NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Two Metro Council committees Thursday night gave the financing plan for the proposed Music City Center the green light.
The Budget and Finance, as well as Convention, Tourism and Public Entertainment Facilities committees, recommended the financing package to the full Metro Council, who will vote on the issue next Tuesday night, January 19.
Those recommendations, though, didn't come until after two hours of heated debate.
"It's going to pass. Let's don't fool ourselves about this. This train has left the station. It's got a full head of steam, because the haves in this city want this to happen," said Councilman Michael Craddock.
Once the city paid off the current convention center in 2007, it was still reaping the benefits of surplus tourism taxes and using that money to pay for other services in the city.
Much of the debate centered around what will happen if the proposed convention center is approved, because that extra money, about $14 million worth, will have go toward the new convention center.
"How will that be replaced, because that's now going to be used for the convention center?" asked Eric Crafton. "So far, we don't have any response to that, it's just it'll be dealt with in the next budget."
"We have new growth and revenues this year that can meet it," Rich Riebeling, Metro's Finance Director, responded. "We have a lot of different ways to do it. I just don't have a magic bullet that you're looking for other than to tell you those answers will be dealt with during the budget."
Most council members at the meeting expressed their support of the new convention center, including Charlie Tygard.
"I truly believe that if we don't build this center, two, three, four, five, six years from now, our citizens will be worse off," Tygard said.
Because the financing package is a resolution, not an ordinance, it will only require one voting session to approve the project.
It will pass with a majority vote.
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- Jan. 6, 2010: Mayor says new convention center will create 1,500 jobs
- Dec. 8, 2009: Union Station hosts Music City Center forum
- Dec. 3, 2009: Mayor presents convention center financing plan
- Nov. 19, 2009: Mayor says courts will decide convention center land dispute
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- Sept. 29, 2009: Council questions convention center 'team'
- Sept. 21, 2009: Mayor says Country Music Hall of Fame plans to expand
- Sept. 16, 2009: Mayor gives proposed convention center new price tag
- August 19, 2009: Special meeting called over Convention Center Authority
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- August 12, 2009: Marriott to run convention center hotel
- June 16, 2009: City selects developer to build Music City Center hotel
- June 2, 2009: Council approves land purchase for Music City Center
- May 19, 2009: Proposed convention center step closer to reality
- April 14, 2009: City leaders say proposed convention center needed now
- March 6, 2009: Greyhound probably won't appeal zoning vote
- March 5, 2009: Zoning board denies proposal to move Greyhound
- Feb. 24, 2009: Businesses voice opposition to Greyhound station relocation
- Feb. 6, 2009: Greyhound looks at Murfreesboro Rd. location
- Feb. 5, 2009: Rocketown will move to accommodate convention center
- Jan. 29, 2009: Plans for new convention center unveiled
- Aug. 15, 2008: Public shares ideas on proposed convention center
