What the new Titans stadium plan means for Nashville taxpayers

The Metro Council will soon vote on a $2.2 billion plan to build a new stadium for the Tennessee Titans. In December, the Council voted to approve the term sheet, which includes $500 million in state funds that can only be used toward a new enclosed stadium. Additional funding would come in the form of football-related revenue, a 1% hotel tax in Davidson County and money collected from the stadium campus. The vote passed by a wide margin, but there is a small, yet vocal, contingent opposed to using taxpayer funds to build a new home for a professional sports team worth $3 billion. Mayor John Cooper's office has maintained that Nashvillians won't pay out of pocket for the new stadium, and that the plan gets the city out from under a cumbersome 1990s-era lease. Community groups have questioned whether a new NFL stadium should be a priority for the city. As the plan moves closer to a final vote, there have also been questions about the economic benefits of a new stadium. In this episode, we speak to local leaders who are for and against the new stadium. Titans CEO and a representative from the city also answer listener questions about the proposal. But first, we talk WNXP assistant program director Justin Barney about the Nashville Artist of the Month R.A.P. Ferreira. Guests: Brett Withers, Metro Council member, District 6 Bob Mendes, Metro Council at-large member Burke Nihil, Tennessee Titans CEO and president Benjamin Eagles, senior advisor to Mayor John Cooper Related reading: WPLN: Tennessee Titans and Nashville’s mayor strike a deal for a new domed stadium WPLN: Experts say Nashville won’t recoup money from building a new stadium with taxpayer dollars NewsChannel5: How does the proposed Titans community benefits agreement stack up against other deals? Council Member At-Large Zulfat Suara: The Titans Stadium and Term Sheet — My Vote and Why Council Member At-Large Bob Mendes: Reject the Proposed Stadium Deal Nashville.gov: East Bank Stadium Committee Information Nashville.gov: Summary of Titans’ Stadium Term Sheet