Soccer in Nashville

[Sean blackdog]

Today this morning from Sky5. 

[nashvylle]

BRING NASCAR BACK

So much freaking potential. 

[Sean blackdog]

Today this morning from Sky5. 

[Baronakim]

Here is another area that has changed unbelievably since I was a kid.  The soccer stadium is just part of the changes in the fairgrounds.  For those of you who are fairly new to Nashville or too young to remember much of what was there except some tired buildings and a big flea market.  The site has been the fairgrounds for well over 100 years with a racing track (horses)  and stately Victorian exhibition buildings.  This photo is from 1903 when the first autos showed up on the dirt track. 

 

The old postcard shows how rural the fairgrounds were fairly distant from the city. 

 

This 1940s  aerial shows the fairground track which was quite larger than the present speedway track.  The large parking areas to the left are the site of the new soccer stadium.  Note the large oval building below the track in the photo. This was the Colosseum a large indoor equestrian show ring.  below it were the agricultural exhibit buildings.  In the center of the photo are the Victorian exhibition buildings and grandstands.  as you can see the fairgrounds were barely past the creeping suburbs and everything across Nolensville Pike was completely agricultural.

After WW2 the area around the fairgrounds had significant housing built surrounding it.

By mid century, motorcycle races were popular, but during the Tennessee State Fair, surrey horse racing was the popular venue on the still durt horse track

 The track was larger  and the center of the track was a big staging area .  This where the carnival midway was located during the state fairs.  There were two tunnels under the track to get to the midway rides.  These were totally not wheelchair friendly at all though.   By 1959 , the track was used for automobile races

 

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There was an adjacent small permanent rides center called Fair Park down the hill off Wedgewood called Fair Park with a huge pool called Cascade Plunge.  As a small child in the 1950s, it was a real treat to go there on Saturdays.  You can see how popular the pool was in the 50s as air conditioning was not very common.  The old Victorian Woman's exhibition building is seen up the hill above the pool.

In the early 60s, you entered the fairgrounds by the Fir Park entrance or the one by the Colosseum and auto races were well established as  a popular fair event

 

This is the fair I remember about 1963 as  a teenager climbing the hill from fair park up to the grandstands and the splendid Victorian Exhibition buildings.

.

 

This was the last day of the old Fair, September 20, 1965.  I did not attend because I was a new student at Auburn University, but I had my mother enter a very large pen & Ink I had made for her into the art competition.  It was 30 x 40 inches and took me all summer She phoned me that night and told me I had won a huge Grand Award  purple ribbon.   

   

The next day the fair burned to the ground.

 

After the fire the speedway was reduced with new stands, and new buildings  and sheds were built that lasted until the new soccer stadium replaced them after new ones were built over by Nolensville Pike.  The Colosseum burned in the late 60s and the area is now the dog park over by the Coke plant.

   

 

Pretty much this is a brief history of the old fairgrounds site for the new stadium and the speedway rebuilding.  I show this mainly for folks unaware of the long history of the fairgrounds.  It will very exciting to see the further developments planned.  As a side note, for forum members fairly new to Nashville, I will post further old photos and memories in the future.  If y'all enjoy these trips down memory lane here in Nashville, you may have missed a whole number of big photo posts I posted a couple of years ago under the threads "The Nashville I Remember" and "Old Nashville Treasures".  As I created the threads, these history photo essays will be very early in the threads.  The posts are photo heavy and cover a good many subjects like the Arcade, the Maxwell House, Downtown hotels and shopping so if you enjoy posts like tis you might want to take a look at them.  Thanks, BaronAkim

 

 

Edited October 14, 2021 by Baronakim
spelling

[donNdonelson2]

I remember, as a little hillbilly hooligan,  going to Fair Park and the public swimming pool there, called the Cascade Plunge, if my brain cells are firing on all the right circuits tonight. Very fancy, as I had only experienced swimming in creeks in rural southern middle Tennessee!

[nashvylle]

I always hoped MarketStreet would incorporate a lot of these images into their mixed-use development as subtle dedications to the Fairgrounds history- 

[markhollin]

[markhollin]

[evansnathan]

From Aerial Southeast LINK

[nashvylle]

Those houses along Bransford Avenue... such a prime spot for 12South type restaurants and bars... 

