Major development that is under way which is the
Cumberland Center and is to be a more than 700-acre entertainment district initially featuring office space, retail stores and restaurants. Eventually, perhaps within as few as three-and-a-half years, it will include a $40 million, 150,000-square-foot event center with two ice rinks, one of which will be the home ice for a Central Hockey League franchise.
"This is something the community has talked about for 20-plus years," Mayor Craighead said. Earlier plans for a similar development "just disappeared," he said, but now the concept has "the right timing, the right location and the right partners. It needs the support of the community."
The proposed district is between Interstate 40 exits 238 (Cumberland Street) and 239 (Sparta Pike). One mile of the land fronts the interstate. It is currently owned by developer J.D. Eatherley's Vastland Realty Group of Nashville. Craighead said Vastland will donate 20 acres in the center of the district for the event center and parking.
The site includes Cainsville Road, Briskin Lane, an extended Legends Drive and a new road off South Cumberland Street that would be the access for commercial development along the interstate.
Craighead said the development has the support of the City Council and Wilson County Mayor Randall Hutto has presented the plan to county commissioners. He said Hutto was invited to the Rotary presentation but had a conflict.
It would be a partnership between the county and city, and that "new growth" revenue from the commercial development would be accumulated to fund the public events center. The actual bonding responsibility would be by an independent entity made up of city and county appointments who would be an "Entertainment District Authority."
No public funds will be committed until there is established commercial growth in the phased-in development. Only after 200,000 square feet of commercial development is committed would the design and engineering phase begin for the events center, he said.
Craighead said he conservatively estimated the taxes generated by the center "if all built out" at $1.5 million more than the area generates now.
He showed the Rotarians a photograph of an event center in Dodge City, Kan., which could closely resemble the Lebanon facility. He also had a proposed floor plan of a building that would seat 4,500 people for events (not including additional seats on the floor) and provide 15,000 square feet of meeting space.
It would be a medium-size, multi-purpose building suitable for concerts, graduation ceremonies, arena football and conventions, Craighead said.
Country singer Tracy Lawrence, who is expected at today's Roxy event, is working on lining up entertainment support because "entertainers love this size venue."
Craighead said he contacted Dodge City's mayor, along with mayors and city managers of four other cities that have dealt with venues for Global Entertainment Corp., which owns the Central Hocky League.
"I asked them, 'Would you do it again and was it good for your city?' They all responded positively."Craighead sees the ice availability as a major draw, noting that today amateur hockey teams must go to Nashville.
"Hockey and ice skating have become part of our culture," Craighead said. He recalled a visit to a fifth grade class at Coles Ferry Elementary School where he found that 90 percent of the children had been skating and 75 percent had attended at least one Nashville Predators game.
Craighead said the Wilson County Fair (The Ward Ag Center is within the district) would benefit from a proposed extension of the railroad tracks. The plan calls for establishing a Music City Star station which could serve commuters to both the events center and the fairgrounds. With the completion of the proposed Hamilton Springs station, Lebanon would then have four stations. He believes this would make the Star more accessible and more attractive to commuters.
There are two commitments for facilities in the district now, a Logan's Roadhouse Restaurant and a Western store. Craighead said doziers will begin next week on building the road from Cumberland Street for the buildings, both of which are in "Phase One.
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