MEMPHIS, Tenn. — With Tennessee handing $500 million in bonds to finance Nashville's new NFL stadium, good for Mayor Jim Strickland to get in line and argue Memphis sports venues also need some love.
On the positive side, FedExForum needs to be brought up to newer NBA standards, which includes taking lots of seats from the upper bowl and putting them below the terrace level closer to the court.
The city should pitch in for the redo of Simmons Bank Liberty Stadium, although we're told the university will still pay for most of it.
AutoZone Park needs a facelift and sharing the space with the 901 FC has been a nightmare. A new arena would do very well, but there are some serious questions.
- How does the administration know all four projects will cost exactly $684 million, yet they can't break down how much each project will cost?
- Either they do know and aren't saying, or if they really don't know, how can they be asking for all that money?
- How will the Grizzlies react to having another viable concert venue available in Memphis? Since the day FedExForum opened, the team's been very hostile to offer its exclusivity rights.
Hopefully, we'll get answers soon because if Memphis sports fans know anything, taxpayer-funded projects have a way of becoming a lot more expensive than we were told.