This Year’s Most Controversial Construction Projects

For a number of different reasons, there are certain construction projects that receive a lot of backlash from the public. Many projects that are subject to this public outrage meet resistance from different political leaders, activists, and citizens. This year was no different in that we saw a few different projects getting heat from the public and some politicians. As the year draws to an end, let’s have a look at this year’s most contentious construction projects. 

Trump’s Texas Border Wall Project

This project of the former President Donald Trump has been under fire for a while now. It started out as a campaign promise from Trump where he vowed that he would build a wall on the border between the United States and Mexico. On leaving office, Trump left Texas Governor Greg Abbott in charge of the project, and some progress was made on the project in 2020. Earlier this month, Governor Abbott initiated further work on the border wall project. The project has received backlash from different groups including immigration advocates, economists, and the landowners whose land is seized for construction. 

High Speed Rail Project in California

Former President Barack Obama launched California’s hundred billion dollar high speed rail project from San Francisco to LA. The project is being overseen by California Governor Gavin Newsom, and it faced some challenges under the Trump administration. The project once again gained momentum as the Biden administration passed the billion dollar budget the former president was withholding. However, the project is still stuck in a limbo due to budget overruns and difference of opinion in the state legislature. There have been reports of infighting between state democrats over whether or not the rail project should be high speed. 

Nashville Soccer Stadium

Nashville’s award of MLS expansion in 2017 indicated a new age for soccer. However, cut to today and we see the stadium has become a point of contention between the Major league Soccer and Nashville Mayor John Cooper. Mayor Cooper has been very vocal with his concerns from the beginning, and his opposition was mainly founded in budget-related concerns and the inability to select the site for the project.

There were also attempts to stop construction in 2017 from people who wanted to preserve the Nashville Fairgrounds; however, their attempts were not successful. Cooper’s concerns weren’t all unfounded, the construction equipment parts used for the project alone would cost more than the entire budget of a small project. Although, the MLS and Cooper managed to agree on a new deal after negotiations, and both parties agreed on the Nashville Soccer Club providing funding for the infrastructure of the stadium. The city, however, would be responsible for paying the lease amount. The construction of the project is expected to conclude by the end of 2022, but the process has not been an easy one. 

These are a few of the project’s that have been under the heat this year and have faced either public or political opposition.