• About
    • About Us
    • What We Cover
  • Advertise
    • Advertise
    • Our Advertisers
  • Contact
  • Donate
  • Send News
  • Subscribe

Oak Ridge Today

  • Home
  • Sign in
  • News
    • Business
    • Community
    • Education
    • Government
    • Health
    • Police and Fire
    • U.S. Department of Energy
    • Weather
  • Sports
    • High School
    • Middle School
    • Recreation
    • Rowing
    • Youth
  • Entertainment
    • Arts
    • Dancing
    • Movies
    • Music
    • Television
    • Theater
  • Premium Content
  • Obituaries
  • Classifieds

Lake City is now Rocky Top, Tennessee

Posted at 9:52 pm June 26, 2014
By John Huotari Leave a Comment

Lake City to Rocky Top Vote

The Lake City Council on Thursday agreed to change the town’s name to Rocky Top as part of an effort to attract a multi-million dollar development that could include a water park, interactive theater with children’s museum, and coal miners music theater, among other things.

 

Note: This story was last updated at 1:10 p.m. June 28.

LAKE CITY—Lake City is now Rocky Top, Tennessee.

For most people, Rocky Top has been, until now, the name of a bluegrass song that is wildly popular in East Tennessee and the unofficial anthem of the University of Tennessee Volunteers. Hikers might know it as a sub-peak of Thunderhead Mountain in the Great Smoky Mountains. And shoppers might recognize it as the name of a bookstore, or gas station, or wine trail, or one of many other businesses registered in Tennessee.

But officials and business leaders here have worked for months to make their town to first to use it in a city name.

The idea is to use the name change to spur developments along Interstate 75 that could be worth up to $237 million. Proposed projects include an indoor and outdoor water park, interactive theater with a children’s museum, a coal miners music theater, and laser tag, among other things. Officials have said those developments—which have also included other options such as a hotel, restaurant, and candy company—won’t happen without the name change.

Residents hope the change and subsequent developments will create jobs, add sales tax revenues, and provide a vital economic boost to this depressed town of 1,800 people in northern Anderson County. [Read more…]

Filed Under: Business, Government, Lake City, Lake City, Lake City, Top Stories Tagged With: Anderson County, Bill Haslam, Boudleaux Bryant, Brad Coriell, children's museum, Coal Creek, coal miners music theater, economic boost, Felice Bryant, Great Smoky Mountains, House of Bryant, House of Bryant Publications LLC, interactive theater, jobs, Lake City, Lake City Council, Lake City Middle School, lawsuit, Michael L. Lovely, name chagne, Rocky Top, Rocky Top Marketing and Manufacturing Co., Rocky Top Tennessee, Sharon Templin, tax revenues, Tennessee General Assembly, Thomas A. Varlan, Thunderhead Mountain, Tim Isbel, Tim Sharp, trademark infringement, U.S. District Court, water park

Search Oak Ridge Today

Classifieds

Public Notice: NNSA announces no significant impact of Y-12 Development Organization operations at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

ADFAC seeks contractors for five homes

Aid to Distressed Families of Appalachian Counties (ADFAC) is a non-profit community based agency, … [Read More...]

Public notice: Draft environmental assessment for Y-12 Development Organization at Horizon Center

AVAILABILITY OF THE DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT FOR THE OFFSITE HOUSING OF THE Y-12 DEVELOPMENT … [Read More...]

Recent Posts

  • Community Thanksgiving is Thursday
  • Windrock wildfire controlled
  • ORHS Masquers Showcase is Saturday
  • Minor traffic delays possible due to Secret City Half Marathon, 5K
  • Burn ban in effect in Oak Ridge, restrictions in OS
  • State: Rocky Top wildfire 100 percent contained
  • Rocky Top fire grows to 210 acres, 75 percent contained
  • AC man charged with murder
  • School bus driver arrested following alleged assault on elementary student
  • NNSA Notice of Availability

Recent Comments

  • Anne Garcia on School bus driver arrested following alleged assault on elementary student
  • Raymond Dickover on Blockhouse Valley Recycling Center now open 6 days per week
  • Mike Mahathy on School bus driver arrested following alleged assault on elementary student
  • Norah Higgins on Links between religion, violence, gender to be discussed at Lunch with League
  • Matthew Perkins Coppola on Family of Hannah Morris has receiving of friends, celebration of life on Sunday
  • John Huotari on Power to TRISO at Horizon could cost $13 million
  • John Huotari on Lawsuit seeks 2020 election audit, voting machine restriction
  • Peter Scheffler on Lawsuit seeks 2020 election audit, voting machine restriction
  • Peter Scheffler on Power to TRISO at Horizon could cost $13 million
  • Matt Bailey on Dodson also wants to serve as mayor pro tem

Copyright © 2023 Oak Ridge Today