Vice Mayor won't send council serious studies on Music City Center for all of the PR filling inboxes

It's been several days since Mayor Karl Dean with flourish and fanfare brought the Omni Hotel proposal for the new convention center to public attention. Even so, the Metro Council members cannot get even obtain a copy of the hotel study themselves, as if they will not eventually have to approve the proposal themselves.

Meanwhile, Vice Mayor Diane Neighbors and Executive Director of the Nashville Convention Center Charles Starks have been teaming up to push pro-convention center PR fluff via e-mail for over two months. Some of the titles of the Music City Center spin:

From: "Starks, Charles (NCC)"
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 07:00:17 -0500
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: Today's Tennessean

Good morning,

I wanted to share the following article from this morning's Tennessean with you.

Gail Kerr: Country Music Hall of Fame is big winner in Omni hotel deal

From: dianen01@sprint.blackberry.net
Date: August 26, 2010 3:51:59 PM CDT
To: Council Members
Subject: Fw: On-line Business Journal Article from today
Reply-To: dianen01@sprint.blackberry.net

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

From: "Starks, Charles (NCC)"
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:28:39 -0500
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: On-line Business Journal Article from today

Good afternoon,

I wanted to share the following on-line from the Business Journal this afternoon with you.

Thursday, August 26, 2010, 7:57am CDT | Modified: Thursday, August 26, 2010, 1:20pm

Rowling steps down from Gaylord board

Nashville Business Journal

....

Charles L. Starks | Executive Director
Nashville Convention Center | 601 Commerce Street | Nashville | TN | 37203-3724
P:615-742-2002 | F:615-742-2104
charles.starks@nashville.gov | www.nashvilleconventionctr.com

350,000 sf exhibit space | 18,000 sf junior ballroom
57,500 sf ballroom | 57 meeting rooms

Click here to check out the construction webcam!

From: dianen01@sprint.blackberry.net
Date: August 26, 2010 3:51:27 PM CDT
To: Council Members
Subject: Fw: Nashville Business Journal Article
Reply-To: dianen01@sprint.blackberry.net

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

From: "Starks, Charles (NCC)"
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 15:24:43 -0500
To: undisclosed-recipients:;
Subject: Nashville Business Journal Article

Good afternoon,

I wanted to share the following Medical Trade Center article that appeared in last week's Business Journal.

Friday, August 20, 2010

Nashville may get later start in race for Medical Trade Center

Daugherty: Medical mart still on track to open in 2013
Nashville Business Journal - by Brandon Gee Staff Writer

From: dianen01@sprint.blackberry.net
Date: August 26, 2010 3:50:45 PM CDT
To: Council Members
Subject: Fw: Someone has sent you a message from nashvillecitypaper.com
Reply-To: dianen01@sprint.blackberry.net

Sent on the Sprint® Now Network from my BlackBerry®

From: "Diane"
Sender: webmaster@nashvillecitypaper.com
Date: Thu, 26 Aug 2010 14:34:34 -0500
To:
ReplyTo: "Diane"
Subject: Someone has sent you a message from nashvillecitypaper.com

Message from sender:

FYI


Published on Nashville City Paper: Nashville's Online Source for Daily News (http://nashvillecitypaper.com)

Music City Center leaders reach out to Hispanic construction workers

By sphillips
Created 08/26/2010 - 10:09am

Vice Mayor Neighbors seems to be playing an advocacy role of communications liaison from the convention center effort to Metro Council rather than being an official independent of the process. And the media, unwittingly or not, continues to be the public relations arm of Music City Center.