spokesperson for Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT), an environmental study was completed on much of the property now designated for the off-ramp. As is true with most Corps of Engineers projects, results of that study can be used only for, arid maintenance of, that particular project. "When we got in there," she said, "and found we needed additional 6.4 also got hung up a little on the new use for that old property. We've resolved that now, but there has to be a new study on the new property." Meanwhile the contractor, Lawler Wood of Knoxville, has shifted focus to the 840 side of the track and away from U.S. Highway 231 North (Lebanon Highway), she said.

Lawler and Wood will "work on that side first the raceway side," she said last month. "When the first race comes in April (2001), that side should be finished. Perhaps we won't have the 231 side completed, but at least we'll be able to get the other side open by the first race." Among goals yet to be accomplished is securing a Winston Cup race date from NASCAR owner Bill France, according to McDonald, though efforts to complete that part of the puzzle are continuing. "I think the intent now is to move the (existing) Busch date to the new speedway," she said. One of the top racing events in the country, a Winston Cup race, would attract millions in economic impact to Middle Tennessee, officials say, but there are only a limited number of dates available.

Primarily because of that, Dover Downs now intends to build up the Busch races to the level of Winston Cup, McDonald said. And the Busch series has beefed up its top purses and beginning to attract an increasing number of top drivers a primary reason a Winston Cup date is so desired. Superspeedway will look something card was run on November 10, 1969. Benefiting from the only Sunday pari-mutuel racing in a wide area during the winter months, Dover Downs harness racing prospered in the early years, with the record attendance (5,971) and on-track handle ($515,177) set on Feb. 4, 1973.

Thoroughbred meets were also run in the early 1970s The first energy crisis in 1 973-74, followed by increasing competition from racing in neighboring states, lotteries, and Atlantic City casinos took its toll over the next decade but full-card simulcasting of both har ness and thoroughbred racing helped to sustain live racing in the early 1990s. Following Dover Downs' acquisition of the Nashville Speedway, plans were formed to build an even larger super- speedway in the Nashville market and, after acquisition efforts in Rutherford County fell through, land was acquired on trie northern border of the county alongside Wilson County. The first part of the project includes a short track, a legends track, a drag strip and a dirt track on 1,265 of Dover Downs' 3,100 acres there. as construction continues at one of the premier racetracks in the increasingly popular sport of stock car racing. Subsequent phases will include an overall infrastructure designed to accommodate 150,000 spectators, a 58-mile oval short track with 5,000 seats, an approximately 1.8-mile road track within the speedway, a Legends track, a drag strip with 15,000 seats and a clay oval track with seating for 3,500, according to project mailings.

The original Dover Downs projects were constructed in 1968-69 as a unique dual-purpose sports facility for horse and auto racing along with casino gambling. The first motorsports event at Dover Downs was a NASCAR Winston Cup race held on July 6, 1969, and won by NASCAR's all-time leading winner, Richard Petty. The first harness racing your S11lSilli like this artist's rendering. initial projections estimate local impact will bustle with 4,039 event-related jobs, $73 million in employee pay and benefits, $83 million in personal income and $222 million in regional output, including $17 million in indirect business taxes. Though the track is located primarily in Wilson County, Rutherford County Chamber of Commerce officials are expecting a sizable economic impact from the thousands expected to visit during racing season.

Nashville Superspeedway figured prominently into this year's negotiations that set Rutherford County's Urban Growth Boundary(UGB), a boundary which determines what areas can be annexed or will remain unincorporated. Only one of these contested areas subject to sometimes heated negotiations included properties east of state Route 840 adjacent to the Wilson County line. During those negotiations. it was generally agreed that the Dover Downs project would control virtuall all development in the area should it build out like developers have promised. Meanwhile, plans to build a new exit ramp and access to the track site from state Route 840 hit a snag earlier this year.

7 i II ink Speedway in January of 1998 and has operated it since that time at its est ressly to Tennessee State Fairgrounds location in Nashville the 2001 racing schedule will be hosted in its new facility north of Murfreesboro. McDonald said the project is continuing toward opening day. Maryland-based Dover Downs.En-tertainment Inc. is developing the huge racing facility just across the northern border of Rutherford County where the company's plans are to include a 1.3-mile track and 50,000 grandstand seats in the first phase. Future plans are to expand the facility to 150,000 seats as market demand intensifies.

And few doubt that demand will rise Future of. Continued from Page 2 Funded office park spaces. Sale of the lots would have serviced a $45 million bond issue debt. Besides private interest in the bffice park sites, Haley said, Atlanta-based hotel developer iStormont-Trice remains interested in the hotel portion of the priginal proposal, "During a recent trip to At- lanta," Haley continued, "hotel developer Stormont-Trice indicated it remains interested in developing a hotel and convention center on the site 1 The city's proposed Commerce Center began as an idea a concept designed to bring several different projects together into one large, multi-faceted endeavor, Haley explained earlier this year. It began mostly as an interest in developing a large conference center, i At the time, he said, the city's main objective was to develop a facility where seminars and other large meetings and banquets could be held a center that would not be a financial drain 6n the city.

"There's not a conference center anywhere that's prof- lutujc, lie saiu. MTSU was also interested because of an ever-growing schedule of programs and dwindling space, he noted. "MTSlTs ability to host those functions was about dimin- ished" Haley said. "But the timing wasn't right, the size of the community, the of it was right. Xhere were lots of yariables.that didn't fit" Haley said the current versiCfa came about in 1997 when several plans were under way as sep- brztA nrniprtc inrfildinP the CX- fllUlW ivjvvtv) panded golf course, an upscale office park and a conference center and hotel.

I "In early 97 Haley said, "there were indications there was enough support to develop the conference center. But, as we moved from site to sitc.it became clear that we could take $everal different projects and put them together" Haley optioned Manager into not in its study that project site has a second review A by specific how revised was the part the Hughes, Ryan Lose June April Smith $1,445 be A in the Bankers you know, People who care. Once that decision was made, explained, the land was and eventually purchased. Murfreesboro Assistant City Rob Lyons said the commerce center project broke down three main parts in 1999: Feasibility whether or the project would have been economically feasible. ZHA of Annapolis, turned study early in 1999, a that outlined general market and geographical conditions the company said make the feasible.

Site testing 1 1 types of analyses were completed. Brockington and Associates completed the first phase of cultural assessment and the phase is currently under by state historical preservation officials. traffic study was completed Gresham Smith that made recommendations about traffic flow should be handled. Huddleston-Steele engineering firm completed an official boundary survey. Ogden and Associates' flood-way and flood elevation survey the existing Stones River floodway map.

A land use plan prepared by Bob Hughes. Lyons said negotiating with project $artnerswas a third of the process. Payments were authorized by Commerce Center Commission recently for ZHA's February and March invoices at $14,837, two invoices from Good, O'Leary $1,374 for Associates May and invoices, $21,367 for an invoice from Brockington Associates and Gresham Partners charged for its April services. Overall, of $1,452,928 in the Commerce Center reserve fund, expenditures were reported to $221,210. special account was set up city's budget to cover expenses associated with the project.

More than $360,000 recently was approved for that use. 6 www.cavalrybanking.com Member FDIC At Cavalry Banking, providing personalized financial services is a tradition we honor and cherish. Our Corporate Officers are local decision makers that are your neighbors and live in the communities that we have served since 1929. Isn't it time you talked to bankers you know and people who care? Call us today about our financial services and about our special Checking Account Transfer Service. We'll take the 4 sting out of banking with a comfortable, affordable account, (jflfPfT'y and we'll make it easy ihe U'.

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