News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
The Cumberland County Commission visited the Wilson County Expo Center this week to get a firsthand look of what a similar expo center could offer in Cumberland County.
Wendell Wilson is a 6th District Commissioner and chairman of the Building and Grounds Committee.
Wilson said the commissioners discussed the practicality of building an expo center on vacant land within the 120-acre community-complex property.
“We walked through the whole building. As we went through the building, we discussed points that they would improve or change and things that they would not,” Wilson said. “We also discussed several points about the building that we want to pattern our building after. Basically, that was what we were doing.”
Prior to the August election, the previous commission completed a walkthrough of the Wilson County facility. Monday was the new commissioners’ first opportunity to tour the facility.
Wilson said the commissioners need to think about the dimensions of the building in comparison to the Wilson County Expo.
“The building is 200 by 300. It has a 48-foot roof lined with a 24-foot ceiling with the light fixtures. They told us that if they did an arena type, for example, basketball or volleyball games, they mandated two more feet higher, 26 feet,” Wilson said. “So if we decide to build this we need to pay attention and move our light fixtures up. Those are things you gain by going and visiting places and seeing what they have done right and see what they would change.”
Cumberland County has asked the state legislature to approve a private act to assess a 1% restaurant-privilege tax to defray the cost of building and maintaining the facility.
If approved, two-thirds of the full commission must approve plans to build the expo center.
