The County Commission voted 8-1 on Wednesday to approve the $80 million Southside Stadium project, leaving only the City Council's okay next Tuesday for the work to move forward at the long-vacant U.S. Pipe/Wheland Foundry site.
Commissioner Tim Boyd cast the only No, saying it was "too fast, too much with way too many unknowns."
He and Commissioner Steve Highlander asked about what would happen if the project is paid off before the end of the term through funds collected in a 470-acre Tax Increment Financing (TIF) District that is being set up.
Jermaine Freeman, of city economic development, said overage funds would go toward infrastructure at the site as directed by the city and county industrial development boards.
However, officials said the TIF could be ended early by the City Council and County Commission.
Of the infrastructure spending, Commissioner Highlander said, "We have many infrastructure needs not just on South Broad Street, but all over the county."
Commissioner Ken Smith said it was interesting that the conversation earlier was that not enough tax collections would come in to cover costs and it had turned to too much money coming in.
Commissioner Boyd also said the project might rise to as much as $100 million, and he said it was not clear where the extra $20 million would come from.
The project was moved on earlier by the city and county industrial development boards to the City Council and County Commission.
A next step will be a convening of a new city/county Sports Authority that will issue the bonds for the $72 million stadium. The remaining bond funds will go toward interest and other costs.