Less than one week before a crucial vote on Nashville’s proposed $275 million Major League Soccer stadium at the city’s fairgrounds, a Metro councilman is trying to trigger a tougher threshold for the project to advance.

But At-large Councilman John Cooper's legislative push has been met with resistance from Mayor Megan Barry's administration, which says his effort wouldn’t have any legal impact on their ability to move forward.

The council on Tuesday is set to vote on a $225 million bond resolution for the stadium, which requires just majority approval in the 40-member council and a one-time vote.

Cooper — a critic of the stadium and other projects from Barry's administration — has filed legislation that would force a quicker vote on demolishing existing fairgrounds buildings, a move needed to make way for the stadium project. Unlike the bond resolution, demolishing buildings at the fairgrounds requires 27 votes, a higher bar.

The mayor’s office is planning to wait on taking a demolition ordinance before the council until after MLS announces in December whether Nashville is one of the two cities awarded an expansion franchise. A mayor’s office spokesman said the administration still needs time to identify which buildings must be removed.

By forcing a vote sooner than the mayor wants, Cooper could seemingly deliver a blow to the MLS stadium project if the council does not support razing the fairgrounds buildings.

An ordinance requires three council votes, setting up a timeline for a potential final vote on Cooper’s bill Dec. 5.

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But the mayor's office says Metro could move ahead with the project even if Cooper's bill fails.

"Failure of this ordinance to pass has no force of law and does not in any way impact our ability to move forward with planning for a stadium should the bond resolution be approved and should MLS award Nashville a franchise,” mayor’s office spokesman Sean Braisted said.

'The voters have already spoken,' councilman says

According to council attorney Mike Jameson, the failure of Cooper’s bill would not preclude the mayor’s office from pursuing demolition at a later time.

“There’s no limit in the charter on how many attempts are made at getting 27 votes for an ordinance,” Jameson said.

Cooper pointed to a 2011 fairgrounds referendum Nashville voters overwhelming approved in 2011 that created the new benchmark of 27 votes to demolish any buildings at the site.

► More:Fairgrounds backers slam proposal for Nashville Major League Soccer stadium

“We should not permit an end-run around the voters’ intentions as reflected in the 2011 referendum,” Cooper said.

“Since the plan cannot work without demolition, the council must consider the demolition question first, and the charter’s 27-vote rule must govern,” he said. “The voters have already spoken.”

Cooper went on to cite a 10-acre private mixed-use development tied to the stadium proposal that continues to face strong pushback from some council members. He said it was fear of this sort of land deal to private developers that “voters were concerned about when they voted for this Charter amendment.”

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The demolition ordinance is up for a procedural first of three votes at the council on Tuesday, the same night the bond resolution will be considered.

Mayor's office calls proposal not appropriate or advisable

In opposing the bill, Braisted argued it it would give Metro “carte blanche authority” to demolish all buildings at the fairgrounds, including the auto-racing speedway — “which we do not think is appropriate or advisable.”

“Instead, at the appropriate time, we would seek Metro Council approval of the demolition of specific buildings on the site so that councilmembers and fairgrounds supporters know exactly what was being proposed,” Braisted said. “This would not happen until more specific stadium designs and a plan for reconstructing fair and expo facilities is in place.”

Cooper fired back, saying the administration should present “a well thought out plan for all aspects of the site, including the proposed demolition of any premises” before requesting the authorization of funding.

“The 'carte blanche' is actually what the administration is looking for,” Cooper said. “In effect the administration is saying to fund the bonds, give the land, and then we will tell you where things go and what happens 'exactly' at the fairgrounds.”

Council could take up amendment to remove 10-acre private development

Councilman Jeremy Elrod, who has criticized the private development portion of the stadium project, said he supports Cooper’s bill. Elrod said the council should be considering demolition on the front end.

“Because of the higher threshold, I think that needs to be done as soon as possible,” Elrod said. “I wish that was part of what we’re considering at the next council meeting because once we approve the resolution it puts more pressure on us to approve the 27-vote ordinance."

Separately, Elrod has filed an amendment to the bond resolution that would eliminate the private development from the project, arguing the city shouldn't give away additional Metro-owned land that is not needed for the stadium itself. He plans to put the amendment forward if the proposal is not overhauled.

Under the stadium proposal, Nashville's MLS ownership group led by businessman John Ingram would enter into a 99-year lease for 10 acres of fairgrounds land with plans to build residential, retail, commercial space and a hotel. The owners have said the mixed-use development, which is aimed at improving the fan experience, is a key component of the deal.

Mayor's office commits to more specific guaranty language

Council members wary of the stadium proposal have also raised concerns about the guarantees from the ownership group in the deal. The resolution says the “team owners” would guarantee annual lease payments over the duration of the 30-year stadium lease, but it does not specify individual members of the ownership group.

In a letter last week, Metro Finance Director Talia Lomax-O’dneal informed the council that the administration is in negotiations with the Ingram-led ownership group about more specific guaranty language.

Changes will be presented in a substitute resolution that will be taken up at Monday’s Budget and Finance Committee meeting ahead of the resolutions vote Tuesday.

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