A lawsuit, and now an emergency hearing. The "Save Our Fairgrounds" group is trying everything to stop construction of the Major League Soccer stadium and a new expo center due to growing parking concerns.
Two entrances at the The Fairgrounds Nashville are closed because of construction. Bulldozers now sit in former parking spots.
Rick Williams is with "Save our Fairgrounds." He's upset because construction fences have blocked off a large portion of the parking lots.
Williams said, "They've closed the road which impedes traffic every day, emergency traffic, ambulances, fire trucks are also impeded from using this road and they closed it in order to start construction of the expo center."
Groups who operate events at the fairgrounds are concerned.
Williams said, "The director of the fair itself said yesterday that they will not be able to put the fair on here next year with the amount of space they're going to be given."
People responsible for fairground logistics are trying to get the parking situation figured out. Once Fair Park is finished, people can park there. In addition, they are looking at closing a lane on Craighead Street so they can park 135 vehicles there during construction.
Williams said, "You're actually impeding the operation of the flea market and hurting the vendors there and possibly running the flea market into the ground. They're going to hurt the races next spring when they start back."
An emergency hearing on the lawsuit was held on Tuesday and Wednesday. A state court chancery judge will decide by Friday whether construction should stop or not.
The city attorney for Nashville will not comment due the pending litigation.
