NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — A new push by Nashville Soccer Holdings to solve Nashville's soccer woes has emerged.
Just after 6 p.m. Sunday, posts started popping up on Twitter and Instagram, as well as, a new website called Build The Stadium.
Nashville SC is asking the community to step in and voice their concerns over the Major League Soccer stadium controversy with Mayor John Cooper.
Less than 12 hours after joining social media, the new Build The Stadium account says they've already showed up in a big way.
The first post from the account @BuildTheStadium asked the mayor why he won't move ahead with building the soccer stadium. The group also asked why he was putting soccer at risk.
Why won’t @JohnCooper4Nash build the soccer stadium? Why put @NashvilleSC #soccer at risk? Go to http://www.buildthestadium to learn more and ask Mayor Cooper why he broke his #promise. #buildthestadium https://t.co/Cc0tPe8Q9t
— Build The Stadium! (@BuildTheStadium) February 10, 2020
Their website expresses the group's concerns over the issue.
Nearly 18 months ago, following months of public debate and discussion, the Metro Council approved 31-8 a stadium plan. But Mayor John Cooper refuses to allow construction to go forward – putting at risk Nashville’s team and more broadly tarnishing Nashville’s reputation and going against his own promises.
During his campaign, Mayor Cooper said the stadium was “finished business” and it was time to make it “successful.”
Nashville SC CEO Ian Ayre said they launched the website after receiving outcries from fans and community leaders.
"While we continue to talk with Mayor Cooper and his team, the soccer stadium remains at an impasse. We are hopeful there will be resolution soon but, in the meantime, we are getting calls from fans and community leaders who are frustrated and want to be heard. That’s why we launched BuildtheStadium.com," Ayre said. "The fact is, soccer enjoys a huge fan base in Nashville. And for many, the stadium plan represented big investments in parts of the community who have felt left out of the past successes of the city. These Nashvillians deserve to be heard"
Build The Stadium is asking the public to sign a petition and reach out to Mayor Cooper asking him to move forward with the project. The petition reads in part, "It's time to Build The Stadium. Metro made commitments to build a soccer stadium in 2018. As a result, we have Nashville SC ready to start its first season. But you are putting soccer at risk by not keeping those commitments."
As of 9 a.m. Monday, Build The Stadium said they have had more than 3,000 people sign the petition.
Build The Stadium also said they are confused by a recent op-ed written by the mayor.
On Sunday, The Tennessean published the mayor's side of what's going on with the stadium.
He says he plans to honor Metro's commitment to build the stadium, but he's also trying to make space for improving the race track at the fairgrounds.
Read more: Mayor John Cooper pens op-ed amid soccer stadium standoff
