Nashville as MLB Expansion/Relocation Market

[titanhog]

To me, it has to be inside the downtown loop…or somewhere within walking distance of the downtown loop.  The perfect place is, of course, the scrap metal yard.  If these guys are serious, I think they should have a sit-down with the city, the Titans and Icahn and all 4 entities work together to make the land from the Titans stadium all the way to trucker’s curve a mixed use wonderland.  You’ll have to offer Icahn some ownership in the new development…maybe even ownership in the baseball team (doubt the Titans would offer any ownership of the football franchise…of course)…and he would still need some $$ and probably a new place to move his business included.  Then…that entire section should be a football stadium, baseball stadium, office buildings, hotels, residential, retail, restaurants, entertainment, etc.

The sticking point will be Icahn…which is why all of those involved need to come together…all have skin in the game (including Icahn who will have to stop playing such hardball)..and get this done.  It’s where this needs to go.

[nashvylle]

@titanhog I agree it would be a great location, but the environmental cleanup costs makes this not realistic, even if Icahn gave the land for free. 

[PaulChinetti]

2 hours ago, TheRaglander said:

I may have mentioned this before but when my dad and I had Pred's season tickets it was located in the upper bowl and the seats around us were single-game tickets.  So we got the pleasure to talk to visiting fans.  One thing that stuck out a lot were people that sat next to us that were there on a convention.  Something like a farm machinery convention and these group of guys/gals would walk around downtown, grab drinks and say, "hey, a hockey game.  why not?"  

You would absolutely lose that type of Broadway foot traffic if you put the stadium out in the burbs.  I really hope it's a location near Nissan stadium so the convention visitors take a stroll and catch a few innings of MLB.  

Agreed 100%. Baseball plays an insane amount of games. And you are gonna get way more pop ins if it's downtown, rather than in Williamson/Rutherford/Robertson county.

81 home games is A LOT of games to fill a stadium for. 

[nashwatcher]

Would where the rowing facility was planned on the West Bank be a viable site? Is there enough land?

[titanhog]

1 hour ago, nashvylle said:

@titanhog I agree it would be a great location, but the environmental cleanup costs makes this not realistic, even if Icahn gave the land for free. 

I disagree that it would make it unrealistic.  It’s definitely going to cost…but I also guarantee that land is not going to just become a passive parkland, either.  That land is the most valuable open space we have left and even if the city doesn’t foot the bill…eventually, someone will foot the bill to cleanup that land and use it for something other than just an open space.

[PillowTalk4]

On 1/13/2021 at 8:14 PM, MLBrumby said:

Wasn't there a massive proposal a couple years back for the land adjacent to the TSU campus?  Labeled "Cumberland Shores" on Smeaglefree's excellent development map. 

I was just catching up on this subject and saw your question.  Not sure it was answered.  The Cumberland Shores at TSU project is on the main campus and highly unlikely to move forward because it too is a major flood area that would require significant work to prevent.  It is currently agricultural research land for TSU.  It was just recently flooded with the rains Nashville received a few weeks ago.

That being said, the MLB group trying to establish a team in Nashville had a meeting with TSU officials I believe in February.  I could be wrong about the meeting timeframe.   There's been nothing since and other locations that were mentioned included the Nissan Stadium area, Metro Center and the area across from River North on the Germantown side that is near I-65 just opposite of Metro Center.  I believe there's a concrete company in that area.  Quite honestly, TSU didn't feel like they are ready to do anything anytime soon because they weren't offering any concrete reason as to why the TSU site would be beneficial to the franchise given the flooding issue and the lack of infrastructure on the property.   I was told that TSU felt like they were simply exploring other options as a tactic to get closer to Nissan or some other downtown location, not actually considering the TSU property.  

Edited April 19, 2021 by PillowTalk4

[nashvylle]

22 minutes ago, PillowTalk4 said:

I was just catching up on this subject and saw your question.  Not sure it was answered.  The Cumberland Shores at TSU project is on the main campus and highly unlikely to move forward because it too is a major flood area that would require significant work to prevent.  It is currently agricultural research land for TSU.  It was just recently flooded with the rains Nashville received a few weeks ago.

That being said, the MLB group trying to establish a team in Nashville had a meeting with TSU officials I believe in February.  I could be wrong about the meeting timeframe.   There's been nothing since and other locations that were mentioned included the Nissan Stadium area, Metro Center and the area across from River North on the Germantown side that is near I-65 just opposite of Metro Center.  I believe there's a concrete company in that area.  Quite honestly, TSU didn't feel like they are ready to do anything anytime soon because they're 

Thanks @PillowTalk4 very interesting info. Did you accidentally click save without finishing your thought? You ended with "anytime soon because they're".... I'm intrigued to know why!

