Turner-AECOM Hunt JV wins final approval on $2.1B Tennessee stadium

UPDATE: Aug. 18, 2023: Nashville, Tennessee’s Metropolitan Sports Authority approved Thursday the joint venture to manage construction of the Tennessee Titans’ future multibillion-dollar stadium.

Tennessee Builders Alliance — made up of Turner, AECOM Hunt, Nashville-based ICF Builders and Brentwood, Tennessee-based Polk & Associates — will serve as construction manager at risk on the project, set to begin construction by mid-2024.

TBA will select trade contractors to work on the project, and a website detailing upcoming opportunities to participate in construction of the new stadium is expected in coming months. In the interim, businesses interested in working on the project can fill out the general interest form at TennesseeTitans.com/Procurement.

Dive Brief:

The Tennessee Titans have selected a construction team with experience in building football stadiums for its new $2.1 billion venue in Nashville. The NFL franchise tapped a joint venture led by firms including Turner and AECOM Hunt, the Nashville Business Journal reported Tuesday.
The proposed construction management team also includes Polk & Associates and ICF Builders. The JV beat out a proposal from Clark Construction, Mortenson, Bell Construction and Pinnacle Construction, according to the Nashville Business Journal.
The Nashville Sports Authority is expected to approve the Turner-AECOM Hunt team on Thursday, according to the Nashville Business Journal. Neither Turner nor AECOM Hunt responded to Construction Dive’s request for comment. Instead, spokespeople for both contractors pointed to the Nashville Sports Authority’s board meeting schedule.

Dive Insight:

In recent years, Turner and AECOM Hunt constructed the NFL’s $5.5 billion SoFi Stadium in Inglewood, California — home to the Los Angeles Rams and Los Angeles Chargers and the most expensive venue ever built. AECOM also built the $1.5 billion Mercedes-Benz stadium, home to the Atlanta Falcons, in a JV with Holder Construction, H. J. Russell & Co., and Moody Construction Co. Turner is currently building the $1.4 billion Buffalo Bills stadium in a JV with Gilbane.

The team expects to begin construction on the 62,000-seat Titans stadium following the end of the 2023 season. The Titans reached an agreement with the city to build a domed stadium near Nissan Stadium, the team’s home since 1996.

In April, the city agreed to at least $1.26 billion in public funding for the stadium proposal; the largest public subsidy ever for a U.S. stadium, surpassing the Buffalo's Bills recent $850 million, according to Yahoo Sports.

The lease for Nissan Stadium stipulates that the city provide the team a “first class” stadium until 2039. An independent research assessment ordered by Mayor John Cooper concluded maintaining Nissan could cost up to $1.95 billion over the next 17 years.

In October, the mayor’s office said the project would prioritize local businesses, goods and labor, and the Titans would pay for any cost overruns.

Meanwhile, in college football, the University of Kansas announced plans to renovate the David Booth Kansas Memorial Stadium in Lawrence, Kansas, on Tuesday. The upgrades will cost over $300 million, CBS reported, and should wrap up by the 2025 NCAA football season.