5:17 p.m.: Alexandria lobbies for title and gospel attractions
By BRANDI WATTERS
Anderson Herald Bulletin (Indiana)
May 11, 2008
ALEXANDRIA — A new tourist attraction in Alexandria [Indiana] could attract 1,000 people a day, according to Mayor Jack Woods.
Woods is spear-heading an effort to turn the small city into a tourist destination with a three-part plan that includes controlling train traffic, getting federal funding for a gospel museum and auditorium, and reclaiming Alexandria’s title as “Small Town U.S.A.”
On Tuesday, Woods is scheduled to meet with U.S. Rep. Mike Pence in Washington, D.C., to discuss congressional earmarks for the project.
Woods and a group of private investors are seeking to use the fame of gospel celebrities Bill and Gloria Gaither to turn Alexandria into gospel’s hometown.
At the start of the year, the city hired Mary Starkey to draft a proposal for a congressional earmark to fund the construction of a museum and an auditorium titled “The American Gospel Music Experience.”
The auditorium will seat 750 people and the museum is designed to be interactive, to chronicle the history of gospel music in America. Woods hopes the auditorium will draw gospel music stars to perform concerts in Alexandria. It will also be used for worship service.
Woods says the proposal is inspired by the Gaithers, but the Gaithers will have little to do with the federally funded attractions. “It’s not a Gaither project. It’s something the city is trying to get federal funding on Gaither property.”
If funding is secured, Woods said, the Gaithers will donate a parcel of land directly south of the Gaither Family Resources on Indiana 9 to serve as the location for the new attraction.
The total amount requested in the city’s proposal is $12.25 million.
Starkey, who served as the executive director for the Corporation for Economic Development in Anderson, worries about Pence’s willingness to lobby for the funding. “I think it's very unfortunate that Congressman Pence made an announcement that he was not supporting congressional earmarks because Indiana gets so few congressional earmarks.”
Other aspects of the gospel attraction include the Gaithers’ plans to expand their current business and invest in a hotel to be located near the auditorium.
Neil Johnson, an Alexandria businessman, says a small group of investors is being formed. “What we’re proposing is, there is a corporation which we form with up to 35 shareholders.”
Johnson said another $4 million to $6 million will be invested privately in addition to federal dollars toward the expansion of the Gaithers’ current attractions and the construction of a 50- to 75-room hotel.
Bill and Gloria Gaither have chosen not to comment on the project, stating that it is premature to do so at this point.
Alexandria city officials will not know if the funding has been earmarked until September, Starkey said.
“Small Town U.S.A.”
The construction of “The American Gospel Music Experience” is hardly the only trick up Woods’ sleeve.
He is determined to make Alexandria a tourist destination and is planning to approach the federal government about re-branding Alexandria as “Small Town U.S.A.” as it did during World War II.
The federal government selected Alexandria for the honor in 1943 as part of war-time propaganda to encourage positive feelings about America in Europe.
Leaflets depicting Alexandria’s streets and friendly, small-town appeal were dropped from planes flying over the European countryside.
While Woods does not expect that the skies will rain with Alexandria leaflets once more, he is hoping the government will re-brand the city in order to drum up tourism and federal funding. “If we can get the federal government to recognize that we have that title, maybe we can get some funding to help fix our buildings up.”
The mayor is also hoping Pence will address the city’s train traffic by providing funding for the construction of grade separations throughout town.
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