Mayor Briley pens open letter to Nashville ahead of MLS stadium vote: 'We just have to close the deal'

Joey Garrison | The Tennessean

Show Caption Hide Caption Nashville soccer stadium plans at the fairgrounds for the MLS team Nashville was awarded a MLS team in 2017 and now the city is pushing to build a stadium for the team to play in

Nashville Mayor David Briley delivered his most forceful pitch yet for approval of a $275 million Major League Soccer stadium project at the fairgrounds, declaring, "Now we just have to close the deal."

Briley issued an open letter to Nashville on Monday morning, hours before the Metro Council is set to a take up a controversial rezoning of 10 acres of fairgrounds land for a mixed-use private development planned next to the stadium.

"Make no mistake about it: Nashville is a soccer city," Briley said in the letter.

More: Nashville council advances MLS stadium, but project still in doubt

A public hearing, likely to be lengthy, will precede the second of three required votes on the rezoning. Final approval for four pieces of legislation needed for the MLS stadium project would occur on Sept. 4. if the rezoning is advanced Monday.

Briley, who is carrying the torch for a project first pushed by former Mayor Megan Barry, said the "deal has only gotten better and better" since Nashville was awarded an MLS expansion franchise in December.

He pointed to a reworked ground lease for the 10 acres that will result in $22.8 million in rent for the city over 99 years, a plan for a larger stadium with a capacity of 30,500 seats, and affordable housing promised for the redevelopment.

He also alluded to ongoing negotiations for a community benefits agreement between the MLS ownership led by John Ingram and a group of labor unions and community stakeholders who comprise Stand up Nashville. The agreement would guarantee things like affordable housing, wages levels for construction workers and other items.

"This deal is a new way of doing business in Nashville, one that will guarantee minority business opportunities, create affordable housing and provide for new cultural and community space.

"And none of it will harm the existing fairgrounds uses," he said, adding that the annual Tennessee State Fair, flea market and auto racing would continue under the plan. "This is a chance to make a significant investment in a growing area of town, and ensure the fairgrounds remains a treasure for decades to come."

More: Technicality could derail push for referendum on Nashville MLS stadium

Briley also addressed a push from At-large Councilman John Cooper to hold a referendum on financing the MLS stadium. It appears that effort is stalled over a technicality that Briley's administration is taking advantage of that says the city's finance director must sign off on the availability of funds for pending legislation.

"While some have made last-minute calls for a referendum on stadium construction, I know the Metro Council is ready to vote," Briley said. "Your elected representatives on the council make big decisions all the time — after all, that's what you elected them for — and they're ready to tackle this one after the long thorough process that led us to this point."

Reach Joey Garrison at 615-259-8236, jgarrison@tennessean.com and on Twitter @joeygarrison.