I am particularly interested in what you said RE Nissan Stadium and Germantown. I doubt the Titans would give up their riverfront land (and they have said so), but if the MLB team gave up equity in the team in exchange for the parking lots behind Nissan Stadium, the land for mixed-use development THE TITANS want to develop already for Nissan Stadium renovations will become much, much more valuable if it were adjacent to  the Titans AND Stars stadiums...

WRT Germantown, I imagine this tract of land along cement plant road is what you're referring to?  If so, that would be a great location with Oracle and the pedestrian bridge. 

[henburg]

7 hours ago, markhollin said:

Received this e-mail today...
 

So we should all definitely try and send them an email with some of our thoughts, right? I know we're not going to single-handedly convince them to stick to a downtown site, but we could help demonstrate a strong disdain for suburban stadiums that exists within their potential fanbase. Outside of that, a lot of you guys have genuinely interesting ideas and insights that they may find helpful. 

Speaking for me personally, my interest in this team basically hinges on the ballpark experience being fun, interesting, and within close distance to the attractions of downtown, so any potential Rutherford or even Williamson County stadium would basically guarantee that I never go to a game. Not to mention, I have no doubt that one of the main things that makes Nashville attractive to the MLB is our tourists, and placing the stadium in a place like Cool Springs or Murfreesboro that is far away from the rest of the action immediately makes a ballgame a much less attractive proposition for them.

Sure, die-hard baseball fans will be willing to make the drive to the suburbs to see the game, but that's not who they need to be winning over. They need to win over the casuals (like me) who have never loved baseball before, but want to see the new coolest attraction downtown and be a part of something fun. It's critical that the ownership group realizes that overcoming some of the assumed hurdles like land price and availability within the Nashville core are worth overcoming to make the best product possible.

Edited April 15, 2021 by henburg

[MLBrumby]

46 minutes ago, henburg said:

So we should all definitely try and send them an email with some of our thoughts, right? I know we're not going to single-handedly convince them to stick to a downtown site, but we could help demonstrate a strong disdain for suburban stadiums that exists within their potential fanbase. Outside of that, a lot of you guys have genuinely interesting ideas and insights that they may find helpful. 

Speaking for me personally, my interest in this team basically hinges on the ballpark experience being fun, interesting, and within close distance to the attractions of downtown, so any potential Rutherford or even Williamson County stadium would basically guarantee that I never go to a game. Not to mention, I have no doubt that one of the main things that makes Nashville attractive to the MLB is our tourists, and placing the stadium in a place like Cool Springs or Murfreesboro that is far away from the rest of the action immediately makes a ballgame a much less attractive proposition for them.

Sure, die-hard baseball fans will be willing to make the drive to the suburbs to see the game, but that's not who they need to be winning over. They need to win over the casuals (like me) who have never loved baseball before, but want to see the new coolest attraction downtown and be a part of something fun. It's critical that the ownership group realizes that overcoming some of the assumed hurdles like land price and availability within the Nashville core are worth overcoming to make the best product possible.

From what I've seen/heard from the ownership team, they feel the same way about proximity to downtown. 

[nashvylle]

@henburg I’ve put together a presentation already with site locations. Happy to send directly to anyone who wants to input and we can send together, or all individually (to make a bigger impact). 
 

I’ll send tomorrow if that works. 

[PillowTalk4]

On 4/15/2021 at 3:51 PM, nashvylle said:

Thanks @PillowTalk4 very interesting info. Did you accidentally click save without finishing your thought? You ended with "anytime soon because they're".... I'm intrigued to know why!

I am particularly interested in what you said RE Nissan Stadium and Germantown. I doubt the Titans would give up their riverfront land (and they have said so), but if the MLB team gave up equity in the team in exchange for the parking lots behind Nissan Stadium, the land for mixed-use development THE TITANS want to develop already for Nissan Stadium renovations will become much, much more valuable if it were adjacent to  the Titans AND Stars stadiums...

WRT Germantown, I imagine this tract of land along cement plant road is what you're referring to?  If so, that would be a great location with Oracle and the pedestrian bridge. 

My computer has a very sensitive touch pad, I may have inadvertently deleted the tail end of my statement.  so, I went back to finish it.  In short TSU didn't feel like their interest in TSU property is real but more of a tactic.  And, yes I believe that is the location of the property described as another option.  Seems a little odd to me that they would consider property near a wastewater treatment facility.

