The Tennessee Titans want a new stadium, switching gears from modernizing Nissan Stadium to making plans to build a new one in the lot next door. It is currently unclear how the team plans to raise the money to pay for it.
The Titans’ president, Burke Nihill, talked about the team’s goals for a new stadium at a Thursday Metro Nashville Sports Authority Finance Committee meeting. The Titans are reportedly working with Metro Nashville officials on the design and costs for a new stadium, which would be located in the parking lots outside the current Nissan Stadium.
“We’re trying to move wisely but with a sense of urgency,” he said. “There’s a path forward that, if we have alignment by the fall, we could have a new stadium open by 2026. It’s aggressive, but we believe it’s in play.”
As is typical for team executives to do when they want new stadiums, Nihill discussed the flaws in the current one. He said, “This is a very basic building in the eyes of the NFL. This is one of the bottom 20% of buildings in the NFL built before 9/11. Security enhancements adopted by the NFL haven’t been added.”
The Titans president said at the meeting that he believes that reaching a deal for the new stadium and figuring out how to pay for it will take more than a year. He estimates that construction should take a little over two-and-a-half years.
Estimated costs for all potential parties involved have not yet been revealed. The Titans are expected to ask Metro Nashville taxpayers to kick in money for the stadium, the amounts of which are unknown. Direct economic impact benefits to an area are typically part of the argument made for citizens funding stadiums.
The Tennessee Star previously reported that former Nashville Mayor Phil Bredesen admitted in 1997 after a referendum approved taxpayer funding for what would become Nissan Stadium, that direct economic impact benefits couldn’t justify taxpayer funding for a football stadium. Bredesen said in June of 1997, “I can’t justify building a football stadium on direct economic impact. The professors who make a living pooh-poohing that are right.”
Nissan Stadium, which opened in 1999, Nashville taxpayers footed the bill topping $144 million, with a guarantee of $70 million in net sales of personal seat licenses.
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Aaron Gulbransen is a reporter at The Tennessee Star and The Star News Network. Email tips to [email protected]. Follow Aaron on GETTR.
