'Post' sues state over closed procurement records

The state asked for bidders to tear down and rebuild the Inn at Fall Creek Falls. No one responded, but officials won't release the files.

Sister publications the Nashville Post and Nashville Scene have sued the state of Tennessee over what they allege is a violation of the state's Open Records Act.

The lawsuit revolves around the Department of General Services' refusal to release documents relating to a request for proposals to outsource concessions management at Fall Creek Falls State Park, a plan that included tearing down the Inn at Fall Creek Falls and replacing it with a more modern building to be run by the winning bidder, at a profit. Despite a lengthy and involved RFP process, with meetings and site visits, no one submitted a formal proposal to bid on the project by the deadline earlier this month, possibly because of the cost of asbestos removal when demolishing the inn.

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