The Metro Nashville Sports Authority (MNSA) "could be on the hook" for up to $11M to "cover new upgrades and upkeep at Nissan Stadium over the next few years," according to Joey Garrison of the Nashville TENNESSEAN. The venue also is undergoing a $15M seat replacement. The looming expense has members of the MNSA "looking for a plan to cover the city-owned stadium's future capital costs, which are on track to exceed" the $1M annual subsidy the club receives. Upcoming "anticipated projects" eyed by the Titans include a $1.8M environmentally friendly lighting system; a $1M digital security surveillance system to replace its outdated analog version; and $500,000 for a new system to control stadium lights. Under terms of the team’s stadium lease agreement with the city, the Titans "pay for miscellaneous capital improvements on the front end and then get reimbursed" by the MNSA. The Nissan Stadium capital fund is "currently at just $157,947," but the Titans have incurred $5.9M "in already completed capital projects that the team is expected to ask the city to reimburse." The Titans front office moving forward "has presented the sports authority with a list of 21 projects" totaling $5.1M. The club said that this amount is "needed to keep Nissan Stadium up to date." Timelines for the projects "aren’t clear, but many are targeted for this summer or next spring." Other projects "include fiber-optic upgrades for broadcast TV trucks and transmissions; new freight elevators, projected to be $425,000; and renovations to the stadium’s ticket offices, $410,318." Titans Senior VP & CFO Jenneen Kaufman said, "The stadium is getting older, and a lot of these things that are on the list have reached their useful life or, frankly, they’re no longer supported" (Nashville TENNESSEAN, 3/29).
