Nashville officials expect future discussions with the Tennessee Titans over potential Nissan Stadium renovations, but caution that the city’s current budget issues must be addressed before a project of that magnitude is considered.
The Titans have played at the current Nissan Stadium (originally known as Adelphia Coliseum) since its 1999 opening, and are operating there under a lease that expires in 2028. With the facility expected to require major upgrades and repairs in the coming years, there will likely be plenty of discussion between the Titans and local officials about the stadium’s future.
Past comments from Titans ownership indicates that the team will pursue a Nissan Stadium renovation rather than the construction of a new facility, though plans for a major upgrade have not surfaced yet. Elected leaders and officials from the Nashville Sports Authority expect that there will be discussions with the team about renovating the stadium during this decade, and so far sound open to having those talks down the road. For now, though, there are no detailed talks taking place with the Titans about facility upgrades.
Nashville Metro officials also stress that the city’s current budget crisis–which includes a $42-million shortfall–must be addressed before a major project like a Nissan Stadium renovation can be considered. More from The Nashville Ledger:
“The one thing the Titans have continued to say is that they are not looking for a brand-new stadium,” [Nashville Sports Authority executive director Monica] Fawknotson says. “But understand that in the coming years there will need to be some substantial improvements to Nissan Stadium. And that’s their position.
“We’ve not begun any detailed discussions with them or as a city, but we know that is down the road. We know we will be looking at the lease and just how we need to move forward in general.
“We’re all going to need to be strategic about that,” she adds. “How do we continue to find the win-wins for the city and for the team. That will be an interesting conversation about just how we move forward.”
Jeff Syracuse, the District 15 councilman in Donelson, says the Metro Council is taking a guarded approach to funding sports projects for the time being.
Nashville’s growth economically is reflected in its sports scene which, in addition to the Titans, includes the NHL’s Predators, Minor League Baseball’s Sounds (Class AAA; Pacific Coast League), and Nashville SC, which begins MLS play next month as an expansion team. Having the Titans and Nissan Stadium in that mix helps bolsters Nashville in terms of its profile in major sports and ability to draw large events, so it stands reason that local officials will want to work with the franchise to settle on long-term facility upgrades.
However, those talks do not appear to be imminent, given that officials want to address immediate challenges facing the city before entering into detailed discussions about what will likely be a costly renovation project at Nissan Stadium.
Image courtesy Nissan Stadium.
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