Features

Titans engage Manica on new stadium plans

The Tennessee Titans NFL American football team has selected Manica Architecture to draw up design concepts for its proposed new stadium.

The Titans confirmed in a statement to the VenuesNow website that the team is working with Manica on “conceptual planning” for its new stadium, with the firm having been engaged to help the franchise better understand “key aspects” of the project.

It was reported last month that a new Titans stadium would cost between $1.9bn (£1.5bn/€1.8bn) and $2.2bn, and could be completed by the 2026 NFL season. The team is poised to secure $500m in funding for the stadium after the state budget was approved on April 21.

This came after Tennessee Governor Bill Lee had earlier given his backing for a $500m funding package, which is reportedly contingent on the stadium’s final design including a roof to aid the city in hosting Super Bowls, NCAA Final Four games and other major indoor events.

Any new stadium is expected to take 31 months to build, with officials also planning for a $4bn public-private project that would lead to the development of a new neighbourhood surrounding the venue.

The Titans have recently changed course on their stadium ambitions. Talks over a major redevelopment for Nissan Stadium, the team’s home since 1999, in February switched to a potential new stadium after the price tag for the initial project reportedly doubled in cost to at least $1.2bn.

The Titans had worked with architecture firm Gensler on planned upgrades for Nissan Stadium but the team has now engaged Manica to explore designs for a new stadium.

VenuesNow reported in March that Manica was working with the Chicago Bears as the NFL team explores the possibility of building a new stadium on the site of Arlington International Racecourse.

Manica designed Allegiant Stadium, home of the NFL’s Las Vegas Raiders, and Chase Center, home of the NBA’s Golden State Warriors. The company is also serving as the lead design architect on a project to renovate Progressive Field, home of Major League Baseball’s Cleveland Guardians.

The Titans and the Bears are not the only NFL teams eyeing new stadiums. The Buffalo Bills are planning a new $1.4bn venue, while the Washington Commanders have reportedly outlined three sites in Virginia for a new home.

Image: Gabriel Tovar on Unsplash