The Major League Soccer stadium to be constructed at the fairgrounds will cost between $50 million and $70 million more than initial estimates, but taxpayers will not be on the hook for the rising cost.

Nashville SC ownership will foot the bill for the expenses over the $250 million in public financing they received to build the stadium.

With a capacity of 30,000 fans, it will be the largest stadium built for soccer in North America. Nashville SC CEO Ian Ayre delivered a presentation on the status of the project to the Metro Sports Authority at its meeting on Thursday.

Demolition:Halt on Nashville fairgrounds demolition for MLS stadium rejected

Ayre told The Tennessean the project is on track and and the increased cost is not a cause for concern. He said it was expected that the cost estimate would change as more detailed architecture and design work was completed.

The project will now cost between $325 million and $345 million. The owners already committed $25 million in cash toward the project.

"It doesn't change anything from a cost perspective as far as Metro is concerned," Ayre said. "All of the additional cost is the soccer club's cost, which it always would have been. We've had a close handle on that, to make sure the stadium is what we want, not just for ourselves but for other uses as well."

Help us power local journalism. Become a subscriber today.

MLS stadium renderings

Updated renderings show a music festival atmosphere outside the soccer stadium. Ayre said during the design phase the club was deliberate about making sure the facility offers something for everyone.

That means seats will fold up to accommodate hardcore fans who wish to stand and more casual fans who want to take in the entire soccer-meets-music party the club is hoping to produce on game days.

Ayre said lead owner John Ingram called it a "uniquely Nashville" vibe.

While the design phase of the project advances, the construction will soon begin. The plan is to demolish the existing fairgrounds buildings in the fourth quarter of this year.

The stadium will have six lounges for fans to gather and around two dozen box suites, the exact number of which has not yet been determined.

"You have to decide these stadiums from the inside out," Ayre said. "They need to look pretty, but they need to function for all the things that you need.

"When you start with a concept, it's really that. It's a concept. You're never going to know until you get into the detail of the design what the actual cost is. We're also building the biggest soccer stadium in the U.S. So it was always going to be a bigger number than perhaps some people perceived."

Pieces coming together

A lawsuit seeking to block the soccer stadium project is in the midst of an appeal, but plaintiffs in that case have not been awarded the injunctive relief that would have delayed demolition of the fairgrounds buildings.

Fairgrounds spokeswoman Holly McCall said the ongoing litigation will not interrupt the demolition schedule.

Nashville SC is also making progress on staffing. The expansion club has hired about 50 front office staffers and signed five players. The team's office is located off Nolensville Pike just across the street from the fairgrounds.

One of the next major updates to the project will be the name of the stadium. Ayre said naming rights for the stadium and a lead sponsor for the team's jerseys are still in the works.

But, he added that ticket sales are going well. Though he didn't disclose what the total number is, the team is already at 30% of its goal for ticket sales.

Nashville SC will begin MLS play in 2020. The team plans to play at Nissan Stadium in its first two seasons before moving into a completed fairgrounds stadium in 2022.

The Sports Authority board also voted to approve an increase in the project management contract for the soccer stadium. Contractor GBH had its fee increased by up to $300,000. The original contract was for $375,000. The arena reserve fund will pay for the increase initially, and then the fund will be reimbursed once the bonds are offered in early 2020.

Reach Nate Rau at 615-259-8094 and nrau@tennessean.com. Follow him on Twitter @tnnaterau.

Stadium opposition:Metro Council to consider halt on Nashville fairgrounds demolition for MLS stadium

Soccer culture:Is Nashville officially a soccer city? Gold Cup is the next chance to prove it is

Big event coming:MLS commits to having All-Star Game in Nashville

Follow Nashville SC:Subscribe to The Tennessean to follow Nashville SC's evolution into an MLS franchise