Questions surrounded future of Nashville's MLS stadium, David Briley's win settles them

Jon Garcia | The Tennessean

Show Caption Hide Caption Nashville's proposed soccer stadium may have hidden costs to city coffers Sales tax revenue redirected into the stadium financing could be a drain on the city and state coffers

Nashville Mayor David Briley's win on Thursday likely put to bed any questions surrounding the proposed $275 million Major League Soccer stadium at the city's fairgrounds.

Briley has made clear he is committed to building the stadium.

"We'll build a Major League Soccer stadium at the Fairgrounds, as we made a commitment to do by an overwhelming vote of the Metro Council just last fall," he said in his State of the Metro address earlier this month.

Related: Nashville Mayor's Briley's challengers unsure about MLS stadium at fairgrounds

Related: Nashville council defeats proposal to rescind Major League Soccer stadium deal

Nashville MLS owner: Scrapping fairgrounds stadium plan would cost city team

Over the past few weeks, several of Briley's opponents criticized the plan, raised questions about the expensive up-front cost for the project or wondered if the fairgrounds is the right site.

"Based on my understanding of the city's budget crisis, I don't see how they can afford to build a stadium," former Vanderbilt University professor Carol Swain said.

"How does it look for us to say we're going to keep our promise to MLS to build a stadium and we're not keeping our promise to our schools and to our first-responders? That becomes problematic," State Rep. Harold Love Jr. said.

"I don't think [the fairgrounds is] the only place that the soccer stadium can be built," said Ralph Bristol.

The lead owner of Nashville's MLS franchise, John Ingram, said scrapping the plan would cost the city the team.

Related: Nashville wants to hear from residents on revamped fairgrounds with MLS stadium

More: As some mayoral candidates question MLS stadium, an update on pro soccer in Nashville

What comes next?

Ian Ayre, former CEO of Liverpool Football Club of the English Premier League, was named the first CEO of Nashville's MLS team this week.

He said his first move will be to hire a general manager. After that hire is made, they'll put together a staff and move their sites toward coaches, players, training facilities and the stadium.

Ingram has said they are aiming to start play in 2020.

Ian Ayre introduced as new CEO of Nashville MLS expansion team Ian Ayre was announced as the new CEO of the MLS expansion team in a press conference at Nissan Stadium.

Joey Garrison, Colton Pouncy and Dave Ammenheuser contributed to this report.