First Horizon Park - Home of the Nashville Sounds

[Paramount747]

We need that big giant guitar skyscraper, instead.

Yep Davy, I walked into that one!    

[smeagolsfree]

Hate to ruin your day, but they have already made plans to move the old GUITAR scoreboard to the new stadium. They say its iconic, sort of like the Doorman Poet, AKA, John.

[bwithers1]

From what I've read I figure that about 2.3 million of the 4.3 million metro will have to pay on this stadium per year (for 30 years) either comes directly from the taxpayer or is contingent upon tax revenue from developments that only have a handshake agreement in place to ensure they get built. Metro sure doesn't mind spending money in certain places as opposed to others. 

The debate at the second reading was about a proposed amendment from CM Tygard that would have required the Sounds to make Nashville whole if they did not build the surrounding developments that would generate the additional tax revenue to bring the city's annual loss down to only $375K.  CM Tygard's amendment failed, but apparently the effort did bring the Sounds to the Table to place a deadline year for completion of the surrounding developments or otherwise face a lease payment increase for failure to do so.  But even that lease payment increase still leaves the city losing $375K or whatever annually.  That's after the additional property tax and sales tax revenue.  CM Steine of the Budget and Finance Committee also stated that as a result of negotiations immediately prior to the second reading, that the type of Metro bonds was changed from General Obligation Bonds to Revenue bonds, which is somehow less risky for Metro taxpayers, who are still losing $375K per year.

 

I'm not a finance person, so I'm sure I am butchering that, but that is my recollection of that particular debate.  Ultimately that finance plan passed on second reading and CM Tygard's amendment to hold the Sounds liable failed.

 

Part of my problem with the Sounds Ballpark deal is that the only way that the public even got to hear about these considerations was by attending and sitting through a 3-hour council meeting.  There was precious little public input about the process before the council meeting so that the council members could get feedback about those details from their constituents. 

[donNdonelson2]

Hate to ruin your day, but they have already made plans to move the old GUITAR scoreboard to the new stadium. They say its iconic, sort of like the Doorman Poet, AKA, John.

I like the unique nature of the guitar scoreboard.  It's part of the character of Greer Stadium and I think it appropriate to have it included in the new stadium.  The team is, after all, called the Nashville SOUNDS!

[titanhog]

I like the unique nature of the guitar scoreboard.  It's part of the character of Greer Stadium and I think it appropriate to have it included in the new stadium.  The team is, after all, called the Nashville SOUNDS!

That's the thing about minor league baseball.  The "kitschiness" of the teams and their mascots is part of the charm.  The guitar scoreboard is very appropriate for minor league ball...IMO.  (yes...I think I made up a new word  )

[UTgrad09]

Part of the draw of minor league baseball is that it is not as refined -- from the players and coaches, to the fans and the atmosphere -- as the majors. It's about sitting in the cheap seats, eating ice cream out of a novelty miniature baseball helmet on a sultry summer's night, and watching that outfielder, whose name you can't pronounce, track a fly ball to the wall beneath a guitar-shaped scoreboard.

Edited December 14, 2013 by UTgrad09

[Paramount747]

I won't go to a ball park with a cheesy guitar shaped scoreboard. I'll save my money and drive to Atlanta for a ticket to the majors then!

[UTgrad09]

I won't go to a ball park with a cheesy guitar shaped scoreboard. I'll save my money and drive to Atlanta for a ticket to the majors then!

 

Enjoy your suburban office park baseball experience, then.

[Paramount747]

I somewhat jest, but I find the guitar shaped scoreboard a bit cheap and cheesy. Sorry!

 

 

Enjoy your suburban office park baseball experience, then.

 Hey at least it will be 20 miles closer to Nashville!

[BnaBreaker]

I won't go to a ball park with a cheesy guitar shaped scoreboard. I'll save my money and drive to Atlanta for a ticket to the majors then!

 

Scoreboard shape is a rather unique way to choose your sports allegiances.

[Paramount747]

I am an artist/designer at heart. I don't cheer for teams in uniforms that are orange, yellow, or red either. I like teams in blue, silver, grey, black, or green.

[UTgrad09]

So you don't cheer for the Preds?

[Jamie Hall]

Look around at some of today's minor-league teams and their oddball gimmicks and marketing plans. Nobody in the world gave a rat's behind about the Las Vegas Stars' baseball team until 2001, when they rebranded and became the Las Vegas Area 51s complete with a new logo that featured a gray, bug-eyed alien head. Attendance went up and merchandising went through the roof. In a crowded entertainment market like Nashville, the Sounds should use any marketing gimmick they can find, including a guitar-shaped scoreboard.

[Paramount747]

So you don't cheer for the Preds?

Of course I do, I was being funny. I simply don't care for the guitar shaped scoreboard, but Jamie Hall is correct. Minor league baseball is a sport that needs a gimmick to sell just like Arena football. 

[bigeasy]

While we are on the subject of sports. I overhead a conversation two people were having at the gym a few days ago. One guy mentioned he believes the Preds and Titans will be gone in a few years. He said they will purposely put a bad product on the field so that attendance will drop and they can void the contract with the city.  He also said that LP Stadium should be demolished and a 20K+ seat amphitheater should be built. I walked off with him stating the amphitheater would of been better for Nashville than the convention center. It worries me that some people in Nashville think these things.

