According to a report by the Herald News, On December 16, the Rhea County Commission unanimously approved allocating nearly $316,000 from hotel/motel tax revenue as matching funds for a $1.6 million state grant awarded in 2024 to construct a new soccer and recreation complex along Delaware Avenue in Dayton.

The project utilizes part of the remaining 64 acres from the nearly 90-acre Abel farm, which the county and City of Dayton jointly purchased in 2023 for a state technical school that required only about 20 acres. Commission Chair Jim Reed highlighted the initiative as a significant economic development opportunity, expected to attract traveling sports tournaments, increase hotel stays and restaurant visits, and generate additional tax revenue, while noting strong community support for new soccer fields.

In the same meeting, commissioners also approved using approximately $155,000 from TVA impact funds to pave several county roads, including Brayton Mountain Road ($25,000), Summer’s Home Lane and Rogers Road ($60,000), and Shut-In Gap Road ($70,000). The commission’s next meetings are scheduled for a workshop on January 13 and a regular session on January 20, both at 6 p.m. in the Phil Swafford Building and open to the public.