The city of Huber Heights has entered into a consulting agreement with Music and Event Management Inc. for its proposed $18 million music center.

MEMI — a wholly owned subsidiary of the Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra — will be paid $15,000 to provide the city with its expertise and guidance in the industry, Huber Heights City Manager Jim Borland said.

MEMI manages Riverbend Music Center, the PNC Pavilion and the Taft Theatre.

“We approached them because we knew they had experience scheduling and promoting shows,” Borland said. “We wanted to reach out to the best in the area and MEMI is the best.”

Huber Heights announced last month that the proposed music center would anchor the $220 million Heights commercial development near the Interstate 70 and Ohio 201 interchange.

City Council unanimously passed legislation authorizing staff to spend $100,000 to perform due diligence on the proposal. The $15,000 will come out of the budgeted $100,000.

MEMI will be paid in two installments of $7,500 each. Michael Smith, president and CEO of MEMI, was not available for comment. Borland said MEMI could end up managing the venue.

“I’m excited that Mr. Borland was able to seek and receive help officially from an entity like MEMI that manages and schedules acts,” Councilman Mark Campbell said. “To have input and advice from someone like MEMI is unbelievable.”

Construction on the music center is projected to start early this year, and it would open in the spring of 2014.

The 4,500-seat, semi-enclosed music center would be located off Executive Boulevard. Once the music center is fully operational, it’s projected to generate about $500,000 in profit per year, Campbell has said.

No new tax dollars will be used during the due diligence process. The money will come out of a TIF fund that was set up in April 2003. Money to fund the music center itself has not yet been identified, Campbell has said.