According to a Knoxville News Sentinel article today (registration required) Governor Bredesen's proposed construction budget includes a $2 million grant promised by the state for a regional civic arts center in Maryville.

Apparently Gov. Bredesen didn't get the memo that the project was DOA. Or maybe he knows something we don't know.

You may recall that even though the City of Maryville, the City of Alcoa, generous Maryville College donors, and prominent local business people were all set to go with the project, and even though elected officials had secured state and federal funding for part of it, the Blount County Commission balked at funding the county's portion last November effectively killing the deal.

In December, two county commissioners proposed using expected increases in hotel/motel tax revenues to fund the county's portion of the project. At the time, the school board had just agreed on a seven-year, $105 million building plan. The resuscitated arts center project was pulled from the agenda, presumably because of public complaints that Blount County should not be "wasting" money on an arts center when more schools are needed. The idea was tabled and supporters said they would put it back on the agenda for January.

In January, the county commission rejected the school board's plan, and only agreed to fund $40 million of it. As far as I know, the arts center has not been brought up again.

So as of right now, there is no arts center project. Supporters on the county commission said back in December, however, that they aren't giving up and believe the money promised by the state and federal government will still be there if and when Blount County decides to go along. Judging by Gov. Bredesen's proposed building budget, that may be so. Or maybe he just didn't get the memo?