Music City Convention Center Passes Metro Council

On Tuesday night, January 19, Metro-Nashville County Council voted 29 to 9 to pass the $585 million downtown Nashville convention center. Music City Center, as it will be called, looks to be open in 2013, having already scheduled its first convention.

Despite opposition from the likes of Councilmen Mike Jameson and Eric Cantor, the vote was a forgone conclusion by the time council members arrived at the court house. In comments before the vote Councilman Michael Craddock noted this fact, yet proceed to give his exegesis of opposition.

"I've got to vote no because I believe in the people that make this city up. I believe in the hardworking men and women who work 50, 60, 70 hours a week just to get by, just to buy their groceries," Craddock said. "There is a voice out there, ladies and gentlemen, and you've all heard it, and it's as loud as can be not to do this."

Councilman Crafton, for his part, proposed a resolution that would have put the Music City Center up for a public referendum vote, much like that for the building of the Titans stadium. The proposal was defeated.

Council Black Caucus members, led by Lonnell Matthews and Jerry Maynard, apparently dropped previously stated possible opposition if minority contracting was not sufficiently apart of the plans, as all Black Caucus members voted in favor of passage; though ORDINANCE NO. BL2010-611, which would have most guaranteed minority consideration has been deferred indefinitely after passing only the first reading.

Music City Center will have 545,000 square feet of exhibit, ballroom, meeting and retail space and also includes a 1,800-space parking garage. By comparison, the current Convention Center, has only 150,000 square feet of meeting and exhibit space. Read more: http://www.blogdoctor.me/2007/02/expandable-post-summaries.html#ixzz0fvTXmFSF