(The Center Square) – The Tennessee Titans continued to upgrade areas of the current Nissan Stadium heading into the NFL season, spending on everything from escalator repairs to electrical upgrades to stadium lighting and step repairs to a perimeter sidewalk.
Those repairs are funded through public funds in the stadium Capital Fund, capped at $42 million in expenses starting when the amended lease agreement was signed to build a new stadium and ending when the current Nissan Stadium is no longer used and demolished.
The Metro Nashville Sports Authority recently hired Capital Project Solutions, Inc., to help it review Titans capital requests, which are first proposed, then asked to be approved and then the expenses are reimbursed from the stadium Capital Fund up to $42 million.
Capital Project Solutions is a Nashville-based construction company that previously bid to be the sports authority’s construction representative for the new $2.1 billion Nissan Stadium project.
The fund is part of a waterfall tax capture expected to collect $3.1 billion in public funds during the life of the lease for new Nissan Stadium, scheduled to open in 2027.
In response to news of the offseason work in July, Metro Councilman Russ Bradford wrote “I hope the Titans have the money because Metro ain’t paying it.”
“Nashvillians have made it clear that we have other priorities. If the NFL wants upgrades at the stadium they can pay for it themselves!” said Tennessee Sen. Heidi Campbell.
But the council already approved the amended lease, which added the $42 million cap and changed the “first-class condition” requirement in the lease to say: “First Class Condition” shall mean the condition satisfying each of the following: (a) being in compliance with Applicable Law, and (b) being in such condition and repair as does not pose a public health and safety risk for patrons of or participants in events at the Stadium, and (c) being in such an operating condition sufficient to allow NFL Games to be played at the Stadium in accordance with applicable NFL Rules and Regulations with respect to player safety, including the field, the locker rooms and other player facilities.
This summer’s reimbursable expenses include an ongoing $220,000 estimated east side perimeter sidewalk at the stadium, along with power and lighting, more than $95,000 for escalator repairs and more than $8,000 to buy a used golf cart to transport fans at the stadium.
It also included $50,000 for stadium step repairs and $30,000 for electrical upgrades to a system for communicating game day player injuries, Titans Senior Vice President and Chief Financial Officer Shannon Myers told the Metro Nashville Sports Authority in July.