Bays Mountain Park receives $100,000 grant

The City of Kingsport is pleased to announce Bays Mountain Park has received a $100,000 grant from the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development. These grant funds will go towards the construction of a new floating bridge along the western end of Lakeside Trail.

City and state officials held a check presentation ceremony Tuesday afternoon in the Nature Center to celebrate the awarding of the grant.

“Today is an exciting day for Kingsport and we are thankful the state has invested in and continues to invest in Bays Mountain Park,” said Mayor Paul W. Montgomery.

For more than 20 years, the floating bridge has connected Lakeside Trail to itself and has served as the main path to travel along the reservoir. However, the bridge has sustained significant wear and tear over the years due to the weather and fallen trees and is in need of being replaced.

The proposal calls for the construction of a new bridge adjacent to the existing one and once complete, the old bridge will be removed. Kingsport is currently working on the design of the new bridge.

In November, the Tennessee Department of Tourist Development awarded 30 communities across the state more than $2 million in Tourism Enhancement Grants to strengthen local tourism assets and drive Tennessee’s continued growth as a world-class destination.

Brent Lambert, East Tennessee Division Manager for the Tennessee Department of Tourism, explained how tourism is the second leading industry in Tennessee, generating more than $3.3 billion in tax revenue for the state.

“In Tennessee, more than $1,100 per household is being saved due to tourism,” Lambert said. “That’s a big deal and places like Bays Mountain Park…I have friends who swear to me this park is the best park in the State of Tennessee.”

For more information about Bays Mountain Park visit www.baysmountain.com.