NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — The Tennessee Titans have gone from trying to modernize Nissan Stadium to working on plans for a new stadium right next door after renovation costs more than doubled to $1.2 billion.
Burke Nihill, the Titans' president, discussed the team's plans Thursday at a Metro Sports Authority board meeting, according to
Nihill noted inflation is driving costs higher, and both Nashville and the Titans want to finish work quickly to have the new stadium ready to potentially host the World Cup in 2026.
“We're trying to move wisely but with a sense of urgency,” Nihill said. “There's a path forward that, if we have alignment by the fall, we could have a new stadium open (by 2026). It's aggressive, but we believe it's in play.”
The Titans originally planned to renovate the stadium built for $292 million that opened in 1999 on a 30-year lease. Team and Nashville officials and others had been working for a year on a plan to redevelop hundreds of acres around Nissan Stadium on the banks of the Cumberland River.
That included renovating Nissan Stadium, with the first estimate $600 million. That doubled when contractors found issues like the prefabricated concrete used to build the stadium is aging and difficult to renovate. Other infrastructure also is wearing out.
Nihill said a new stadium is the better value in the long run.
“This is a very basic building in the eyes of the NFL,” Nihill said. “This is one of the bottom 20% of buildings in the NFL built before 9/11. Security enhancements adopted by the NFL haven't been added.”
Nihill estimated that reaching a deal for the new stadium, how to pay for it and design the new building could take more than a year. Construction should take 31 months.
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