NewsChannel 19's Melissa Stephens Reporting 6/12/03

Source:WHNT19

For the video, click on the Melissa Stephens reports link.

Two members of the Backstreet Boys rolled into Huntsville Thursday. While Kevin Richardson makes time to visit children in Huntsville Hospital, his primary intent is no secret. "Well, we're here to keep negotiations and talks going with the city about the hotel and entertainment complex for downtown Huntsville," Richardson said.

Huntsville City Councilman Bill Kling says while the city is not ready to negotiate at this point, leaders are very interested in the idea. "More hotel rooms adjacent to the Von Braun Center help attract bigger conventions to Huntsville. That means big money for the city, so we won't have to raise taxes anymore for the residents," Kling said. "We're taking proposals and we wanna get the best deal we can."

The Memphis-based Peabody Hotel Company, behind Backstreet Boys Howie Dorough and Kevin Richardson, is just one of eight companies who have submitted hotel proposals to the city. Richardson says he's not sure, anymore, where they stand. "We felt like, initially, we were the first group who came to the table. We felt like we had a good chance," he said.

So, the guys are back in town to keep their chances good and tell the city what they have to offer. Besides a luxury Peabody Hotel, Dorough and Richardson also want to include an entertainment complex. "A riverwalk, an outdoor amphitheater concert venue area, park, office space, restaurant space, movie theater, and night clubs," Richardson explained.

As the city council reviews the eight proposals before them, Councilman Kling says they will eventually narrow it down to three or four and then present them to the public in a work session. It will be a while before a final decision is made.

News Page
Main Page

Brian Thomas Littrell ~ The Golden Voiced Backstreet Boy
- Established Jan 1999 -