New Titans Stadium Passes Last Hurdle With Metro Council

The Tennessee Titans and the city of Nashville are getting a new stadium, but the cost is high.

NASHVILLE - The Tennessee Titans and the city of Nashville will soon have a brand new stadium sitting on what is now the parking lot adjacent to Nissan Stadium, as the final measure was approved early Wednesday morning in a 26-12 vote by the Metro Nashville City Council. 

The move means the city can now begin constructing the new, enclosed facility on the East Bank of downtown Nashville. The cost of the new stadium is currently estimated at $2.1 billion. It will include the most significant public subsidy of any stadium in U.S. history, at a cost of $1.26 million to the taxpayers. 

While the new stadium will allow Nashville the opportunity to host events like the Super Bowl potentially, the NCAA College Football National Championship Game, the Final Four, along with SEC Championships and other events, it has faced opposition along the way,  

According to a report from WKRN television in Nashville, one opponent of the new stadium had this to say of the proposal during last night’s discussion before the final vote. 

“If you want to know, I’m a 60-year-old white guy, and I am here to tell you almost $3 billion for a new stadium is some grade-A prime old white man thinking,” said one opponent of the deal. “We need that $3 billion for schools, for affordable housing, for infrastructure, for mental health, for any number of causes.” 

However, the proposal also drew support from others, including Tennessee State University, where President Brenda Glover offered the school’s support to the council. Currently, TSU pays to use the stadium for their home games held there, but they will be allowed to use the new stadium rent-free, which is not the case with their current stadium deal.  

Under the deal, the Titans will be responsible for $840 million of stadium funding and any cost overruns, $500 million will come from a contribution from the State of Tennessee, and the remaining $760 million of the $2.1 billion budget will be paid by revenue bonds issued by the Metro Sports Authority. Those revenue bonds will be repaid through a one-percent increase in Davidson County’s hotel occupancy tax and in-stadium sales taxes.

Nashville Mayor John Cooper called the deal a “major win for Nashville taxpayers,” though others disagree.  

“We’ve eliminated a billion-dollar liability created by an aging stadium lease and created a platform for the city to thrive for decades. This was always about more than football. This vote unlocks the East Bank Vision for Nashville’s next generation,” said Mayor Cooper. “It enables a true smart growth plan for the decades ahead. It will expand our transit network, create affordable housing, build parks and civic space, activate the waterfront, and drive resilience and sustainability.”

Rendering Courtesy Tennessee Titans

The majority of the opposition to the new stadium comes from those opposed to using any public funds as part of this deal. One of the major factors stated by those in opposition points to the downtown infrastructure, known as 'the downtown loop,' that has long been in need of upgrades to help alleviate traffic congestion around the center of Nashville.   

"I don't know what it would cost to fix the loop, but it's needed it for years, and the city and state have failed to do anything," said one person who spoke with AllTitans for this report. "I know it's a federal highway because it's all interstate, but that money should be going to help fix this mess because not all of us who come downtown come for games. We come to work, and it takes us an extra two hours to get in and out of this mess. 

Regardless of the opposition, the city of Nashville and the Titans will soon see construction begin and a new enclosed stadium rise, with a completion date currently scheduled for 2027. 

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