[timmay143]

Well, out of 1 million people you're likely to have one odd ball...

[nashvillwill]

While we are on the subject of sports. I overhead a conversation two people were having at the gym a few days ago. One guy mentioned he believes the Preds and Titans will be gone in a few years. He said they will purposely put a bad product on the field so that attendance will drop and they can void the contract with the city. He also said that LP Stadium should be demolished and a 20K+ seat amphitheater should be built. I walked off with him stating the amphitheater would of been better for Nashville than the convention center. It worries me that some people in Nashville think these things.

That, my friend, is what we call a "fair weather" fan.

Edit; But I guess I will agree with him on one thing. If the Preds start playing on a "field", then yes, they are intentionally doing something wrong.

Edited December 16, 2013 by nashvillwill

[UTgrad09]

While we are on the subject of sports. I overhead a conversation two people were having at the gym a few days ago. One guy mentioned he believes the Preds and Titans will be gone in a few years. He said they will purposely put a bad product on the field so that attendance will drop and they can void the contract with the city.  He also said that LP Stadium should be demolished and a 20K+ seat amphitheater should be built. I walked off with him stating the amphitheater would of been better for Nashville than the convention center. It worries me that some people in Nashville think these things.

 

I could believe that with the Titans, to an extent (the Titans don't have to try to put a bad product on the field -- they are highly successful at that). The Titans are owned by a family without Nashville roots, and moved here for the simple reason that their former city would not build them a new stadium. The thing is, I don't think they are close to doing that. Even with the empty seats at some of the games, all the tickets are sold. There is still a lot of fan support. It wouldn't make sense to leave Nashville right now.

 

For the Preds...we already went through this with Craig LIARpold. He put a subpar product out on the ice and was unwilling to invest in advertising and didn't work on arena management. The new ownership IS Nashville based, and it was bought for the sole purpose of keeping the team here. It's not a money-making venture. If they thought they could make more money elsewhere, they would've already moved the team. Instead they have invested heavily in their fanbase here, in the arena, in bringing in corporate sponsorship, and most notably, making Bridgestone Arena one of the most active arenas on the planet, which is a huge positive for the city.

 

 

In summation, I think the person who made that comment should be beaten with a bag full of ball bearings.

[fieldmarshaldj]

<img src="http://www.dvdtalk.com/reviews/images/reviews/1/1242698526_3.jpg">

Edited December 17, 2013 by fieldmarshaldj

[satalac]

With the way Nashville is booming right now, choosing to leave would be a silly mistake. Think of the new potential fan base that is coming to town. I think that the Titans are bad due to bad coaching, not the owners wanting to move out of the city. I would love to see ownership change hands to local investors though. We may have to have the symphony play at halftime, but Martha Ingram needs some football in her life (and financial assets). 

[nashmoney]

Hey Everyone....New Poster here. Born and raised in Nashville, but now live in Chattanooga. I'm not new to the forum, just have never posted anything. I check it almost daily, so I thought would go ahead and contribute to the forum since I am on here so much. I look forward to posting and contributing to the site. We have one of the most active forums on the site!

 

Regarding the Sounds stadium, I found the following courtesy of news 2 website. Better images and site plans. Hopefully I posted this correctly. Let me know if I did anything wrong ( I wont get sued for reposting this info will I?)

 

http://www.wkrn.com/story/24235099/new-ballpark-pictures-emerge-as-state-approves-design

 

NASHVILLE, Tenn. -

More pictures emerged Monday afternoon of what the new minor league ballpark development for the Nashville Sounds will likely look like.

The renderings were released at meeting of the State Building Commission which needed to sign off on the overall design of the $150 million public private project.

The state is giving land to Metro for part of the ballpark site in exchange for a $23 million payment to build two parking garage facilities near the stadium.

Part of the land now is parking for state workers.

The Building Commission gave its approval to the design after hearing the look "will be compatible" with the state's nearby BiCentennial Mall and proposed library and archives building.

A representative of the Embrey Development Corp. detailed its plans before the commission as well.

Property tax from the four story $37 million residential development, along with a second $50 million, mixed-used development from the Sounds will help pay off bonds that will fund the stadium.

The Sounds have not yet detailed their plans for the development.

After the state gave its design approval, Ron Gobbell the project manager told News 2, the stadium is likely looking at a "late January or early February" groundbreaking.

The ballpark is expected to be finished by April of 2015.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[nashvylle]

Thank you very much for posting these. Assuming the residential development surrounds the ballpark as planned, I think people's concerns about the stadium itself not built with brick, etc. will be a non-issue.

[nashvillwill]

Interesting. So the field will be below grade. I actually like that feature.

[MidTenn1]

Nothing says 'Ballpark' like ......

 

[henburg]

This actually looks better than I thought it would based on some of the early renderings we saw. While it's not stunning, we should remember that it is a Minor League Ballpark. However, I do have some questions about the plan, namely about that big empty corner in front of the residential component.