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economic development when law and immutable topography constrain it? For example, during the last three
decades and through two recessions, nearby Pigeon Forge has seen its gross business receipts grow from a bare $50 million to well over $800 million, thanks
321, and the downtown Parkway. Win- ter Magic runs for 120 days from late November to the end of January, with Christmas-themed displays as well as light sculptures depicting park animals and other fantasy elements of “winter forests, evergreens, and romance.” A
Renovating the Old
Ripley’s Believe It or Not! Oddi- torium is, in contrast, a feature likely familiar to anyone who has ever been to the city, as it has been a mainstay attraction for more than 90 years. The three-story building displays over 500 bizarre curiosities from around the world—including cannibal skulls and vampire-killing kits. Your great-grand- father’s Gatlinburg, however, has been updated so that the freaky Odditorium is no longer the most significant Ripley attraction. Instead, there is Ripley’s
Aquarium of the Smokies—chosen the third best in the United States by read- ers of USA Today in 2014 and number one in the nation by users of Trip Advisor.
The aquarium was an ideal redevel- opment because of its small footprint, says Ogle: “We put a $60 million aquar- ium on a five-acre tract.” That footprint houses a state-of-the-art facility— including 1.4 million gallons of salt- water, a 340-foot underwater tunnel, and more than 100,000 creatures from the sea. In 2010, Ripley’s added a $5 million interactive penguin exhibit and now claims its over one million annual visitors makes it the second-most pop- ular attraction in Tennessee.
To grow within its confined space, Gatlinburg must constantly renovate and recreate its existing properties, as the example of Ripley’s Odditorium and the aquarium shows. “We’re at a watershed point in our community where older buildings are being demolished,” says Ogle. “More and more older buildings are being rebuilt because most of what happens is redevelopment.”
Likewise, the city has renovated its infrastructure with an eye toward restor- ing the beauty of its natural environment, reducing its impact on the Smokies, and in general becoming more green. “So far we have spent about $26 million over 15 years to move our utilities underground,” says Ogle. In 2008, the city launched
“Gatlinburg Goes Green” to encourage
In 2008 the city launched “Gatlinburg Goes Green” to encourage member businesses to lessen their environmental waste and recognize their responsibility as stewards of the park.
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in good part to the kickstart of Dolly- wood. When Dollywood opened in 1986, Pigeon Forge received an immediate 46 percent increase in business activity. In contrast to Gatlinburg, the Forge then had room to sprawl—and sprawl it has. What Gatlinburg locals refer to as “the land below the tunnel” (on Highway 441) has had a relatively easy time of expand- ing its tourism.
Gatlinburg’s commissioners and Ogle have had to be more creative.
Time for Expansion
Although constrained in its physical dimensions, Gatlinburg did have another facet by which it could grow: time. When Ogle first became city manager, the town’s tourism was seasonal. “From about the first of November to Easter, you could shoot a cannon down the Park- way and not hit anyone,” she recalls.
That began to change when the city created its “Gatlinburg Winter Magic” light display, which this past Christmas celebrated its 25th year. The four- month-long promotion takes advantage of Gatlinburg’s frosty temperatures and occasional snowfall to provide added natural sparkle to the $1.6 million worth of artificial lights lining the trol- ley route along River Road, Highway
few years ago, the city renovated every- thing in the luminous extravaganza, including converting entirely to LED bulbs that use 1/40th the electricity of their incandescent predecessors.
Gatlinburg kicks off the magic with
a chili contest around Veterans Day, followed by successive Great Smoky Mountains Arts and Crafts shows cen- tered on Thanksgiving and then Christ- mas. Both take place in the Gatlinburg Convention Center and the adjoining W.S. Mills Conference Center, altogether a 148,000-square-foot facility also con- structed during Ogle’s tenure to provide indoor, year-round event hosting.
In December, the holiday season winds down with a Fantasy of Lights Christmas Parade and a New Year’s Eve Ball Drop and Fireworks Show. Ogle also recommends
“Tunes and Tales,” a street-based enter- tainment program showcasing locals, as a relatively new addition. “We began it about eight to ten years ago,” she says, “as a way of bringing caroling, storytelling, and crafts into the downtown area.” The event is free and from 5 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays leading up to Christmas.
“That’s probably the biggest change about us a visitor from 25 years ago would notice,” says Ogle. “We now have more of a year-round economy.”
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