01/01/2015
Booming business in Pigeon Forge is Sevier County's story of the year
Pigeon Forge, its elected officials and citizens had lots of reasons to smile in 2014.
Dollywood, the city's premier tourist attraction, continued to expand with new rides and the groundbreaking of a multimillion dollar resort, and the city at large saw tremendous growth on its path toward becoming Sevier County's first billion dollar economy.
The Island, a major commercial attraction that opened in 2013, saw the opening of new businesses, including Margaritaville restaurant and hotel and Dick's Last Resort. Other Island projects, including a huge investment by celebrity chef Paula Deen, are under construction.
The city's new convention center, the LeConte Center at Pigeon Forge, also fulfilled its purpose, bringing thousands of additional tourists to the area with shows and conferences like the National Quartet Convention, which it hosted in September.
The large musical assembly saw its largest crowd in over 13 years, undoubtedly reassuring officials that the move from Louisville, Ky., was the right one.
City tourism director Leon Downey said neither the city nor the convention expected the large crowd that appeared on opening night of the convention, Sept. 21. Preparations were made for an attendance of 2,500; the actual number was about 5,000. All told, 40,000 people attended the week-long event.
Continuing the city's booming growth trend: the approval and groundbreaking of the $22.5 million Ripken Experience baseball facility at the corner of Teaster Lane and Jake Thomas Road.
The huge site's six synthetic baseball fields will lure youth baseball tournaments – and the accompanying players and families – to the tourist town.
Beyond Pigeon Forge's bustling business scene, other positive news also captured the top headlines in 2014.
(Read the full story in Thursday's Mountain Press, or subscribe online at themountainpress.com.)
http://www.themountainpress.com/news/x1992519477/Booming-business-in-Pigeon-Forge-is-Sevier-Countys-story-of-the-year
Baseball hall of famer Cal Ripken Jr. plays with children at the site of the Ripken Experience youth baseball facility in November, before the groundbreaking for the $22.5 million facility in Pigeon Forge. (Curt Habraken/The Mountain Press)
