Work on the Tennessee Titans’ new stadium was forced to come to a grinding halt Friday after workers reportedly made a horrifying discovery at the construction site.
Nashville Police have launched an investigation after a noose was found at site of the Titans’ new state-of-art $2.1 billion home, according to ESPN.
The Tennessee Builders Alliance, which is leading the building work, has suspended all work after reporting the ‘racist’ incident to law enforcement.
‘This week, a racist and hateful symbol was discovered on our site,’ the Tennessee Builders Alliance said in a statement issued to the outlet. ‘There is no place for hate or racism in our workplace. We reported the incident to law enforcement, suspended work, and launched an investigation.’
The alliance added that a reward has been offered for ‘information leading to the identification of the individual responsible.’ All workers will also be required to undergo additional anti-bias training.
The 60,000-seat stadium, which is nestled alongside the Titans’ current home, Nissan Stadium, on the east bank of the Cumberland River, is currently projected to open in 2027. However, it is unclear how long construction will be halted for following this week’s incident and the impact it could have on the project’s timeline.
Work on the Tennessee Titans’ new stadium was forced to come to a grinding halt Friday
Renderings show plans for the $2.1 million domed stadium in Nashville’s bid for the Super Bowl
Nashville Mayor Freddie O’Connell emphasized the importance the city places on workplace safety as he expressed concern over the incident.
‘Obviously, this is an environment where we want to try as hard as we can to prevent scenarios that might be fear or hate-based,’ O’Connell said in a statement.
‘We’ve taken some steps, both with local policies, state policy, and partnership with them to try, again, to keep temperatures low and prevent hate incidents like this. It is very concerning, there is an open investigation. I know the Titans are cooperating with Metro Nashville Police and we’ll see what that investigation turns up.’
Plans for the new stadium have been in the works since 2022 in the hope of bolstering Music City’s bid to host the Super Bowl.
The potential new stadium would cover 1.7 million square feet, while seating approximately 60,000 spectators.
Construction broke ground in 2024 and is projected to cost $2.1 billion – $840 million of which is provided by the Titans.
Meanwhile, public funding is contributing a staggering $1.26 billion, which marks the largest public subsidy for a stadium in the United States.
The team’s current stadium was opened in 1999 to be the home for the Titans after the Houston Oilers relocated to Nashville.
The state-of-the-art stadium is being built behind the NFL franchise’s current home
The Titans are planning a stadium with a translucent roof and a capacity between 55,000 and 60,000 that will be usable year-round using Manica Architecture, which designed the Raiders’ Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas and the NBA champion Golden State Warriors’ Chase Center in San Francisco.
Nashville already hosted the 2019 NFL draft, drawing approximately 600,000 people over three days.
A domed stadium could create new revenue streams.
In New Orleans, for instance, the Superdome has hosted everything from the Super Bowl, to college football’s national championship, and the NCAA Final Four.
