A stadium, school repairs and water services: See Nashville's most expensive 'wish list' items

Five "wish list" items account for more than half of Nashville's newest $16.9 billion capital improvements budget.

Funding requests for school renovations and a new or renovated Titans stadium top the list.

The capital improvements budget acts as a municipal "wish list" of long-lasting, one-time capital expenses — an item's inclusion on the list does not mean it will be funded. But an item must be in the budget to receive capital funding, either individually or in a capital spending plan, with separate Metro Council approval.

The majority of requests in the capital improvements budget are part of major ongoing programs with county-wide impacts. These tend to be the most expensive requests with the longest timelines. Three out of five of this year's top asks are ongoing programs spanning multiple projects, with the proposed Titans stadium being a notable exception.

Here's what to know.

School renovations: $3.6 billion

School renovations are by far Metro's largest wish list item, with a request of $3.6 billion for renovations at 114 Metro Nashville Public Schools facilities.

The capital improvements budget lists about $1.1 billion in general obligation bonds requested between 2023 and 2028, with the other $2.5 billion falling beyond the budget's six-year scope to pay for the work.

Titans Stadium: $2.2 billion

The renovation of Nashville's existing Nissan Stadium or the construction of a new stadium could carry an estimated $2.2 billion price tag, though this funding would not come from general obligation bonds.

The state approved a $500 million in bonds toward a new, enclosed stadium. An estimated $700 million would come from "private commitments."

The remainder would be funded via revenue bonds issued by the Metro Nashville Sports Authority. Debt service on the bonds would be backed by sales tax from the stadium, hotel occupancy tax revenue and 50% of local sales taxes collected from up to 130 acres bordering the stadium (without crossing the Cumberland River).

The boundaries of that 130-acre tract would require state and Metro Council approval. Those funds would be funneled to stadium capital projects, debt service or infrastructure needed to operate the stadium facility.

The Titans estimate Metro's obligation to the team under the current stadium lease through 2039 totals $1.8 billion.

Related: Titans: $2.2B new NFL stadium a better value for Nashville than Nissan Stadium renovations

Report: Officials across Tennessee plan to spend more than $1.8 billion on stadiums

Metro Nashville Public Schools district-wide projects: $1.5 billion

About $1 billion of the requests for this collection of projects could be funded through a series of general obligation bonds over six years. An additional $422,000 falls beyond the capital improvements budget's six-year scope.

Line items include:

• HVAC Upgrades and replacements (Roughly $640 million)

• Building repairs, maintenance and improvements

• Fleet replacement and upgrades

• Technology upgrades and replacements

• Land acquisitions

• Safety and security measures

Clean Water Nashville program: $1.2 billion

The Clean Water Nashville program is part of a consent decree that requires Nashville to "use its best efforts" to eliminate 27 sewer overflows and comply with the Clean Water Act and Environmental Protection Agency regulations.

The multi-year program includes repairing and improving aging water and sewer infrastructure and improving water quality in the Cumberland River.

This year's capital improvements budget lists $1.2 billion in proposed water and sewer revenue bond requests from 2023 through 2028 alongside $64 million in proposed federal funding over the next two years.

General Water Treatment Plant facilities replacement and refurbishment: $633 million

This request includes about $302.8 million in proposed water and sewer revenue bonds over six years, alongside $330.5 million in federal funding.

Other notable requests

• Land Acquisition: $534 million for new parks and greenways

• East Bank infrastructure design and development: $500 million (Part of this infrastructure investment could support development of land that may fall within the 130-acre local tax zone surrounding the proposed new Titans stadium).

Cassandra Stephenson covers Metro government for The Tennessean. Reach her at ckstephenson@tennessean.com. Follow Cassandra on Twitter at @CStephenson731.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: The five most expensive items on Nashville's spending 'wish list'