Bank of America has agreed to sell this two-story brick building on Main Street in Lake City for $100,000 for a Coal Miners’ Museum and county storage space and satellite offices.
The Lake City Council on Saturday developed a plan for operating and maintaining a coal mining museum, a proposal that will be presented to the Anderson County Commission this evening, a nonprofit organization said this weekend.
The Commission will consider buying the former Bank of America building in Lake City as a home for the Coal Miners’ Museum during a meeting that starts at 6:30 p.m. Monday.
“In voicing their support for the project at today’s workshop, Mayor Tim Sharp and several of the council members told personal stories of their family ties to the area’s mining past,” the Coal Creek Watershed Foundation said in a press release.
Coal Creek miners (Photo courtesy of Coal Creek Watershed Foundation)
Speakers said the 0.31-acre project could be a development opportunity, according to the press release. The foundation said it is committed to buying a cannon to install at Fort Anderson on Militia Hill to enhance the Coal Creek Motor Discovery Trail experience for tourists if the county commission agrees to buy the bank building. Lake City was once known as Coal Creek.
“We believe that the opportunity to learn about Coal Creek’s rich mining past in the museum, and then visit the sites where that history occurred, will draw tourists off I-75,” the foundation said. “That will provide a shot-in-the-arm to all of Anderson County.”
Last week, the Anderson County Operations Committee recommended buying the two-story brick building with $100,000 from the sale of land in the David Jones Industrial Park. In addition to housing a museum, the bank building could also be used to store excess county supplies and as a satellite office for county departments, which would be able to make use of the existing drive-through window.
Also on tonight’s agenda is a request from Oak Ridge officials to donate up to 2.05 acres on Emory Valley Road in Oak Ridge for a sewer system holding tank east of the former Daniel Arthur Rehabilitation Center. The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has ordered Oak Ridge to stop all sewer system overflows by 2015. Oak Ridge Public Works Director Gary Cinder said studies have shown that several holding tanks are required at critical locations “to equalize and detain excess flow during heavy rain events,” and one equalization tank would be required near the county-owned Daniel Arthur Center, which is used by satellite county offices, the Oak Ridge Senior Center, and the Emory Valley Center.
Also on tonight’s agenda is a resolution to establish inmate co-pay amounts and reimbursements for medical and dental care, pharmacy services, and/or substance abuse treatment provided by the county.
Read the CCWF letter of support for the Coal Miners’ Museum here.
See the Anderson County Commission meeting agenda here.
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