NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — People had a chance to voice their concerns about the discussions to build a new stadium on the East Bank Sunday.
Nashville residents are asking if a new stadium is needed and want to be more involved in the decision-making process.
The forum was put on at the Word of Life Christian Center on Clarksville Pike by Nashville Organized for Action and Hope, or NOAH, and Stand Up Nashville.
Panelists include MDHA Commissioner Doctor Paulette Coleman and Councilman Bob Mendes, who is the Chair of the East Bank Stadium Committee.
"So far, like all economic development deals, before the terms are actually announced it's a private conversation between the mayor's office and the party involved: the Titans," said Mendes.
Earlier this year, the Titans revealed that the cost of renovating Nissan Stadium doubled, so the goal switched to building a whole new stadium.
The Titans said it would take $900 million to renovate and then another $900 million to continue to maintain the building through the end of the lease.
Compare that to paying about $1.9 to $2.2 billion for a new stadium to be built next to the current one, which, if approved, would be completed by 2026.
"So, this is the biggest project in terms of dollars that the city has ever participated in," Mendes said.
Some are concerned about where that money is coming from. Tennessee Governor Bill Lee passed a budget that included giving the Titans $500 million in state bonds, and Nashville Mayor John Cooper has said taxpayers will not pay for the stadium.
However, people are thinking about other ways the money could be spent in the city, such as on housing and education.
During the forum, panelists shared other concerns.
"The other thing that is of concern to me are the projections of the jobs," said Coleman. "There's supposed to be approximately 50,000 jobs created, but 21,000 are projected in the Imagine Nashville report to be construction jobs, which are temporary and which may not lead to any kind of a career path."
Coleman also worries affording housing is being left out.
"When you go through the Imagine East Bank program and you try to count what the potential outcome is in terms of number of housing units, it's very limited."
While the future of the stadium remains uncertain, organizers hope events like this one will equip the community with knowledge when the time to make a decision comes.
