by Jon Styf
If Music City Baseball brings a Major League Baseball to Nashville, the team’s stadium will be build with “almost all private funding,” a potential ownership group led by Dave Stewart told the Tennessean.
The stadium is planned for North Nashville near Tennessee State University and would be set to open for the 2026 or 2027 season if the Nashville Stars management group is able to bring an expansion franchise or move a current franchise to the city, the group told the paper.
A week ago, a lawsuit between the two sons of Baltimore Orioles owner Peter Angelos accused son John Angelos, the Orioles’ CEO, of angling to bring the Orioles to Nashville, where he has a residence.
The suit also accuses John Angelos of attempting to earn favor with family attorney Chris Jones by having John Angelos’ wife, Nashville songwriter and music management company head Margaret Valentine, work with Jones’ daughter on her music career by representing her.
Carter Faith, Jones’ daughter, is a client of Valentine’s company, Pound It Out Loud, and Louis Angelos claimed that the connection led to the 17-year-old Carter Faith performing a postgame concert at the stadium and then having repeat performances at Oriole Park.
“Predictably, as John did favors for Jones’ daughter, Jones reciprocated,” the lawsuit claimed. “He ceased representing all of the trustees or all of Mr. Angelos’ attorneys-in-fact. Without ever announcing a change in the relationship, or disclosing the conflict of interest created by John’s promotion of Carter Jones’ career, Jones silently shifted from group representation to the exclusive representation of John’s interests.”
In response to the lawsuit, John Angelos claimed that he does not plan to move the team in a statement.
“As I have said before, as long as Fort McHenry is standing watch over the Inner Harbor, the Orioles will remain in Baltimore,” said John Angelos. “… Since I was appointed Chairman and CEO according to my parents’ expressed wishes, and voted as the control person for the team by the 30 Major League Clubs, I have taken significant steps to ensure that our beloved franchise’s future remains in Charm City.
“Just two months ago we celebrated the Maryland General Assembly passing a bill promising to put $1.2 billion into reinvesting and reimagining the Camden Yards Sports Complex, which includes Oriole Park, ensuring the team will continue to play right here in downtown Baltimore for generations to come. Maryland is committed to keeping our team in this great state, and I am equally committed to keeping the Orioles at the heart of our state.”
The Tennessean reported that the Nashville Stars raised $4.5 million through offering partial ownership to investors who committed $25,000. The paper reported that the stadium would be part of the development of a downtown rail line and a Cumberland River water transportation system that ends at the stadium.
The group plans to build a ballpark/concert venue, hotels, restaurants and retail stores in the area around the stadium.
It is unclear if the group will attempt to receive the return of sales taxes at a potential stadium and surrounding district like Tennessee has granted for its other professional sports stadiums, including a new Tennessee Titans stadium, Bridgestone Arena and minor league baseball stadiums in Knoxville and Chattanooga.
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Jon Styf is an award-winning editor and reporter who has worked in Illinois, Texas, Wisconsin, Florida and Michigan in local newsrooms over the past 20 years, working for Shaw Media, Hearst and several other companies.
