The future of the Visitor Center is now in question.
The future of the Mitchell County Visitor Center is in flux after the Mitchell County Chamber Board announced this past week its plans to terminate its current lease with the National Park Service for the space that houses the center near the Blue Ridge Parkway.
The chamber board plans to notify the National Park Service in writing of its decision on March 1 with the termination of the lease to follow on May 1.
The chamber made the news official with a statement released on Friday, Feb. 17.
“We have a long-standing relationship and the board did not make this decision lightly,” said Chamber President Gene Self.
The decision comes in the wake of the county’s establishment of a local Travel and Tourism Development Authority.
As a result, the chamber no longer gets occupancy tax funds.
“We also are no longer receiving money from the Mitchell County Commissioners following the closing of federal buildings during COVID-19,” Self said. “It was the combination of these monies that funded operations at the Visitor Center by the chamber.”
The chamber board determined it can’t find a “feasible” way to fund the Visitor Center in its next budget, resulting in the decision to terminate the current lease.
Self added that the board hopes to see the TDA board and National Park Service work together to continue operating the Visitor Center.
“The chamber will continue focusing on supporting, promoting and assisting our member businesses and non-profits all over Mitchell County and directing our efforts toward them,” Self said.
The Visitor Center operates out of the National Park Service’s Museum of NC Minerals and welcomes thousands of guests annually.