Sen. Watson says nearby farm’s feedback helped persuade Gov. Lee to scrap Moccasin Bend hospital’s move

From Local 3 News: OCT. 6, 2026 | UPDATE: State Sen. Bo Watson says feedback from Chattanooga-area residents, including people connected to Quail Run Farm, may have helped persuade Gov. Bill Lee to pull the plug on the Moccasin Bend hospital project's move to Birmingham Highway.

Watson spoke with Local 3's Katie Clark Wagner at an early education event at Chattanooga State Community College on Tuesday. It's the first time a state leader has publicly explained why the plan fell through, nearly a week after the state backed away from its decision to relocate the hospital.

“Obviously, they got feedback from the governor. I’m sure the governor got plenty of feedback from people in and around Lookout Valley. I don’t doubt that that individual was one who also provided feedback, but look, we had a lot of other people who were talking to us as well,” Senator Bo Watson said.

According to Watson, the governor heard from a number of people about the proposed site. Watson said he doesn't doubt that the people at Quail Run Farm were among those who gave the governor feedback that ultimately led to the project being pulled.

Watson declined to answer if the state was looking into any new potential sites for the mental hospital.

Independent gubernatorial candidate David Hatley is also weighing in on plans to relocate the Moccasin Bend Mental Health Institute.

"The Moccasin Bend relocation is another typical failure of this administration. They bought the land first and only then told the people what they planned to do with it. That's backwards. Tennesseans deserve to be part of decisions like this from the start, not informed after the fact.

As Governor, I look forward to working with Senator Watson to finish what should have been done long ago, and to do it the right way: openly, with real input from the Chattanooga community, the patients and families who depend on these services, and the people who live near the site. Our goal will be a modern facility that serves patients well, built through a process the public can trust,” Hatley said.

Republican candidate for Tennessee governor Marsha Blackburn is also commented on the proposed relocation.

Blackburn says, if elected governor, she would work with the Hamilton County delegation to move the facility to what she calls an appropriate site.

Blackburn said:
"As governor, I will work to improve mental health services for Tennesseans, and that includes working closely with the Hamilton County delegation to move the Moccasin Bend facility to an appropriate site.”