WSMV Channel 4 Proposed Lebanon entertainment center suffers setback

They promised shopping, offices, and a huge events center in Lebanon. Now, the plan is being scaled back and slowed down.

But, Lebanon Mayor Philip Craighead, will tell you it's not over. He says the Cumberland Entertainment Center is still a go. It's just city leaders are now facing a setback because they can't seem to agree on the next step for the project.

Just off Highway 231 in Lebanon, you will see signs of progress. What are now bulldozers and mounds of dirt could soon be home to a convention center, hotels, restaurants, and even a hockey arena that could seat more than 6,000.

Craighead says the Cumberland Event Center is still on target to create more than 3,000 jobs and millions in tax revenue. The only problem is, he says the city doesn't have all the support it needs to set up a legal savings account to pay for the center and to send the project to the state legislature so they can sign off on creating an entertainment district.

Back in October, developers and the city announced their version of a proposed 700-acre entertainment center. Today, we're told the project is now 376 acres, just about half its original size.

Despite the scaled back version and not all the support the mayor had hoped for, Craighead says the Cumberland Entertainment Center is still very much on the horizon for Wilson County.

The mayor says it's not likely the issue will go before the city council again until the end of the year. Even with all the support city leaders need to move forward the center is still a distant reality. It could be four to 10 years before it's even built.

We reached out to the three city council members who voted "no" in Tuesday night's meeting. But, so far, we have not heard back from them.

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