February 21, 2024 – When we imagine going to a baseball game, we think of a number of things. The grass. The dirt. The smell of ballpark food. The camaraderie with fellow fans. The sounds of the organ playing music, the vendors shouting “Peanuts, get your peanuts here!”, the crack of the bats and cheers for victory.
But all of these elements need a home. Now, we’re starting to imagine what that home for the Nashville Stars could look like with the help of Mortenson, one of the nation’s largest real estate development and construction companies. The company’s Nashville office is conducting a site and market analysis for multiple ballpark locations in the local metro area.
Mortenson has assisted with the successful delivery of numerous sports complexes and entertainment districts nationwide, including GEODIS Park in Nashville, Truist Park, Target Field, FedEx Forum, Allegiant Stadium, and U.S. Bank Stadium. They are also working closely with the A’s on their new ballpark in Las Vegas and the project for Big League Utah in Salt Lake City.
“We’re thrilled to support Music City Baseball with their initiative to bring Major League Baseball to Nashville,” Mortenson Vice President and General Manager Dan Mehls said. “We have partnered with other teams and organizations in the past that are looking to promote professional sports in their community, and we’re enthusiastic about bringing not just our experience as one of the largest sports builders, but also our perspective as a developer to help bring make this vision a reality.”
Mortenson will lead the effort and provide market analysis and data, site development assessments, cost estimates, schedules, and phasing plans respective to at least five sites, including three in Davidson County, one in Williamson County, and one in Rutherford County.
Music City Baseball plans to share the results of the study with Major League Baseball along with state and local leaders. These results will provide the necessary data to determine opportunities and obstacles for each of the sites in the study. It also provides a vision of a world-class entertainment venue that can host a variety of events.
“I think it’s important for everybody who reads our reports and hears us talk, to know that we’re not making finite decisions,” Mehls said. “We’re creating ideas and options to see the big picture and the potential of Nashville for a major league team. The intent is to help get everyone in the community on the same page. If Major League Baseball is going to expand, let’s have them expand here and let’s have it not just be for the baseball community, but let’s immerse this destination with music, building off the heartbeat of Music City.”
Mortenson is also coordinating with some of the nation’s top consultants in sports and real estate development including Populous, CSL, Moody Nolan, and Barge Design.
“Our team is bolstered by the local expertise and knowledge that comes with having lived and grown up in this community,” Mehls said. “We feel like we have the right blend of national credibility and expertise with local knowledge and experience.”
The timeline for the site and market analysis should take approximately three months to complete. We can’t wait to see what they imagine for the Nashville Stars.