Dive Brief:
- Advocacy group Save our Fairgrounds has filed for a temporary restraining order in Davidson County (Tennessee) Chancery Court in an attempt to stop the demolition of 3,500 parking spaces and halt construction of a $275 million Major League Soccer stadium project in Nashville. This is the latest action of a lawsuit the group filed against the Metropolitan Government of Nashville and Davidson County in early September.
- Save Our Fairgrounds claims that the demolition of the parking lot would "irreparably harm" the Nashville Flea Market, according to The Tennessean, which the group says is protected as an existing use under a Metro charter. The parking lot is the site of a new expo center, which will eventually house the flea market and combine several of the property's numerous other buildings' functions under one roof. The Fairgrounds Nashville Chancellor Ellen Hobbs Lyle denied the group's request that the court issue a temporary restraining order but will hold a motion hearing on Nov. 16.
- Hobbs dismissed a previous Save Our Fairgrounds lawsuit requesting that she stop construction in December 2017, claiming that the group's issues were "not ripe," according to Nashville Business Journal.
Dive Insight:
After a contentious bid process that saw general contractor Barton Malow protest the results, the Metro's sports authority awarded the project to the joint venture of Mortenson and Messer Construction under a $167 million construction management services contract.
The award of an MLS soccer franchise typically heralds the construction of a new soccer-specific stadium, a commitment that the league said it favors when making expansion decisions.
One new MLS franchise city is Cincinnati, where FC Cincinnati plans on building a new $200 million soccer stadium with the capacity for up to 26,000, according to conceptual designs released by the club last month. Designed by Meis Architects with assistance from local firm Elevar, the new venue will include a canopy roof made of Ethylene Tetrafluoroethylene (ETFE), a type of fluorine-based plastic.
Placed around the entire stadium bowl is a designated supporter section that can accommodate 1,700 people and premium seating, which includes club and suite sections. Up next for the proposed design is a city technical review on Nov. 19 followed by a formal submission on Dec. 3. The stadium is scheduled to open in March 2021.
In addition to Meis and Elevar, the rest of the design and construction team includes Turner Construction, local African-American contractor Jostin Construction and Machete Group.
