Knoxville ballpark, Tebow charity among entities getting grants in Lee budget
While big-ticket items like a sales tax holiday on food may be getting much fo the attention in Gov. Bill Lee’s budget amendment, Capitol-watchers have also been pouring over the fine print to see what other interesting items are getting funding.
The AP’s Jonathan Mattise spotted a $13.5 million grant for the minor league ballpark development former gubernatorial candidate Randy Boyd is proposing for downtown Knoxville. Another $2 million would pay for renovations at the Hermitage, the Nashville home of President Andrew Jackson, and $1.2 million for the Tim Tebow Foundation’s Her Song project serving human trafficking victims.
Here’s a look at some of other grants included in the budget amendment:
| Grants and Community Initiatives | Amount |
| The Sports Authority of the County of Knox and the City of Knoxville, Tennessee | $13,500,000 |
| City of Memphis – Youth Sports Complex | $10,000,000 |
| City of Johnson City – Walnut Corridor Development | $5,000,000 |
| University of Memphis – Carnegie Designation | $5,000,000 |
| End Slavery TN – Serving Human Trafficking Victims – Year 1 of 3 | $3,500,000 |
| Fayette County – Courthouse Renovation | $3,000,000 |
| Human Coalition – Serving Pregnant Women and Children in Need | $3,000,000 |
| Music City Executive Airport | $2,000,000 |
| Hermitage Foundation | $2,000,000 |
| City of Memphis – Renovation of Levitt Shell | $1,300,000 |
| Her Song – Tim Tebow Foundation – Serving Human Trafficking Victims – Year 1 of 3 | $1,200,000 |
| Associated Builders and Contractors Greater TN Chapter – Knox County CTE Center | $1,000,000 |
| Renewal House, Inc. – Serving Women and Children in Need | $1,000,000 |
| Teach for America – Teacher Support in High-Need Areas | $1,000,000 |
| Gospel Music Association – GMA Center | $1,000,000 |
| Hope Smiles – Oral Health Safety Net | $800,000 |
| Niswonger Foundation – College and Career Awareness Activities | $700,000 |
| Carroll Academy – Rural Juvenile Alternative Education | $600,000 |
| TN Anti-Slavery Alliance – Services for Human Trafficking Victims | $600,000 |
| Agape Child and Family Services, Inc. – Serving Families in Need | $500,000 |
| Corner to Corner – Entrepreneurship Support for Communities in Need | $500,000 |
| Delta Dental of TN / Smile 180 Foundation – Oral Health Safety Net | $500,000 |
| tnAchieves – Supports Transition to College | $500,000 |
| YMCA of Memphis and the Mid-South – Education / Health Support for Young Children | $500,000 |
| YMCA of Middle TN – Mentorship / Education for Kids in Need | $500,000 |
| Men of Valor – Re-Entry Support Services | $499,500 |
| TN Builders Education Foundation – CTE Construction Expansion | $478,000 |
| Science Alliance – STEM Educational Museums | $450,000 |
| TN Association of Business Foundation – Public-Private Advanced Manufacturing Partnership | $400,000 |
| The Next Door, Inc. – Recovery and Support for Re-Entry | $400,000 |
| The Jason Foundation, Inc. – Mental Health Student Support | $305,000 |
| Blount County – Senior Center | $300,000 |
| Town of Jonesborough – Agriculture Education | $300,000 |
