Sports and recreational facilities: means and includes facilities for any and all types of sports and recreational pursuits, including, but not limited to, football, basketball, baseball, soccer, track and field meets, swimming and diving meets, and any and all other sports, games, events or exhibitions that add to the recreational enrichment of the community. See Tennessee Code 7-67-103
State: means the state of Tennessee and, unless otherwise indicated by the context, any agency, authority, branch, bureau, commission, corporation, department or instrumentality of the state, now or hereafter existing. See Tennessee Code 7-67-103
(1) There is an immediate need to promote and further develop recreational opportunities in this state, by facilitating and equipping the acquisition, construction, and rehabilitation of sports complexes, stadiums, arenas and other recreational facilities, for the holding of professional and amateur athletic events;(2) The development of such facilities will provide a means to attract and locate major professional team franchises in the state, enhance the state’s image as a sports center, and encourage and foster economic development and prosperity;(3) An authority is needed in individual communities to prepare comprehensive, long-range master plans for the orderly development of sports and recreational facilities and to promote sports and sports-related activities; and(4) In many instances, effective cooperation between various units of government has been hampered because of inadequate statutory authority.(b) It is the purpose of this chapter to address these findings by providing for the establishment of sports authorities to plan, promote, finance, construct, acquire, renovate, equip and enlarge buildings, sports complexes, stadiums, arenas, structures and facilities for public participation and enjoyment of professional and amateur sports, fitness, health and recreational activities. The primary purpose of any and all such facilities shall be the conduct of sports events, but use of these facilities need not be limited to those events.(c) This chapter shall be liberally construed in conformity with its purpose.
