Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway opponents, supporters clash in dueling rallies, hearing

Dueling rallies posted up at opposite ends of the Nashville Fairgrounds Tuesday to weigh in on the future of the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway.

Dozens of people clad in red "Save My Fairgrounds" shirts stood shoulder to shoulder under a large tent in the speedway's infield. A slate of speakers — including professional racing drivers Kurt Busch and Bubba Wallace — advocated in favor of the proposed 30-year speedway renovation deal between Metro and Bristol Motor Speedway.

On the far side of nearby GEODIS Park, deal opponents picked up white T-shirts as representatives of community groups including StandUp Nashville, South Nashville Action People and Neighbors Opposing Track Expansion spoke against the red flags they saw in the proposal.

Each side preached to their respective choirs. Between them: the speedway grandstands and a 328-unit mixed-income apartment building still under construction.

If the deal goes through, Nashville would enter into a 30-year agreement with Bristol Motor Speedway, which would oversee an estimated $100 million in renovations to the existing track, including the construction of a 30,000-seat grandstand, a sound wall and an "enhanced infield."

The renovation would be bankrolled by $17 million from the state, $17 million from the Nashville Convention and Visitors Corp. (which itself is funded in large part by hotel taxes) and Metro-backed revenue bonds issued by the Metro Sports Authority.

Scores of red and white shirts poured into GEODIS' Lo Siento Goal Post Club for Tuesday's community meeting, a key step required by Metro Code before the proposal can be considered by Nashville's council. The crowd filled the room to capacity, leaving some outside in overflow. The back wall was lined with Bristol poster boards displaying track renovation renderings, proposal details and testimonies advocating approval of the deal.

The deal's likelihood of reaching a final vote before the end of this Metro Council and mayoral term is slim, unless Nashville's mayor, vice mayor or council calls a special meeting before the end of August. Whether or not there is an appetite to do that is unclear.

In total, 80 people spoke at the meeting: 42 in favor and 38 against.

Thirty nine speakers reside in the four zip codes closest to the speedway. Of that group, 25 people (64%) spoke against the deal.

Opponents

Concerns listed by the deal's opponents include:

• Increased traffic in an already burdened area

• Lack of pedestrian and transit infrastructure to support another 30,000-seat venue in addition to GEODIS Park

• Noise and air pollution

• The deal's financial structure: the renovation price tag has yet to be finalized, and if the revenue from a renovated speedway doesn't cover bond debt payments, Metro is on the hook. Opponents see revenue bonds as a loan from Nashville's future that relies on the attraction of tourists

• Disbelief that the proposed sound wall would significantly reduce the noise that comes with a professional racetrack (specifically a track that hosts NASCAR races)

• Lack of transparency: Opponents say deal negotiations happened "behind closed doors" and the state legislature bypassed Metro by passing a law that lowers the Metro Council vote threshold needed for deal approval

• Perceived disregard for the wishes of community members and the general sentiment of the city

• Fatigue for public subsidies of entertainment venues

• Concern that racing won't be profitable enough long-term to cover debt obligations

• Concern that noise and increased traffic and tourism will negatively impact the mixed-income housing development under construction, and a planned child care center nearby

Key Quotes

• Ashley Locke said the proposed lease would not end until she has grandchildren. She asked others to imagine what it would be like to have their home "in the middle of a traffic jam for up to 100 days a year." "Your good memories are not more important than my neighbors' current lives," Locke said.

• "You will never convince me the taxpayer should be on the hook for potential debt from operating expenses by a private entity," Matt Greer, who lives near the speedway, said.

Supporters

Supporters' points in favor of the speedway renovation deal include:

• The speedway has been neglected for decades while Nashville built or approved deals for new entertainment venues, including GEODIS Park, the Sounds Stadium and the recently approved deal to build a new Tennessee Titans Stadium

• The speedway needs improvements to become ADA compliant and meet safety standards, and supporters see the deal as an opportunity for renewal of a place that is sacred to many native Nashvillians

• Desire to take advantage of an opportunity for the Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway to become a major racing facility and bring NASCAR back to the historic track

• Desire for future generations to have opportunities to make memories at the track, which many racers have enjoyed for several decades

• Supporters see the deal's proposed funding as diverting costs away from taxpayers and Nashville's General Fund

• Supporters say they believe the sound wall will significantly reduce noise

• It provides variety in racing venues (members of the racing community say it cannot be compared to the Nashville Motor Speedway in Lebanon)

• It provides a venue for younger racers to jumpstart their careers, and provides an outlet for young people in general

• Resentment toward the construction of GEODIS Park and owner John Ingram for his recent advocacy against the proposed deal

Key Quotes

• "For the improvements in safety, for the improvements in the long-term financial obligation to the city, and for honoring the will of the voters and the charter of our city, I support the Bristol Motor Speedway," mayoral candidate and District 17 resident Alice Rolli said.

• "I look around at this place, and we worked so hard to save it, and it hasn't gotten improved," Save My Fairgrounds leader Darden Copeland said at the rally prior to the community meeting. Later, he added, "We're going to ride this council term out, and we might catch lightning in a bottle, and if not, we'll work with the next one. These guys (Bristol) are patient. They're first-class operators."

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Clash over Nashville Fairgrounds Speedway during dueling rallies, hearing