Nissan Stadium, Bridgestone Arena Due For $477M Upgrades: Report

NASHVILLE, TN — The city's two major professional sports venues need nearly half a billion dollars in upgrades, according to a report released Thursday by consultants hired by Metro.

The Tennessee Titans' 18-year-old Nissan Stadium — which was built for roughly $290 million — needs $293.2 million in capital improvements in the next 20 years, while 20-year-old Bridgestone Arena needs $183.4 million in upgrades, according to Brentwood-based Venue Solutions Group, which was contracted by Metro to conduct the study

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VSG issued its report at Thursday's meeting of the Metropolitan Sports Authority and based its recommendations on "best practices" at analogous venues nationwide needed to extend the life of the city-owned buildings. Both the Titans and Predators' leases run out at their respective homes in 2028, though neither team has given any indication they intend to seek a new home when those agreements expire.

The report says Bridgestone Arena, which cost $144 million to construct, is"very good condition generally, and shows evidence of being well maintained during its lifetime." The assessment calls for improvements in the video and audio systems and says that some of the piping in the building is showing early signs of corrosion and rust and will likely need a full-scale replacement.

Across the river at Nissan Stadium, however, the report was far more bleak. Calling the architecture "uninspiring" due to corner-cutting during construction, VSG says expansive stretches of exposed concrete give the sense that the stadium is unfinished. Even though the stadium's video systems were upgraded five years ago, VSG says they need more improvements, as do broadcasting cables. The study says the stadium does not have an adequate number of camera positions for broadcasting and that the lighting, mechanical, electrical and plumbing systems are clearly of the era in which they were built.

Under the lease agreements, Metro is obligated to fund necessary capital improvements at both venues. Metro implemented seat-user fees at both to help fund upgrades.

Images via Wikimedia users Kaldari and Mjrmtg, used under Creative Commons