Nashville fairgrounds racetrack debate reignites

State of play: Stuck in the middle is O'Connell, who has expressed an affinity for the racetrack in the past. He has also worked hard to cultivate positive relationships with state leaders.

• On the other hand, O'Connell cares deeply about quality-of-life issues, and the nearby neighbors are entrenched in their opposition.

Inside the room: Adding a layer of political intrigue to the issue, Nashville SC lead owner John Ingram reiterated his opposition to a racetrack revitalization plan recently during a candid meeting with the mayor's office.

• According to multiple sources, Ingram decided to hold off on a financial commitment to a city affordable housing initiative while he waits to see how the racetrack situation plays out. The soccer club has also hired well-connected Republican strategist Chip Saltsman as a consultant.

Ingram worries a renovated racetrack would compete with Geodis Park for concerts and other events, and that scheduling conflicts at the fairgrounds could prevent the stadium from serving as the future home of a women's pro soccer team.

• "We have serious concerns about how it will further impact our considerable community investment at the fairgrounds, an already challenging scheduling process for all fairgrounds operators and most importantly the quality of life impact it could have on our neighbors," a soccer spokesperson tells Axios.
• The spokesperson did not comment on the affordable housing commitment.

The other side: Republicans want a NASCAR deal because they led the charge to create the tax financing tools to build a new track. GOP leaders also have a positive working relationship with Speedway Motorsports, which owns the racetrack in Bristol. They view racing as a positive economic development tool for Tennessee.

• Speedway Motorsports has touted its proposal as reducing speedway activity, addressing neighbors' noise concerns and removing the city's financial burden at the racetrack.

The big picture: Racing enthusiasts view the 121-year-old track, where legends like Dale Earnhardt Jr. got their start, as one of the most hallowed racing grounds in the country. But the site has not hosted top NASCAR races since 1984 and Nashville leaders have been at odds over what to do with it.

• The job of Nashville mayor has come hand-in-hand with the fairgrounds racetrack conundrum.

Flashback: Former Mayor Karl Dean failed to advance a plan to demolish the track and redevelop the property.

• In response, racing and fairgrounds advocates organized and successfully passed a 2011 charter amendment that says 27 Metro Council votes are necessary to demolish and fix up the racetrack.
• That's a high political bar to clear considering the neighboring community has always been skeptical of the plan.

In 2021, Previous Mayor John Cooper struck a deal with Speedway Motorsports Inc. to spend millions of dollars to essentially rebuild the fairgrounds racetrack and bring a NASCAR race back to Nashville.

• The deal languished at the end of Cooper's term and never advanced to the Metro Council. O'Connell hasn't revived the plan, but his administration has been in regular talks with Speedway Motorsports.
• After O'Connell took office in late 2023, opponents of the racetrack plan, including neighborhood leaders, music industry professionals and political operatives, unveiled a new redevelopment vision for the fairgrounds with affordable housing at the center.

• To accomplish this, they proposed a charter amendment that would have replaced auto racing with affordable housing on the Metro charter's list of activities required at the fairgrounds. The charter amendment effort got tied up in litigation and the group was unable to begin collecting the voter signatures necessary to put the measure on the ballot.

The latest: In a letter to the city's Charter Revision Committee last month, anti-racetrack organizers said they are withdrawing their previous amendment proposal.

• According to the letter, the group plans to reorganize and expects to pitch an even more ambitious proposal that would explicitly prohibit racing at the fairgrounds.

The intrigue: A new poll of Nashvillians, commissioned by the anti-racing group, found opposition to an auto racing deal at the fairgrounds. According to the new poll, 21% support a NASCAR deal at the fairgrounds compared to 71% who back a plan featuring affordable housing, park improvements and cleaning up nearby Browns Creek.

• "Our latest polling data confirms what we've known all along: Nashvillians overwhelmingly prefer alternative ideas for the fairgrounds speedway that are more in line with neighborhood and citywide needs," Mike Kopp, co-founder of the Fairgrounds Preservation Partners group, tells Axios.
• Contradicting polls conducted during the 2023 mayor's race showed support for racing.

What's next: Because of a new local law governing charter amendments, the soonest a new measure could be on the ballot is August 2026.

• Supporters would have to request the Charter Revision Board put their proposal banning racing on the ballot. Then they'd have to gather the required number of signatures in order to trigger a referendum. Metro Council could also vote to put an amendment on the ballot.
• With 18 months before the measure could even be on the ballot, O'Connell has the runway to pitch a racetrack deal sooner to the Metro Council.
• A spokesperson for the mayor declined to comment on the meeting with Ingram and the status of racetrack talks.