Challenging times ahead for Gatlinburg

Exciting but challenging times lie ahead for Gatlinburg, according to Gatlinburg’s City Manager, Cindy Cameron Ogle. She was referring to upcoming capital improvements that will be affecting the community over the course of the next two years, especially the undergrounding of the utilities along the main Parkway in downtown Gatlinburg.
Ogle was addressing members of the Gatlinburg Lodging and Hospitality Association during their monthly meeting at Calhoun’s Banquet Hall on Wednesday, January 26.
Ogle started her presentation with a picture that showed the intersection in front of Ripley’s Aquarium of the Smokies before and after the overhead electrical lines there were placed underground. “You can see that it’s a dramatic difference in terms of how things look,” said Ogle. Referring to the upcoming undergrounding of the utilities in downtown Gatlinburg, she said: “It’s about the most significant thing Gatlinburg can do for the downtown business community.”
Ogle reviewed the history of the undergrounding to date and gave a comprehensive overview of the decisions and steps being made to complete the undergrounding of downtown Gatlinburg. She said that three phases of the undergrounding have already been done – Riverwalk, Ripley’s Aquarium to Cherokee Orchard Road, and the north end of town by Dudley Creek Bypass. She said that the planning for Phases IV (from Cherokee Orchard Drive to Reagan Drive) and V (from Reagan Drive to the southern end of town) is in process, with work expected to begin in December and to continue through May of 2006.
She stressed that the city will work hard to remain in close communication with the business community as the work is being done. She also assured members that two lanes of traffic will remain open through the project and that no work will be done during major holidays.
Ogle called Phase IV the largest single phase yet undertaken, and said that Phases IV and V together are estimated to cost $6,700,000.
Ogle also gave a short overview of other capital improvement projects the City of Gatlinburg is undertaking, including:
• The expansion and renovation of Mills Auditorium, scheduled to reopen in March 2006,
• Expansion of the Anna Porter Public Library,
• Construction of a new clubhouse at the Gatlinburg Golf Course,
• Improvements at the Gatlinburg Community Center, including upgrading the toning area and the bowling center, as well as construction of a skate board park in Mills Park,
• Commissioning a study on how to improve pedestrian traffic in the Great Smoky Arts & Crafts Community, as well as extending water and sewer service out Glades Road, and
• Expanding the capacity of the Gatlinburg water treatment plant from three million gallon capacity to four million gallons.
In other business during the GLHA meeting:
• GLHA president David Duda awarded student Trista Hayes a $1,000 scholarship towards her hospitality management degree from Walters State Community College,
• Joe Smith with Best Read Guide introduced their new magazine, the Official Interstate Guide, to be placed along the state’s interstates. It is being endorsed by the Tennessee Hotel & Lodging Association.
• Tom Hart with the Smokies Baseball Team said that the new season will open on April 15 and that advertising opportunities exist out at the Stadium,
• GLHA president Duda awarded outgoing GLHA president Jackie Leatherwood with a gift from the membership for her outstanding contributions of the past two years.