The hotel to be built on city-owned land on the East Bank near the new Nissan Stadium will not be complete in time for the 2030 Super Bowl, according to the development firm responsible for the project.
Executives from The Fallon Company, the area's master developer hired by the city, gave a presentation to the East Bank Development Authority board on Sept. 22. They gave an update about the work done so far on the 30-acre East Bank development and detailed their anticipated timeline for the phase of construction that will include the hotel.
The hotel, which does not yet have an official brand partner, is anticipated to break ground during the third quarter of 2027 and be complete during the third quarter of 2030. That would be months after the February
2030 Super Bowl in Nashville, meaning there would be an active construction project immediately adjacent to the event.
The Fallon Company's founder and chairman, Joe Fallon, accompanied by his son, Michael Fallon, made it clear at the meeting they don't see a plausible way to rush the project. They said the hotel is still in the vertical design and planning phase.
"I would say that we weren't aware that the 2030 Super Bowl was going to happen pretty much until it happened," said Michael Fallon, who is CEO of The Fallon Company. "And right then, we got word from EBDA and Metro stakeholders asking, 'You're going to be open, right?' And we looked and said, 'No.'"
Board members had one primary question in response: Is there anything we can do to get it done in time?
Board member Jimmy Granberry said there seems to be a lot of concern about the timeline within city government and stressed the importance of making a good impression during Nashville's first ever Super Bowl.
"The Super Bowl is out there," he said. "It's a huge opportunity. We want to have multiple Super Bowls in this city, and the first one is the most important."
Board members agreed overall with his assessment, and the board directed The Fallon Company to hold a meeting with representatives of the Metro Planning Department and the East Bank Development Authority to discuss possible alternatives to the plan. If the hotel truly can't be done in time, Granberry said, should the plan adjust so that there is not an active construction site during what could turn out to be the largest tourism and entertainment event in Nashville's history?
"Yes, I'll convene a meeting," Metro Nashville Planning Department director Lucy Kempf told the board. Kempf has also been tasked with overseeing several other major East Bank infrastructure projects. "The Super Bowl is a really important point in time, but all of these on their own merits are important community projects."
"We have to have absolute transparency," she continued. "Super Bowl or no, that's what the community expects and deserves."
Molly Davis covers growth and development in Nashville and assists with special projects. You can email her with comments, questions and tips at mmdavis@tennessean.com.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Nissan Stadium hotel may still be construction site during Super Bowl
