Greene County Chamber of Commerce president Ben Yoder talked with the county board of supervisors Monday to update them on the Welcome Center and to ask them to think about what role the county should play in promoting tourism as a local industry. He asked the supervisors to consider writing letters, both personally and as a board, expressing to the Jefferson city council their support of the Welcome Center and of the Chamber as taking the lead in tourism.
The Welcome Center will be located one block east of the Mahanay Bell Tower in the building most recently used by Kingsgate Insurance. It is surrounded by the Thomas Jefferson Gardens. Its prime functions will be to serve as a hub for tourism and visitor services, and to provide public restrooms on the courthouse square.
The Chamber has already spent $85,000 in updating the exterior of the building. An effort to raise another $175,000 to complete work in the interior will begin soon, with a goal of having the work complete during the summer of 2015. The Chamber hopes to cover operating cost of the center with its share of hotel/motel tax revenues.
Yoder spoke about the Welcome Center with the Jefferson city council last week. Council members asked him to approach the county supervisors about the county’s role in the project. Yoder intends also to speak with local organizations in the coming weeks. Any group that would like to know more about the project can contact Yoder at Home State Bank or Chamber of Commerce executive director Chris Henning at the Chamber office at 515-386-2155.
