The new stadium will be built on the east side of the current stadium campus, along Nashville's East Bank. (Tennessee Titans image)
The Tennessee Titans of the National Football League (NFL) announced that it has selected Tennessee Builders Alliance (TBA) to serve as Construction Manager at Risk on its new $2.1 billion stadium project in Nashville.
Nashville's Metropolitan Sports Authority (MSA) approved the selection at its Aug. 17 board meeting.
TBA is made up of a quartet of construction industry leaders, including Nashville-based ICF Builders, Polk & Associates in Brentwood, Tenn., and two global firms, Turner Construction Co. and AECOM Hunt.
Collectively, the construction management team has more than 55 years of NFL stadium construction experience and a long history of building iconic sports facilities. Turner and AECOM Hunt have successfully worked on 17 of the 30 most recently completed NFL stadium building projects, according to a news release from the Titans.
TBA will oversee the preconstruction and construction management services in the development and building the stadium and also will select trade contractors to work on the project.
"The breadth of knowledge that TBA brings to the table is second to none, and we couldn't be more excited to welcome them to the project team," said Burke Nihill, president and CEO of the Titans. "TBA's familiarity with our local landscape in combination with its understanding of the latest industry trends is the perfect mix of innovation and experience. [It] also shares our dedication to thinking community-first as we raise this transformational building from the ground up, made truly for Nashville."
The planned 62,000-seat stadium, designed to feature a circular translucent dome, will be built on the east side of the current Nissan Stadium campus, along Nashville's east bank of the Cumberland River.
The new arena is to be located slightly back from the riverfront; the team and the builders told Yahoo Sports that that siting will allow for more development of riverfront parkland, as opposed to the current stadium's parking that is there now.
Other notable features of the new venue include an artificial turf field for football, exterior porches with panoramic views of downtown Nashville, and a 12,000-sq.-ft. community space available for use year-round.
While its capacity will be smaller than Nissan Stadium's 69,000 seats, Titans officials said the sight lines of even the farthest seats will be a vast improvement over the current venue, according to Yahoo Sports.
"The Tennessee Builders Alliance is thrilled to work with the Tennessee Titans, the city of Nashville and the Metro Sports Authority as we build a world-class facility for our neighbors," John Gromos, principal-in-charge of the TBA, noted in the Titans' statement. "[We recognize] that we are building more than a stadium. We are also building a brighter future for diverse members of our community and strengthening the Middle Tennessee economy for everyone."
Work to Kick Off in 2024, With a Scheduled 2027 Completion
Just one week before announcing that TBA would manage the new stadium's multi-billion-dollar construction, the Titans publicly revealed their initial plans for the venue, geared to attract Super Bowls, NCAA Basketball Final Fours, College Football Playoffs and other marquee events.
Construction is slated to begin after the 2023 NFL season, likely in early- to mid-2024, and the Titans will continue to play in nearby Nissan Stadium until the new, as-yet-unnamed facility is ready for play, hopefully in 2027.
In April, the city of Nashville agreed to the stadium proposal using at least $1.26 billion in public funding. That marks the largest public subsidy ever for an American stadium, beating Buffalo's recent approval of $850 million for a new venue for the NFL's Bills.
As currently proposed, the Titans' new stadium lease going forward would be funded largely by football revenue, a one percent tourism sales tax, and a one-time state grant. The city of Nashville is presently responsible for the majority of the current lease, including Nissan Stadium upkeep.
Diversity Participation Key Priority in Building Stadium
In keeping with the procurement regulations and practices of the Metropolitan Government of Nashville & Davidson County (Metro Nashville), the NFL team was assisted in the construction manager selection process by an evaluation committee including representatives of the Titans, Metro Nashville and MSA.
The front office of the Titans noted in its press release that diverse business participation and minority contracting are key priorities for the entire project team, with commitments to meet and exceed participation goals set by the city's Business Assistance Office and to work with a diversity reporting consultant who will provide monthly reports to MSA regarding minority contractor and subcontractor participation.
The Titans will present the final contract for TBA's services to MSA for consideration at a board meeting in the coming months.
A website detailing upcoming opportunities to participate in construction of the new stadium is expected in coming months. In the interim, businesses interested in working on the project can fill out the general interest form at www.TennesseeTitans.com/Procurement.
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