[L'burgnative]

Not ideal but better than in the burbs and some other places mentioned but has the Greer Stadium location been considered?  It's just outside the interstate loop and if it were facing due north rather than southeast like Greer was you may get a good view of downtown if Fort Negley doesn't block it.  I've never been to Greer so I have no ideal how steep a hill Fort Negley sits on and to know if it blocks the view of downtown.  Also I think you would need to add interstate access using Chestnut St. or Hamilton Ave. for this site to work.  Again it's not an ideal location but there are much worse locations nor is there enough land in the ideal locations.

Edited April 26, 2021 by L'burgnative

[PaulChinetti]

This site won’t happen because of the archeological significance it holds. 
 

But it’s a hell of a location. 

[L'burgnative]

But there used to be a ballpark  on those grounds, what's changed?  There looks to be plenty of room for an MLB ballpark and keep it off the Fort's grounds.

[titanhog]

44 minutes ago, L'burgnative said:

But there used to be a ballpark  on those grounds, what's changed?  There looks to be plenty of room for an MLB ballpark and keep it off the Fort's grounds.

It’s going to be a park once they clean up the ballpark site…and it will probably honor the African Americans, many who are buried on the site after helping build the fort.  Don’t know all of the history…but that’s at least similar to what I’ve read.

I would still love for there to be a civil war museum of Middle TN on the site somewhere, myself.

[smeagolsfree]

Yea, I agree that it will not become another ball park. That has become pretty clear as Metro wants to keep it as a park. The political uproar it would cause would be a political nuclear minefield.

[PaulChinetti]

10 hours ago, L'burgnative said:

But there used to be a ballpark  on those grounds, what's changed?  There looks to be plenty of room for an MLB ballpark and keep it off the Fort's grounds.

Uproar about city property going to private developers. 

Uproar about disregarding the history there, especially African American history.

[PillowTalk4]

PaulChinetti, I had to crop that picture (hope you don't mind) because this is a view rarely seen of the Nashville skyline.  I like the separation between downtown/SoBro, the Gulch and mid-town this angle creates.  As Nashville grows the views are becoming more and more impressive.  Yet another reason to stop focusing on the Batman building.  There's just so much more to Nashville's skyline.  Hint, hint photographers, cameramen and women, etc.

[henburg]

Oakland Athletics to start looking at relocating elsewhere

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/31427293/oakland-athletics-start-looking-relocating-elsewhere-sources-say

This is likely just a ploy from ownership to try and win public funds toward a new stadium, and I would honestly hate to steal a team from Oakland, but I still feel that this could be a potential storyline to watch moving forward.

Edited May 13, 2021 by henburg

[nashvylle]

2 minutes ago, henburg said:

Oakland Athletics to start looking at relocating elsewhere

https://www.espn.com/mlb/story/_/id/31427293/oakland-athletics-start-looking-relocating-elsewhere-sources-say

This is likely just a ploy from ownership to try and win public funds toward a new stadium, and I would honestly hate to steal a team from Oakland, but I still feel that this could still be a potential storyline to watch moving forward.

I agree on the strategy for public funds. 

[MidTenn1]

Of all the options (expansion, relocation), getting the A's would by far be the best option. You get instant tradition and credibility. The Nashville Athletics!!...sounds good. However, with a relocated Tampa team, you have the Yankees and Red Sox coming to town a couple of times a years.

[DDIG]

I think MLB would want to keep the A's out west. I also don't think timing is right for Nashville (no appetite for a major stadium project with public money). I do think by 2030 we have a MLB team.

[nashvylle]

44 minutes ago, PHofKS said:

Of all the options (expansion, relocation), getting the A's would by far be the best option. You get instant tradition and credibility. The Nashville Athletics!!...sounds good. However, with a relocated Tampa team, you have the Yankees and Red Sox coming to town a couple of times a years.

Any team relocation would be renamed the Nashville Stars. 

[ruraljuror]

47 minutes ago, nashvylle said:

Any team relocation would be renamed the Nashville Stars. 

Any team relocation will be named whatever the relocating ownership group wants. 

The Stars is the name being promoted by the main local ownership group looking to secure an expansion team, but I can't imagine that having a big impact on any relocation effort's new branding unless there's some kind of public outcry that influences the relocating ownership group, which seems very unlikely to me. 

[Bos2Nash]

I can't read the whole article (sorry don't have the funds to subscribe), but not everyone appears no board with MLB here.

https://www.nashvillepost.com/sports/while-a-nice-thought-a-nashville-mlb-team-isn-t-realistic/article_40109808-b2ce-11eb-8bf7-cfea74613183.html