TSU Being Paid to Promote May Town Center Sprawl to Alumni in District of Proposed Development

Tennessee State students are being paid to lobby Metro voters to support MTC, and the university is not anywhere close to taking control of flood plain donated by Bells Landing Partners, LLC:

TSU confirms it can't accept the land until it first forms a nonprofit research corporation, nor can it build the agricultural research center it wants unless City Council rezones the land.

A contract between TSU and the developers of the controversial May Town project shows that TSU students have been hired for an outreach project. They're contacting "strategic TSU alumni" living within the district where the May Town project is to be built.

Developer Tony Giarratana doesn't like to use the word "lobbying."

"Students and the faculty that are involved with us ... are focused on awareness, making sure that the TSU alumni know of this good news," said Giarratana.
TSU is being paid nearly $50,000 under this contract.

Barry Sulkin, who opposes the May Town development, said people have a right to promote the project.

"If someone is being paid to promote something, that should at least be disclosed as part of their promotion," Sulkin said.

TSU is handing its list of 10,000 alumni to the developers. Has that list also been turned over to outside push polling corporations, given recent reports of pro-MTC push polling across Nashville?

HT: Brenda Butka