Community members weigh in on the future of Titans stadium

On Tuesday, the $2.1 billion plan to build a new stadium for the Tennessee Titans passed on first reading in the Metro Council.

The plan includes: a one-time payment of $500 million from the state, which can only be used for a new enclosed stadium; $760 million in bonds from the city; and up to $840 from the Titans, NFL and seat license sales. The mayor has maintained that the city’s obligation will be paid for by a 1% hotel tax and revenue collected on the stadium campus.

Last month, we discussed the stadium deal with Metro Councilmembers Brett Withers and Bob Mendes, along with representatives from the mayor’s office and the Titans.

While we gathered community questions and posed them in the show, many listeners felt this did not meet our goal of holding officials accountable, nor adequately reflect concerns about the plan. In this follow-up episode, we hear directly from community members.

But first, we respond to your comments in our weekly @ Us segment.

Guests:

• Maryam Abolfazli, board chair, Metro Human Relations Commission
• M. Simone Boyd, artist and community organizer
• Odessa Kelly, executive director, Stand Up Nashville
• Albert Bender, activist with Indigenous Peoples Coalition

Related reading:

• WPLN: Tennessee Titans and Nashville’s mayor strike a deal for a new domed stadium
• WPLN: Experts say Nashville won’t recoup money from building a new stadium with taxpayer dollars
• NewsChannel5: How does the proposed Titans community benefits agreement stack up against other deals?
• Council Member At-Large Zulfat Suara: The Titans Stadium and Term Sheet — My Vote and Why
• Council Member At-Large Bob Mendes: Reject the Proposed Stadium Deal
• Nashville.gov: East Bank Stadium Committee Information
• Nashville.gov: Summary of Titans’ Stadium Term Sheet