[markhollin]

Looking SE from Wilson Drive at Benton Ave:

Looking SE from Benton Ave. 1/2 block east of Bransford Ave:

[markhollin]

Update on stadium from Nashville SC website:

• Structural masonry work continues, along with building remaining masonry walls.
• Installing mechanical, electrical and plumbing and continuing rough-in work.
• Installation of stadium landscaping irrigation system.
• Continuing wall framing and installing drywall where framing is complete.
• Glass and door installation.
• Concrete sealing.
• Finishing floors.
• Wall priming and painting.
• Elevator work continues.
• Seat and railing installation.
• Continuing with control measures to maintain erosion and sediment and to help stormwater run-off. 
  
   

[nashvylle]

#NASCAR2NASHVILLE 

Please. 

[Enashjon]

Given the information is public as of the Sport Authority meeting today.  I will share that the MLS construction is ahead of schedule.  A request has been submitted to move the opening to April.  This will allow the team to play all their 2022 home games at the new  stadium.

[PaulChinetti]

Nice, I know they've been flying on it. 

I hope the ahead of schedule means all the infrastructure around the stadium too. 

I also doubly hope they do some cold opening events before they just jump right into the season, to figure out the flow around the stadium, where ride share drop off is going to be, where paid parking is going to be, how people in cars will queue up and about a billion other things that happen during a game day. Just thinking of things, stream of conscience. 

[markhollin]

46 minutes ago, Enashjon said:

Given the information is public as of the Sport Authority meeting today.  I will share that the MLS construction is ahead of schedule.  A request has been submitted to move the opening to April.  This will allow the team to play all their 2022 home games at the new  stadium.

Thanks for the encouraging info, Enashjon.  And welcome to the forum.  : )

[nashvylle]

https://twitter.com/cousin_paxton/status/1461705564346408962?s=21

 

[Titans10]

https://twitter.com/livelifedrake/status/1461759373261291521?s=21

Big announcement (s) coming Monday morning at Nashville SC Stadium on the Fairgrounds. CEO Ian Ayre will be present. Fireworks loading #EveryoneN

 

naming rights!?

 

[DDIG]

49 minutes ago, Titans10 said:

https://twitter.com/livelifedrake/status/1461759373261291521?s=21

Big announcement (s) coming Monday morning at Nashville SC Stadium on the Fairgrounds. CEO Ian Ayre will be present. Fireworks loading #EveryoneN

 

naming rights!?

 

It might just be the news above that the stadium will be ahead of schedule and open with the season.

[PaulChinetti]

Ahead of schedule and naming rights.

I don't know if those 2 things would be fireworks worthy would they?

[thenorthchannel]

Maybe announcing the first home date, or a friendly with an international side?

[UrbanWes03]

https://www.instagram.com/reel/CWebq7uA5HY/?utm_medium=copy_link
 

A pretty nice Reel of the new stadium from NashvilleSC’s Instagram. 

[markhollin]

It's official: the MLS Stadium will be completed ahead of schedule, moving up from mid-May, 2022 to April.  This will allow Nashville SC to play its entire 17 game 2022 schedule in the new stadium, starting with their home opener on May 1st vs. the Philadelphia Union.
 

The stadium project, which is 100 percent privately funded by the club to eliminate any taxpayer burden and helping to expedite the construction process, will come in on-budget with Walsh Management paying for $42 million and revenue bonds paying for the remaining $191 million of the $233 million soccer-specific stadium. 

The development committee also approved $5.7 million in change orders, which is covered by the club’s contingency fund.

The grass playing surface is scheduled for installation in March 2022. Current stadium work being done includes mechanical, electrical and plumbing installation, stadium irrigation installation, glass and door installation, seat and railing installation, and playing field subgrade. 

More behind the Nashville Post paywall here:

https://www.nashvillepost.com/sports/nsc/nashville-sc-stadium-to-be-completed-ahead-of-schedule/article_0c10d668-4b4d-11ec-8f10-83cf0d28c7a1.html

https://www.nashvillepost.com/sports/nsc/speedy-stadium-completion-an-almost-impossible-task/article_e473ff12-4bbb-11ec-98b0-c7758afa66f5.html


And at NBJ here:

https://www.bizjournals.com/nashville/news/2021/11/22/nashville-sc-sets-stadium-opening-date.html

[Titans10]

Any chance they get this done March 27th for the USMNT vs Panama and that is the announcement that they are opening the stadium…hence the fireworks?

[Bos2Nash]

It wouldn't shock me if naming rights will be announced as well. 

I received a tour of the facility and while I was asked not to share photos on social media (which I intend on respecting that request) I can say without a doubt this will be an incredible experience for fans and the club!