Sparta is seeking developers and investors after a comprehensive feasibility study confirmed the city can support a hotel.
Sparta City Administrator Tonya Tindle said the study was funded through a state grant to provide the necessary groundwork to attract potential chains. Tindle said the research involved surveying local businesses, medical facilities, and event centers to determine the specific needs of the community.
“We’ve got event centers and we send people to Cookeville to stay in hotels all the time,” Tindle said. “You know, we have church events, we can’t have people come in, they don’t have anywhere to stay. You know, we could probably have better bigger ball tournaments, bigger athletic things, but we don’t have anywhere for anybody to stay.”
Tindle said the study was conducted by Core Distinction Group and suggests a hotel with 50 to 75 rooms. Tindle said the proposed facility should include amenities such as a free breakfast and a small convention space suitable for weddings or meetings.
“We would hope that they could see that we’re just a jewel sitting right here in the middle of the Upper Cumberland and that they would love to have a hotel here,” Tindle said.
Tindle said consultant, Sara McKay, has connections with various hotel franchises and will present two or three potential sites in Sparta to interested parties. Tindle said the city will maintain the study data to use for future recruitment efforts even after the grant period ends in August.
“Well, where it’s at now, it’s out of our hands at this moment but once we have another decision, we’re not going to sit on it,” Tindle said. “We’re going to keep working at it and if somebody don’t buy it, we’re just going to keep going to different hotel chains until we find somebody that does because now we know that we can support one. It’s going to be an investment for somebody, we’re not going to give up. So we have our new conference center that we are going to have hopefully ready for conferences, and we don’t want people to have conferences here and then have to go to Cookeville and drive 15 minutes away. So we’re going to keep chucking away at this until we find somebody that says yes.”
Tindle said the lack of local lodging currently forces visitors to nearby state parks and local events to stay in other counties. Tindle said a new hotel would provide a significant economic boost as guests would likely spend money at local restaurants and retail stores during their stay.
“I think the board of mayor and alderman and our department heads and everybody in Sparta has just got on the bandwagon that we want to make Sparta the best that it can be,” Tindle said. “And we want to make it attractive to visitors and for the people that live here. We want it to be a fun place, we want it to be somewhere where they can come and bring their friends and just enjoy being here.”
Tindle said the city is prepared to host potential investors to showcase the community once interest is established through the outreach of the study.