There are five new ballparks in 2026, but only one of them was constructed amidst century-old structures.

The Chattanooga Lookouts’ new home was built on the former home of U.S. Pipe and Wheland Foundry, an industrial site abandoned two decades ago. A local family bought the property in hopes of one day turning it into something special for the citizens of Chattanooga. After 20 years and an immense amount of planning, their property is springing back to life — first as a top-notch ballpark, then with apartments, then offices, and then all kinds of other mixed-use development.

But what makes this truly special is the way the abandoned buildings at the site have been integrated into the baseball facility. Through “adaptive re-use,” the structures are now greeting fans in ways never before imagined. It’s fun. It’s historic. It’s showing tremendous stewardship. And it works.

As you’ll read in our in-depth review of Erlanger Park, it’s been ironic that Lookout fans have never actually been able to see the team’s namesake mountain while attending a game. Now they can, and it’s glorious.

So check out our detailed look at how the ballpark came to be, how the franchise owner’s vision made it a reality, and what it’s like to attend a Lookouts game (hint: it’s the most affordable of any of this year’s new parks). It’s all in our review of Erlanger Park.

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