It has been reported that construction for the new Nashville Sounds ballpark will be delayed, and that it is possible the stadium will not be ready until mid-season of 2008. Environmental issues, and determining who is responsible for potential problems that may arise, have caused a delay in proceding with construction.A new ballpark for the Sounds has been a long and arduous process. The City Council did not give immediate approval, wanting to be sure that the Sounds management team had crossed every "t" and dotted every "i", and I don't blame them. I don't blame the Sounds for making sure that a fail-proof plan was in place to ensure approval from Nashville's leaders, either.
Delayed or not, this project will be worth waiting for. Baseball fans in Nashville and throughout the mid-state region have deserved a new ballpark for a long time. Herschel Greer Stadium, once the crown jewel of the Southern League during the rise of minor league popularity in the 1970s and 1980s, has fallen into disrepair. I understand that the park has not met the minimum requirements that the Pacific Coast League demands for its member's ballparks and has given a waiver each year so that Nashville could maintain its membership in the league.
Nashville must be a pretty important cog in the wheel of the PCL for that to happen.
There is no doubt that the ballpark will be built. It will be the centerpiece for construction and urban growth in the SoBro district of downtown Nashville, too, and will add an attractive venue to the Cumberland River area of the city. "Patience" is the watchword, as I am sure Nashville baseball fans prefer that the entire project be completely finished as planned. Crossing the "t's" and dotting the "i's" will set the foundation for successful project completion.
In 2008, no matter the month, Nashville will be able to watch the Sounds in one of the finest stadiums and ballparks in the United States, and will immediately begin to challenge Sacramento and Memphis for attendance records at the turnstiles!
